The Assistant Director supports the Director of Assessment in implementing assessment, survey research, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives across the Division of Student Success. The position serves as the Division's primary operational lead for assessment systems, survey administration, assessment reporting, and data visualization while supporting the Director in advancing the Division's assessment strategy and building institutional assessment capacity.

Working collaboratively with departments throughout the Division, the Assistant Director independently manages complex assessment projects, designs and develops assessment tools, administers enterprise survey systems, develops reporting solutions, and provides consultation on assessment planning and reporting. The position plays a central role in expanding the Division's assessment reporting architecture by developing scalable assessment systems, dashboards, and visualizations that transform assessment data into actionable information supporting strategic planning and evidence-informed decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Assessment, Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Research, Data Analytics, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a closely related field.

• Experience:

  • Two years experience in assessment, institutional research, applied research, analytics, or continuous improvement.

  • Experience independently developing and administering surveys using Qualtrics.

  • Experience designing assessment instruments and managing survey administration.

  • Experience analyzing quantitative and qualitative data using appropriate statistical methods.

  • Experience developing reports, dashboards, and visualizations that support organizational decision-making.

  • Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex projects.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Advanced knowledge of assessment theory, outcomes assessment, and continuous improvement practices.

  • Knowledge of survey methodology, instrument design, and survey administration.

  • Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

  • Demonstrated ability to develop or rapidly learn business intelligence and visualization platforms, particularly Tableau and Power BI.

  • Ability to independently manage complex assessment projects from planning through reporting.

  • Ability to consult with departments to identify assessment needs and develop practical reporting solutions.

  • Strong analytical, critical thinking, statistical, and problem-solving skills.

  • Ability to communicate technical information effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.

  • Strong organizational and project management skills.

  • Ability to build collaborative relationships across the university.

  • Commitment to advancing a culture of evidence-informed decision-making through high-quality assessment systems and reporting.

  • Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:

  • Master's degree in Assessment, Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Research, Data Analytics, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a closely related field.

• Experience:

  • Experience supporting assessment, strategic planning, or continuous improvement initiatives within higher education.

  • Experience developing interactive dashboards and visualizations using Tableau, Power BI, or similar business intelligence platforms.

  • Experience working with higher education assessment, grants, or institutional surveys.

  • Experience developing and delivering assessment consultation or professional development.

  • Advanced experience administering Qualtrics or similar enterprise survey platforms.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR12

• Anticipated hiring range: Minimum $70,000

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted.

• Resume

• Cover Letter

• List of 3 Professional References

Assessment Operations & Survey Administration (40%)

• Assist the Director of Assessment in coordinating divisional assessment initiatives and implementing the Division's assessment strategy.

• Serve as the primary administrator for Qualtrics and related assessment systems across the Division of Student Success.

• Design, build, test, deploy, and manage surveys supporting the Pulse Survey, Student Success grants, strategic initiatives, departmental assessments, and special projects.

• Design and develop assessment instruments using sound assessment methodology and survey design principles.

• Manage survey workflows, embedded data, authentication, participant directories, distribution lists, workflow automations, and API integrations.

• Develop and maintain survey governance standards, documentation, and version control processes to ensure consistent assessment practices.

• Troubleshoot complex survey administration and data collection issues while ensuring reliable, high-quality assessment data.

• Recommend and implement improvements to assessment operations that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and user experience.

Assessment Reporting & Analytics (30%)

• Design and developing recurring reports, dashboards, and interactive visualizations using Tableau, Power BI, Excel, and other reporting platforms.
• Build reporting tools that support the Division's assessment reporting architecture and strategic metrics framework.
• Translate complex assessment findings into executive-ready reports, presentations, dashboards, and actionable recommendations.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative assessment data using appropriate statistical and analytical methods.
• Consult with departments to identify reporting needs and develop reporting solutions that support decision-making.
• Develop standardized reporting templates, visualization standards, and reporting documentation that improve consistency across divisional assessment initiatives.
• Present findings and recommendations to divisional leadership, campus partners, and other stakeholders.

Assessment Consultation & Capacity Building (25%)

• Develop assessment plans, measurable outcomes, and assessment strategies for departments throughout the Division.
• Consult with Student Success departments regarding assessment planning, survey methodology, instrument development, reporting, and interpretation of findings.
• Develop and deliver training, guidance documents, and resource materials related to assessment practices, Qualtrics, reporting, and data visualization.
• Promote continuous improvement by helping departments strengthen assessment processes and effectively use assessment findings.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Represent the Office of Student Success Analytics on divisional and university committees as assigned.

• Represent the Director of Assessment during meetings and projects as appropriate.

• Participate in professional organizations and remain current on emerging trends in assessment, analytics, survey research, and higher education.

• Perform other duties as assigned.