PLEASE NOTE: THIS ROLE WILL NOT SUPPORT SPONSORSHIP AND REQUIRES BEING ON CAMPUS 2-3 DAYS A WEEK. THIS ROLE IS NOT RESEARCH BASED BUT DOES SUPPORT OCCASSIONAL RESEARCH OBJECTIVES.

The Data and Compliance Manager, working within the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) at Vanderbilt University, is a key individual responsible for overseeing the TERA data warehouse, ensuring the integrity, security, and accessibility of research data. This position will oversee production, cleaning, and usage of TERA’s extensive longitudinal data set. The person will also manage the research application submission process by copyediting forms and tracking research applications and then research product review process ensuring products are aligned to approvals. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Data Manager will work in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education to optimize the data management processes and support TERA’s research objectives.

The Data and Compliance Manager will lead effective management of data assets within TERA. A successful candidate will have strong organizational and project management skills, coding and data management experience, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to support the creation of products that bridge the gap between research and practice. The Data Manager will be non-research staff but will aid TERA’s research objectives.

This position will require local travel around 10% over the course of a year. Driving is not required.

Please note: A data assessment task will be administered before final interviews. Details regarding the task will be provided to those applicants who move to the final stage of the recruitment process.

About the Work Unit:

The Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) is a research-policy-practice partnership between the Tennessee Department of Education and Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, housed at the Peabody Research Institute. Powered by a top-quality longitudinal data set and a commitment with the state to explore key questions of state policy and practice, TERA is a national leader in practice-focused research.

TERA conducts research on questions of greatest urgency to the state and ensures that actionable findings are brought to the attention of policymakers and practitioners to whom they are important. TERA aims to directly and immediately inform Tennessee’s education policy and practice.

Duties and Responsibilities

Job responsibilities listed herein are intended to be a thorough representation of the duties, responsibilities, expectations, and qualifications for this specific role at the time of hire but should not be considered all-encompassing as actual responsibilities may evolve to include additional duties as assigned based on organizational and operational needs.

Data Responsibilities (50%) :

• Conduct annual data file cleaning and updating using Stata including creating files, cleaning existing files, and managing graduate students to also create and clean files

• Create and maintain documentation for data structures, definitions, and processes

• Facilitate knowledge transfer and ensure transparency in data management practices

• Establish and enforce protocols for data validation, cleaning, and quality assurance to maintain accurate and reliable research data

• Facilitate data-related communications both internally and external to the organization (e.g. facilitate bi-weekly data meetings; communicate with the Tennessee Department of Education regarding data questions)

• Manage, record, and share data governance procedures

• Track and facilitate data transfers from TDOE to the organization and from the organization to TDOE

• Manage troubleshooting of data issues as required

• Maintain open communication between TERA and partners within and outside Vanderbilt.

Compliance Responsibilities (50%):

• Track progress of research projects and report to Executive Director, steering committee, and advisory council 

• Track and communicate submissions and approval of research proposals acting as an intermediary between researchers and government officials

• Manage data access in alignment with approvals

• Review research project submissions for alignment and post for submission review

• Track research product submissions and communicate as needed with stakeholders

Supervisory Relationships

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Executive Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelors of Information Systems, Data Science, Policy, Education, or related field is required.

• Prior experience in data management roles, such as data analyst, database administrator, or related positions is preferred.

• Hands-on experience with data governance and data quality initiatives is also preferred.

#VUCLO

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.