Senior Partnering Consultant

Position Summary:
The Senior Partnering Consultant is part of the Office of Data and Strategic Analytics (DSA) at Vanderbilt University. They are a key contributor working in partnership with their designated academic areas or support units ensuring that Vanderbilt makes decisions utilizing highquality and relevant data information and analysis. These areas may vary over time depending on demand and priorities. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Institutional Research & Academic Partnering the Senior Partnering Consultant will also have a strong dottedline reporting relationship with the designated leaders supporting the Graduate School including the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School.

The Senior Partnering Consultant is a generalist role providing professional support around data information and analysis to leaders. The position is also a matrix role with integration into both the Graduate School and also the broader DSA Team. The consultant will build strong relationships in the Graduate School to provide targeted and nuanced support helping leaders and staff to interpret and use information for decisionmaking and planning. They will draw on relationships within the DSA Team to access specialist support as required. They will provide feedback to DSA about priorities and preferences among users to ensure that DSA outputs are focused on institutional and local need.

This is a position that requires the successful candidate to be on campus four days per week. Forming strong integral working relationships with staff in the Graduate School and across Academic Affairs is key to success with remote and hybrid flexibility for occasions where it will not impact work.

About the Work Units:

The Office of Data and Strategic Analytics
The Office of Data and Strategic Analytics (DSA) is led by the Vanderbilts Chief Data Officer and is responsible for defining and leading the Vanderbilt Data Strategy now in its second phase after a successful phase. DSA is part of the Office of the Chancellor and works with Vice Chancellor areas across the institution to deliver value to Vanderbilt through thoughtful and intentional use of data. DSA is spearheading a transformation in Vanderbilts data culture as part of Vanderbilt Universitys broader ambitions to define and model what a university for the 21st Century.

DSA is made up of three teams: Institutional Research and Academic Partnering; Administrative Partnering; and Data Governance Solutions and Consulting. DSA works closely with other units to deliver the data strategy including strong collaboration with Vanderbilt University Information Technology (VUIT) on technical and information security issues and the Office of General Counsel on compliance issues.

The Graduate School
The mission of the Graduate School (GS) is to promote excellence in research scholarship and creative expression such that graduate students and postdoctoral trainees are optimally prepared for successful careers in academia industry and related fields. The Graduate School does this by recruiting the most promising pre and postdoctoral scholars and creating an environment that fosters intellectual growth and development.

Graduate education emphasizes intensive disciplinaryspecific and interdisciplinary training taking advantage of Vanderbilts uniquely collaborative and collegial culture. The Graduate School collaborates with the leadership of the schools/colleges as well as the Offices of the Vice Provosts and Vice Chancellors to ensure operational excellence. The Graduate School ensures the maintenance of the highest academic and professional standards and plays an important advocacy role for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:
The key function of a Senior Partnering Consultant is to enable their designated area(s) to make use of data analysis and other information to support decisionmaking and planning. As such the Senior Partnering Consultant needs to draw on a broad range of skills to build relationships understand the strategic needs of their partner areas and analyze and translate quantitative information for senior leaders.

Key functions include:

Making data and analytical information accessible relevant and usable to stakeholders in the partner area(s) to support decisionmaking and planning.
Integrate disparate sources of information to provide strategic insights and pragmatic recommendations for action.
Share and explain data analysis assessment findings and similar information to leadership and other stakeholders in partner area(s). This may include personalizing reports for the area and using a variety of tools including Tableau Excel PowerPoint and other data visualization software.
Identify weaknesses in data resources and advise and lead on how to collect and curate information working with DSA and partner area teams as appropriate.
Be familiar with the key strategic and operational issues facing their partner area(s) and work with leadership to understand those issues and to determine how data information and analysis can best support decisionmaking.
Integrate quantitative and qualitative information with an understanding of the goals and constraints of the area(s).
Advise on options risks and action plans.

Communicating data analysis and information to make an impact.

Author presentations and reports using different media to present to a variety of audiences.
Tailor the message to suit the audience and consider the sensitivity and/or confidentiality of the information.
Provide communications and training on dataoriented activities.
Contribute to the development and release of Certified Data Sets.
Write and contribute to communications targeted to the Vanderbilt community and beyond.

Serve as an intermediary between DSA and their designated area(s).

Identify projects (e.g. assessment surveys analysis reporting) that may require input from the broader DSA team and broker and facilitate those conversations.
Provide feedback to the DSA team about the effectiveness and impact of various office outputs and about local priorities from their partner area(s).
Remain abreast of developments elsewhere in the DSA team to identify what may be of use to their designated area(s).

Compile and submit data for area to internal and external data collection exercises as required.

Coordinate the collect and compilation of local data ensuring it is compliant consistent and in the correct format.
Take responsibility for some external data submissions related to the areas where the individual is partnering.

Contribute to or lead institutional or DSA projects and support the development of institutional data capability.

Examples of current institutional projects include the redevelopment of the website and Factbook and the review of reporting resources and tools to develop a more selfservice approach.
Work with local and institutional leadership to support regional accreditation processes.
Support institutional data governance activities to ensure the appropriate use of data.

Support colleagues within the partnering team and collaborate as required inside and outside DSA (e.g. serving on institutional committees).

Supervisory Relationships:
This position does not currently have supervisory responsibilities. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Senior Director of Institutional Research & Academic Partnering and ultimately to the Chief Data Officer. The Senior Partnering Consultant will also have a strong dottedline reporting relationship with the designated leaders in the Graduate School. Regular meetings and reporting will occur with leadership within the Graduate School.

Education and Certifications:
The Senior Partnering Consultant is a generalist role and a variety of skills and experiences may provide appropriate experience and preparation for this role.

A masters or doctoral degree is necessary.

Experience and Skills:

At least five years experience working in a professional setting is necessary including experience working with those in leadership roles.
Experience of working with quantitative information and data is necessary; this may be demonstrated by academic or professional experience.
Ability to manipulate and present data in Excel and Tableau is necessary.
Ability to work with Tableau or a similar data visualization tool is strongly preferred.
Ability to do descriptive statistical analysis (e.g. compute means variances change over time) is necessary.
Data storytelling experience is preferred.
Training in and experience of more advanced statistical techniques is preferred.
Experience working in higher education is necessary with a demonstrated understanding of how a higher educational institution works. This includes an understanding of the strategic challenges knowledge of the formal structures and an appreciation of the internal and external political context and how that influences appropriate behavior.
Knowledge of Graduate Education and what distinguishes it from Professional Education at Vanderbilt is preferred.
Knowledge of the faculty tenure system is preferred.
Familiarity with the role postdoctoral study plays in the graduate and faculty career cycle is preferred.
Ability to understand and translate quantitative data for a wide variety of audiences is necessary.
Excellent interpersonal skills are necessary. The Senior Partnering Consultant needs to be able develop a rapport with a wide range of individuals. They must be able to effectively challenge preconceived notions and deliver messages that may be unwelcome.
Excellent communication skills are necessary. This includes both written and verbal skills.
Experience with writing for research publication is preferred.
Familiarity with APAstyle / or similar is preferred.
The ability to review work with a high attention to detail grammar and punctuality is necessary.
Ability to work with Tableau or a similar data visualization tool is strongly preferred.
Ability to present to and train targeted audiences is necessary.
Excellent problemsolving skills are necessary. The Senior Partnering Consultant needs to be able to define a problem place it into a broader context and work collaboratively to explore the issue and develop solutions. This requires the intellectual agility to move from theoretical to practical and back again drawing together a variety of different inputs to come to a conclusion.
Demonstrated experience managing projects through to completion is necessary.
Strong timemanagement skills are necessary as this post will be working in a matrix environment so will need to prioritize their own workload much of the time.

Key Characteristics for this Position:
Works through Issues Recognizes that the work is about successful outcomes if things arent going well outcomes suffer; is willing to have crucial conversations if things arent going well; doesnt just complain to management does everything possible to remedy the situation directly first.
Respects confidentiality and demonstrates a strong ethical compass recognizing the sensitivity and potential power of data information and outcomes respecting the privacy and dignity of personal data. This approach underpins the trust the University places in DSA as data stewards.
Collaborative Works inclusively to build trust and accomplish tasks goals and initiatives. Understands anticipates and appropriately responds to internal and/or external customers needs.
Teamwork Genuinely values teamwork and coworkers makes them feel valuable and important by acknowledging what they do well; doesnt expect from others effort that one is unwilling to do themselves finds ways to acknowledge others strong suits.
Communicates proactively. Uses sound judgment to identify what needs to be communicated with teammates local leaders and senior institutional leadership in order to support Vanderbilts mission. Not seeking to control information for personal or local advantage. Listens thoughtfully to understand the needs of partners and stakeholders asks relevant clarifying and probing questions and generates trust through this process.
Raises the Bar Expects and delivers excellence; is a creative problem solver; is proactive; welcomes input on making things better places a high value on learning and getting better.
Interpersonal adaptability Reads cues and adapt accordingly; adjusts style and approach to accommodate the styles and needs of others; can anticipate and effectively deescalate potential conflicts.
Civil Discourse Has the courage to challenge and be challenged by others with divergent points of view substantiated by evidence and objective analysis.
Problemsolving and learning Is a creative proactive problem solver; welcomes input and places a high value on learning and continual improvement and professional development; willing to learn new technologies and tools.
DetailOriented Attention to detail thoroughness quality assurance and handling mistakes appropriately all underpin the trust of Vanderbilt in the work of DSA.
Judgment and Professional Acumen Understands the organizational context and the various factors affecting their work. Makes appropriate decisions and evaluates risk and uncertainty to create ideal outcomes exhibits an eye for the macro and the micro and works to ensure others are able to do the same.
Selfdisciplined Selfmanaging; selfmotivated; manages time activities and outcomes well so that progress stays on track; is accountable for own work.
SelfAware Selfreflective and recognizes ones own biases and is sensitive to the perceptions of others. Understands own strengths and weaknesses and able to receive constructive feedback and initiate strategies to compensate and adapt. Recognizes the specific role of a member of staff within a facultyled environment.
Supports the overall value of higher education and understands the distinctive values of a researchintensive highly selective private institution such as Vanderbilt.