State Title: Associate Director
Bargaining Unit: NU
Employment Type: 35 hours per week/Full-time
Salary Range: Grade D/$125,000 - $140,000
NON-UNION POSITIONS: For non-unit positions, salary commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a competitive benefits package.
About TCNJ
Founded in 1855, TCNJ offers a highly personalized and collaborative liberal arts education with over 7,400 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The college is consistently ranked among the top comprehensive colleges in the nation, offering small classes, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an immersive living-learning experience. With a 4-year graduation rate ranked #1 in New Jersey and #9 among U.S. public institutions, TCNJ is a model for public higher education.
Position Overview:
The Associate Director, Data Analytics, Reporting and AI provides hands-on technical and operational leadership for TCNJ’s institutional data, analytics, reporting, and AI capabilities. This role leads the design and implementation of a centralized, governed enterprise data architecture; builds the self-service analytics and reporting capabilities institutional leaders need to make timely, informed decisions; and supports the responsible adoption of AI across academic and administrative functions.
The Associate Director serves as TCNJ’s primary technical lead on data-foundation modernization initiatives including the college’s current data architecture pilot with its implementation partner, translating institutional priorities into a practical, durable data and analytics environment, while building internal IT and Institutional Research capability rather than long-term dependence on outside vendors.
Responsibilities:
DATA ARCHITECTURE & INTEGRATION
•Lead the design and implementation of a centralized, governed data architecture connecting TCNJ’s core systems of record (ERP, student information system, learning management system, CRM, and other enterprise applications) into a single, trusted data environment.
•Conduct and maintain a comprehensive data inventory by documenting the systems and platforms in use, the types of data each manages, and the reports and dashboards each currently produces. This will identify where institutional data is concentrated, fragmented, or duplicated.
•Lead implementation of a unified data model for prioritized institutional domains (e.g., enrollment, retention, financial aid, workforce), sequencing the work to deliver value quickly while building toward a durable, expandable foundation.
•Recommend and help finalize the long-term technical access strategy for analytics and data tools weighing user adoption, workflow fit, technical effort, and security and support requirements.
•Partner with Infrastructure & Applications to ensure the data architecture is scalable, reliable, secure, and aligned with the College’s broader technology infrastructure.
DATA GOVERNANCE & STEWARDSHIP
•Help operationalize TCNJ’s institutional data governance program, including data stewardship roles, a data classification framework, and documented functional owners for every system in the enterprise application portfolio.
•Staff and support the Data Governance Domain Advisory Committee, translating governance decisions into technical practice and standards.
•Establish data quality standards and monitoring practices, in partnership with Information Security, that protect sensitive institutional data while keeping it usable for decision-making.
•Ensure final data domain priorities, use cases, and architecture decisions are made collaboratively with Institutional Research and institutional leadership, and are formally documented and approved.
SELF-SERVICE ANALYTICS, REPORTING & DECISION SUPPORT
•Deploy, configure, and administer a self-service analytics platform that gives the President’s Cabinet, deans, and department leaders direct, real-time access to enrollment, retention, financial, and workforce dashboards.
•Build operational, real-time decision environments for executive use, shifting the institution from manual, reactive reporting to a proactive, decision-oriented model.
•Automate recurring institutional reporting to reduce the manual data-extraction burden on TCNJ department staff.
•Partner with Institutional Research to identify and prioritize the institutional questions and decision domains that matter most to leadership, ensuring data products are driven by institutional value rather than ease of integration alone.
AI ENABLEMENT & GOVERNANCE SUPPORT
•Build and pilot AI-enabled decision environments and use cases that extend the institution’s data and analytics capabilities, in coordination with the Director and the IT Governance Council’s AI Task Force.
•Support implementation of the College’s AI governance framework at the unit and operational level, including vendor AI risk assessment, an approved AI tool catalog, and FERPA and student-data guardrails for AI tools.
•Evaluate emerging AI and machine learning capabilities for institutional reporting, analytics, and research-computing use cases, recommending pilots that align with institutional priorities.
•Maintain awareness of responsible-AI practices and higher education data privacy requirements as the College’s AI tool catalog and use cases expand.
PROJECT DELIVERY & IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER MANAGEMENT
•Serve as TCNJ’s day-to-day technical lead for data-foundation modernization initiatives, managing phased delivery from discovery and architectural baseline through data domain prioritization, unified data model implementation, AI-enabled decision environments, and institutionalization.
•Coordinate cross-functional participation from IT, Institutional Research, and institutional leadership in data inventory, governance discussions, domain prioritization, and data modeling and integration design.
•Manage structured project checkpoints, incorporate stakeholder feedback continuously, and track delivery against agreed milestones, reporting progress to the Director and the IT Governance Council.
•Build internal staff understanding and ownership of data architecture and governance practices so that capability remains with TCNJ once any pilot or implementation partnership concludes.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION & STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
•Engage Cabinet and senior leaders directly to surface the institutional questions they most need to answer, moving conversations beyond current reporting toward what leaders wish they could see or answer more easily.
•Partner with academic and administrative leaders, IT Liaisons, and Domain Advisory Committees to ensure data and analytics priorities reflect institution-wide needs rather than a single office’s preferences.
•Represent the Data Analytics, Reporting and AI function in college-wide technology governance forums and contribute analytic perspective to broader IT strategic planning.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, data or information science, analytics, or a related field; master’s degree preferred.
Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in data architecture, data engineering, business intelligence, or institutional research, ideally within higher education or another complex, multi-system organization.
Demonstrated experience designing and implementing data warehouses, integration layers, or unified data models connecting multiple enterprise systems.
Hands-on experience with self-service business intelligence and analytics platforms and modern data integration techniques.
Working knowledge of data governance practices, data classification, and data privacy requirements applicable to higher education, including FERPA.
Familiarity with AI and machine learning concepts and their practical application to institutional reporting and decision support.
Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills, including experience managing external implementation partners or vendors.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate technical data concepts for non-technical institutional leaders.
Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.
Employer Qualifications
Employment at TCNJ is contingent upon the successful completion of an applicable background check, reference checks, and verification of identity and authorization to work in the United States (Form I-9).
Accommodation: Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview should contact hr@tcnj.edu.
Employee Benefits
As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public college career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including:
- Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans
- Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program
- Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program
- Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employee affinity groups
- New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.)
- Access to extensive learning opportunities
To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more!
How to Apply
Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found.
The College is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus community that respects and uplifts individuals from all backgrounds. We value the varied perspectives, experiences, and talents of all members of our community and strive to create an environment where everyone has equitable access to opportunities for success. As an equal opportunity employer, we comply with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. We encourage applications from individuals whose lived experiences and professional interests align with our institutional mission of academic excellence, access, and integrity.
