ORGANIZATION
Building a Nation of Learners by Advancing America’s Community Colleges
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 2-year, associate degree-granting institutions and nearly 10.5 million students.
POSITION SUMMARY
The AVP, Data & Intelligence leverages the complex ecosystem of community college data to serve AACC’s members: both directly, through member services and products, and indirectly, by empowering AACC’s advocacy and policy work. To accomplish this mission, this role leads the association’s data strategy, research agenda, and sector intelligence work. The AVP ensures necessary data infrastructure, privacy practices, and cross-functional teams are in place. Strong candidates will have a solid technical foundation in research and data science as well as the strategic thinking and communication skills to execute an ambitious, member-serving agenda. Reporting to the SVP, Learning Ecosystems, Workforce Strategy & Intelligence, the AVP collaborates with member colleges, systems, policymakers, and internal teams to position AACC as a national leader in data-driven community college strategy and foresight.
Key Responsibilities
Research Leadership & Strategy
- Serve as AACC’s primary expert on community college data, research, and evidence-based practices affecting student success, workforce alignment, and institutional effectiveness.
- Manage an annual research agenda that reflects sector priorities (access, equity, funding, enrollment trends, workforce pathways, and policy priorities).
- Monitor and interpret national data sources (IPEDS, NCES, BLS, College Scorecard) and related policy developments; translate into member-ready intelligence.
Data Aggregation, Architecture, & Stewardship
- Lead design and execution of an integrated data aggregation concept (datasets from public sources, state/system offices, and voluntary member submissions) to create common metrics architecture.
- Establish data governance, privacy, and methodological standards; ensure data quality, provenance, and reproducibility.
- Oversee build and maintenance of required data infrastructure; manage scope, costs, and secure funding.
Disseminate Data Insights
- Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for policy and program development.
- Publish research reports, briefs, data dashboards, and presentations that translate findings into accessible narratives for policymakers, practitioners, and the public.
- Support advocacy, grant initiatives, and strategic decisions with data analysis and forecasting
National Intelligence, Foresight, & Adaptive Governance Engine
- Lead development of a national intelligence/foresight engine: horizon scanning, scenario planning, and sector-wide performance dialogues to guide governance and policy.
- Lead the design and roll-out of an updated, community-college metrics architecture that combines institutional KPIs, leading indicators, and real-time metrics.
- Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure data-informed governance and timely, actionable insights.
Stakeholder Engagement & Thought Leadership
- Respond to data inquiries from member colleges, state systems, policymakers, media, and external partners.
- Represent the association’s data and research function in national forums, webinars, conferences, and advisory groups.
- Develop and disseminate thought leadership on data-informed policy, equity in outcomes, and workforce-relevant metrics; support grant proposals and evaluations.
Program Management, Grants, & Financial Stewardship
- Oversee or co-lead grant-funded data/research initiatives; manage budgets, vendor relationships, and subcontractors.
- Align research and data activities with the Compass priorities, ensuring measurable impact and sustainability.
Data Literacy, Capacity Building, & Member Support
- Produce tools, templates, and training to raise data literacy across member institutions; support IR offices and institutional researchers with standardized methods and dashboards.
- Facilitate data sharing and best practice exchanges while protecting privacy and enabling equitable use of data to improve student outcomes.
Compliance, Ethics, & Quality Assurance
- Ensure adherence to ethical standards, privacy practices, and rigorous methodological practices across all data and research activities.
- Ensure appropriate documentation, reproducibility, and quality assurance processes for all reports and dashboards.
Internal Communications & External Branding
- Clearly communicate research priorities, progress, and outcomes to member colleges, governance bodies, and external audiences.
- Highlight equity, access, and learner outcomes in all communications and policy discussions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required Education and Experience
Experience in higher education, particularly at community colleges, is strongly preferred and will be prioritized in the review process.
Education: Master’s degree or PhD in Education Research, Public Policy, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Social Sciences, or a closely related field; a terminal degree is preferred for senior leadership.
Experience: 10–15+ years in higher education research, data analytics, and/or education policy with demonstrated ability to lead large-scale data projects and cross-functional initiatives; experience in community colleges or education associations is highly desirable.
Technical Skills: Proficiency with analytics tools (e.g., R, Python, SPSS/Stata, SQL) and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI); familiarity with IPEDS/NCES data and other national datasets; experience with data governance.
Research & Analytical Rigor: Strong track record designing and executing independent research; ability to translate complex findings into clear, policy-relevant insights.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to tailor complex data for diverse audiences, including policymakers, practitioners, and the public. Highly effective public speaker and experienced convener.
Collaboration: Proven ability to work cross-functionally, influence without authority, and manage multiple priorities in a matrix organization.
Equity Focus: Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and equitable outcomes in data, research, and policy.
Other: Willingness to travel as needed to engage with member institutions and partners.
Supervision and Reporting
Reports to: SVP, Learning Ecosystems, Workforce Strategy & Intelligence
Location and travel
This position is based in the AACC office located in Washington, DC and is eligible for a hybrid schedule with one day remote per week. Ther will be periodic travel to member institutions, conferences, and partner sites as required; occasional to frequent, depending on program needs and partnerships.
Salary and Benefits
- $125,000-$165,000 annual salary
- Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
- EAP
- Flex Spending Account
- Legal Shield
- Vacation, Paid Holidays and Sick Leave
- 403(b) Retirement Plan
- Life Insurance
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of work being performed by the individual assigned to the position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties, and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
If interested, please submit the following to careers@aacc.nche.edu with the subject “Application for AVP, Learning Strategies and Student Affairs’: 1)A cover letter; 2) Your most recent resume. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. To learn more about American Association of Community Colleges, please visit our website at www.aacc.nche.edu.
American Association of Community Colleges is an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where all individuals are valued and respected.