Summary
The Chief of Institutional Analytics and Research Data serves as the expert on data analysis at Air University (AU). The incumbent conducts analyses on educational processes, students, faculty, and staff and interprets data to support educational effectiveness, continuous improvement, and accreditation. Reports directly to the Deputy Provost and collaborates across the university as an academic administrator.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Duties
Applied Institutional Research and Data Analytics Strategy
As the lead for Applied Institutional Research and Data Analytics, you will drive strategic decision-making across Air University (AU). This critical role involves planning, designing, and executing comprehensive analytics studies and research proposals. You will leverage enterprise data systems and advanced programming tools-such as Python, R, and SQL-to analyze the student lifecycle, instructional methods, and institutional effectiveness. By establishing robust data governance and collection frameworks, you will ensure accurate, compliant reporting to internal leadership and external stakeholders, including the DoD, CJCS, HAF, and MAJCOM. Additionally, you will serve as a senior advisor, responsibly evaluating emerging AI-enabled tools to deliver ethical, data-informed insights directly to AU leadership.
Academic Reporting and Data Visualization
In this position, you will transform complex data into actionable insights by producing high-impact academic reports, executive briefings, and advanced data visualizations. You will manage key institutional products such as the AU Factbook, interactive dashboards, and Academic Affairs annual reports. Utilizing data storytelling principles, you will present findings to senior leaders, faculty, and students, ensuring analytic rigor aligns with AU's mission. You will also facilitate executive engagements and design enterprise-wide training workshops to foster data literacy, actively building collaborative relationships across the academic enterprise to champion evidence-based decision-making.
Strategic Integration and Institutional Effectiveness
You will play a pivotal role in strategic integration, steering Air University's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and broader institutional initiatives. This responsibility requires integrating data across academic and administrative systems to assess performance and translate higher headquarters guidance into actionable, cross-functional processes. You will synchronize efforts across schools, centers, and staff directorates to guarantee transparency and alignment with DAF and AETC priorities. Furthermore, your project management expertise will ensure strict compliance with accrediting body standards, effectively bridging the gap between academic, operational, and analytical functions.
Instruction and Professional Development
To empower the AU enterprise, you will design and deliver comprehensive instruction and professional development programs focused on institutional analytics. By facilitating seminars, workshops, and applied training, you will build critical data literacy skills among faculty, staff, and senior leadership. Your instruction will enable personnel to confidently interpret institutional data, apply analytic tools, and integrate evidence into their planning and assessment workflows. To provide top-tier subject matter expertise, you will actively engage with emerging trends, analytical tools, and advanced methodologies in the higher education and institutional research sectors.
Institutional Service and Enterprise Support
Beyond your core analytic and instructional duties, you will provide vital institutional service and enterprise support to top-tier AU leadership, including the Commander, Vice Commander, Chief Academic Officer, and Deputy Provost. You will develop tailored data products to rapidly respond to high-level taskings and support emergent mission requirements. By coordinating multi-school efforts and executing diverse assigned duties, your analytical and advisory support will directly bolster Air University's strategic priorities and ensure operational excellence across the institution.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship Required
- Must be registered for Selective Service, see Legal and Regulatory Guide
- A Secret Security clearance is required.
- You may qualify for moving expenses, if authorized, it may be covered using PCS, Recruitment or Relocation Incentive in accordance with agency policy.
- Employee may be required to work other than normal duty hours, to include evenings, weekends and/or holidays
- This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. This is an Administratively Determined position in the excepted service.
- This is an excepted service appointment, if you are selected, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period.
- Upon completion of your probationary/trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
In order to qualify, a candidate must meet the education and experience requirements described. The candidate's resume must clearly describe relevant experience, official transcripts will be required as part of the application. An interview is expected to be performed as part of the candidate hiring process.
1. In-depth knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, advanced statistical analysis, and data interpretation techniques to design, conduct, and report on complex institutional studies that inform strategic planning and decision-making.
2. Comprehensive knowledge of strategic planning, institutional effectiveness principles, and accreditation processes (such as the Quality Enhancement Plan - QEP) to develop, guide, and assess the implementation of strategic initiatives and ensure compliance with organizational and regulatory standards.
3. Skill in translating complex data into clear, compelling narratives through written reports, executive briefings, and advanced data visualizations for a wide range of audiences, from senior leadership to academic staff.
4. Ability to plan, coordinate, and lead complex, data-centric projects and strategic initiatives, managing timelines, resources, and stakeholder engagement to ensure successful completion and alignment with institutional goals.
5. Skill in developing and delivering instruction, training, and professional development workshops on topics such as data analysis, research methods, data visualization, and evidence-based decision-making to enhance data literacy across the institution.
6. Ability to query relational databases, manage large and evolving datasets, and utilize specialized software for data analysis, reporting, and visualization to support ongoing research and reporting requirements.
Education
Must possess an earned PhD or other appropriate terminal degree from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution.
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? This position has a positive degree requirement, or education forms the basis for qualifications, you MUST submit official transcripts with the application from an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education must accredit education. Click here to check accreditation.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
Additional information
The position will be an initial three-year appointment with a one to two-year probationary period, with the potential for continued reappointment for additional 3-5 year terms. This position is subject to Air University's tenure and promotion policy, this position is tenure-track eligible.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible click here. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated in the "Highly Qualified" or "Best Qualified" Category on the rating criteria for this vacancy. You must submit a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.
Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click here for more information.
Current Federal Civilian employees may apply for temporary and term positions and if selected, a break in service may be required prior to appointment to the position.
Temporary and Term Appointments: If you are selected for a temporary or term position in the competitive service, your appointment may be extended to the maximum period allowed by law without further competition.
120-Day Register: This announcement may result in a 120-day register that may be used to fill like vacancies for 120 days after the closing date. Applicants may be referred for consideration as vacancies occur.
Selective Service: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. For additional information, click here.
Direct Deposit: All federal employees are required to have direct deposit.
Incentives: Recruitment and/or retention incentives may or may not be used.
Disabled veteran leave is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click here.
If you have questions regarding this announcement and have hearing or speech difficulties click here.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Starting September 27, 2025, USAJOBS began restricting all resumes to two pages in length. The restriction does NOT apply to this position. Please upload your Resume/Curriculum Vitae using the Other Documents (3) - Curriculum Vitae option. You are still required to provide a document in the Resume section to successfully submit your application. In the Resume section, please upload a document informing your Resume/Curriculum Vitae was submitted using Other Documents.
Your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
Your responses to the questionnaire may be compared to the documents you submit. The documents you submit must support your responses to the online questionnaire. If your application contradicts or does not support your questionnaire responses, you will receive a rating of "not qualified" or "insufficient information" and you will not receive further consideration for this job.
Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application for this Public Notice: Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration. Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming. Click here to view the AF Civilian Employment Eligibility Guide and the required documents you must submit to substantiate the eligibilities you are claiming.
- Cover letter, which should address your qualifications for the position described above.
- Digital Education Statement: Applicants will submit a statement describing their approaches to integrating digital education into teaching, scholarship, life experiences and/or service. The statement needs to highlight examples of leveraging technology to enhance learning, promote innovation, or advance digital literacy in an academic setting. Applicants are encouraged to address the use of emerging technologies, such as AI or data analytics, and their potential contributions to Air University's mission of preparing students, faculty, and staff for a rapidly evolving digital environment.
- Curriculum vitae (CV) or academic resume: When applying, please submit your Resume/Curriculum Vitae using the Other Documents - Curriculum Vitae section on the Documents page due to the resume length restriction addressed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section above. Do NOT include photographs (or links to social media such as LinkedIn), inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume.
- Transcripts/Registration/License: If qualifying on education/position requires education, you must submit copies of your official transcripts - must contain the university logo (can be a copy) and if required for the position, submit an active, current registration/license.
- Separate List of Professional References: Names and contact information for three individuals who can speak to your accomplishments, work ethic, and character. These individuals should have no stake in the outcome of this search.
- Online Application - Questionnaire
- Veterans: If claiming VRA, VEOA or Veterans' Preference - Submit VOW certification memo or copy of the official DD Form 214, which must include the character of service/type under honorable conditions (i.e., with an honorable or general discharge). This will be annotated in block 24 on member copy 2, 4, or 7 of the DD Form 214. If you are also claiming 10-point preference and/or 30% Disabled Veteran, you must submit a VA Letter or a disability determination from a branch of the Armed Forces (or documentation of Purple Heart, if applicable).
- Current or Former Federal Civilian Employees (includes current Air Force employees): You must submit a legible copy of a SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action.
ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: The VOW Act requires federal agencies to treat an eligible active duty service member as a veteran, disabled veteran, and preference eligible (as applicable) when applying for civil service positions before the effective release or discharge date. Appointment of military members before the release or discharge date is permissible if the member is on terminal leave. At the time the active duty member applies for a civil position, he or she must submit a "certification" memo in lieu of a DD Form 214,
Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Active duty members applying for a civil service position without submitting a valid certification memo or DD-Form 214 with their application will render the member ineligible for the position. The certification memo must originate from the member's military service branch on official letterhead and contain the following:
- Name/Rank/Grade of Service Member
- Branch of Armed Forces
- Dates of Active Service (Start and End Date(s)
- Expected Date of Discharge/Release from Active Duty
- Terminal leave start date (if applicable)
- Expected character of service/discharge and type of separation (i.e. separation or retirement)
- Must be certified within 120 days of anticipated discharge
- Signature by, or by direction of the adjutant, personnel office, unit commander, or higher headquarters commander.
Note: The VOW Act provides tentative preference. If appointed, a DD Form-214 must be submitted upon receipt.
OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS:
Performance Appraisals for Current Federal Civilian Employees - Most recent performance appraisals (dated within last 3 years) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.
Awards for Current Federal Civilian employees - List any awards received within the last 3 years on the resume.
Note: Applicant must not submit award Notification of Personnel Actions (SF50s).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/09/2026
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12956966
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the application questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Application button at the end of the process.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your Resume/ Curriculum Vitae
- If you submit more than one Resume/Curriculum Vitae, only the most recent (latest) will be reviewed to determine your qualifications. The "most recent" is considered the resume with the latest timestamp.
- For qualification determination your Resume/Curriculum Vitae must contain hours worked per week and dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your Resume/Curriculum Vitae does not contain this information, your application may be marked as insufficient, and you will not receive consideration for this position. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade, i.e. GS-0301-09. Current Federal Civilian Employees may list any relevant performance related rating (given within the last three years) and/or incentive awards in your Resume/Curriculum Vitae.
- Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy.
- Your name, first and last, MUST be included on your resume.
2. A complete Application Questionnaire
3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section). Ensure all submitted documents contain your full name.
4. Help recruiters find you. Make your resume and profile searchable, which means recruiters may contact you about possible jobs. Additional information may be located here.
PLEASE NOTE: It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and/or uploaded, (i.e., resume) is received, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. You may verify your documents have been processed with your application package successfully. You can access your USAJOBS account to do so by clicking
here. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Human Resources
WILL NOT modify or change any answers submitted by an applicant.
Next steps
Once your application package is received an acknowledgement email will be sent.
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application.Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility and qualifications for consideration. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
To check the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select My Applications, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.
If you do not provide an email address, you are responsible for checking status updates and notifications in USAJOBS. Hard copy notifications will not be sent to you.