Career and Education

*This is an on-site position with one day per week remote option during fall and spring terms and two days per week remote during summer and winter break.

Position Summary

The Business Intelligence (BI) and Reporting Specialist is the primary contact for business intelligence and reporting in the Institutional Research Office (IR).  Supports the research and analysis agenda of the Office by improving the accessibility, usability, and understanding of institutional data to support data-informed decision making and policy formation.  In doing so, the position supports the areas of institutional research, institutional and program effectiveness, and student outcomes and assessment.  Supplies access to data and analyses via complex reports through business intelligence and data visualization tools.  Determines reporting needs, both internal to Skidmore and external, and then develops, delivers, and maintains reports for IR/Dean of Faculty & VPAA and secondarily for select campus community members where IR and other needs may overlap.  Acts as a resource for reporting tool guidance and serves as a liaison between IR and other administrative offices to promote cross-functional understanding and synergies related to data. 

Primary Job Duties

• Database Report Writing: Specifies, develops, and delivers reports required for strategic initiatives, important college research studies, and compliance.  Has a detailed understanding of the Collegeâ™s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, databases and reporting tools.  Understands the reporting needs of IR and determines the best methodologies for extracting, formatting, organizing and delivering data, reports, and analyses.  Develops and maintains reports, datasets, and dashboards via Cognos, Tableau Desktop/Public, Excel, etc.


• Self-Service Reports: Writes reports for IR that are accessible to the campus community and automates processes for routine reporting and to improve efficiency.


• Visualization of Data: Creates data visualizations to effectively communicate results to various audiences.  Pursues alternative ways to present data visually and make it available to users via self-service reports, dashboard data visualizations and automated report delivery. 


• Ad Hoc Requests: Completes ad hoc data and analyses requests that IR receives from the Presidentâ™s Cabinet, department chairs/program directors, administrative office directors, grant initiatives, etc. including requests that require extensive use of SQL or advanced reporting tool functionality.


• Academic Department/Program Reviews:  Fulfills requests for data, trends, and analyses for departments/programs undergoing self-study program review.  Transitions frequent requests to self-service reports for greater access and to improve efficiency.


• Grants: Completes requests for data and analyses for grant proposals and grants received.  Emphasizes disaggregation of data while maintaining ease of understanding.


• Efficiency: Develops ways to make fulfilling all requests, especially ad hoc and academic department/program review requests, more routine and less time-consuming for IR.


• Professional Development of Staff: Provides reporting tool training/support to IR staff as needed and acts as a resource for other reporting tool users. 


• Documentation and Continuous Improvement: Documents new data structures, complex report creation steps, and strategies to fulfill requests so they can be understood and used by IR staff and others.  Continually improves processes.


• Customizations: Collaborates with IT to support and implement IR-requested database and reporting tool customizations and upgrades, including development and testing of database packages and views.


• Data integrity: Creates and suggests coding that may be implemented to ensure more accurate data for IR reporting.  Functions as a liaison between IR and IT for concerns related to data access and accuracy.  Collaborates with other offices as needed.  


• Meetings: Contributes to the Student Systems and Reporting Team meetings that include administrative offices from across the College to discuss and manage business processes and enterprise systems updates and decisions, as well as data governance issues. 


• Other Duties: Performs other related duties as assigned.
   

Qualifications and Competencies

Education: Bachelorâ™s Degree or equivalent experience required.  Bachelorâ™s Degree in data science, computer science, information systems/technology, data analytics, or related field preferred.

Experience: 3 or more years of database report writing, database querying (SQL), and/or BI experience required.  Experience with Ellucian Banner and ODS, Cognos, Oracle SQL Developer (or similar), Tableau Desktop/Public, and Excel preferred.  Experience in a higher education setting is preferred.  Knowledge of research design, social science methods, and statistical analyses/software are pluses.

Competencies:

• Strong technical/analytical skills and advanced practical experience with reporting software, data management, and analyses to answer complex questions using a wide range of data.


• Understanding and use of SQL and database relationships.


• Proven ability to work independently while also building relationships and working collaboratively within the IR office and across departments/offices.


• A team player with strong interpersonal and communication skills.


• Learns independently and with minimal supervision.


• Concern for accuracy and details.


• Strong organizational skills and initiative to see projects through to completion in a timely fashion.


• Outside-of-the-box thinking and a flexible approach to developing solutions to data access, reports, and dashboards.


• Embraces ideals of diversity and inclusiveness.


• Research and adopt new technology.  Able to learn and transition to new tools/databases in the future and support any such transition.


• Commitment to continuously assess processes and procedures and adjust accordingly.


• Demonstrated effectiveness in educating and collaborating with others.


• Respect the function of dissent while advancing collaboration.

Required documents needed to apply:

• On-line application


• Cover Letter


• Resume


• List of Three References

Pay Range:  $65,000 - $75,000

EEO STATEMENT

Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.

CREATIVE THOUGHTMATTERS.

About Skidmore College

Skidmore is a highly selective liberal arts college with a reputation for its creative approaches to just about everything. With its relatively small size and student-faculty ratio, the College is a close-knit academic community. Skidmore is known for its faculty of teacher-scholars devoted to the instruction and mentoring of undergraduates; approximately 2,400 talented men and women from some 47 states and 46 countries.In the universe of selective, private liberal arts colleges, Skidmore's distinctiveness is expressed in the statement that "Creative Thought Matters". This idea reflects not only the historical strength of the College's programs in the fine and performing arts but also the understanding that creativity is required for achievement in any area of human endeavor.The city of Saratoga Springs is widely recognized as one of America's great communities. It is located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, within a three-to-four-hour drive from New York City, Boston or Montreal. Travel & Leisure calls Saratoga Springs one of "America's Greatest Main Streets" as well as "one of the best college towns in the nation," Money Magazine says it's one of the nation's top 100... places to live, and Princeton Review describes it as a "perfect college town." It's a community rich in history and tradition. Famed mineral waters, a Revolutionary War battlefield, and the nation's oldest thoroughbred racetrack represent portions of that history. Also, it's a community of arts and culture. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is the summer home to the New York City Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, and a performing venue for top rock and jazz musicians.The Skidmore College community awaits your arrival, so if you welcome challenges and are interested in making a difference, come join us!

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