Director, Strategic Data Initiatives at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Department

Booth Polsky Center: Entrepreneurship Programs



About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.


Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.


Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.


As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.


For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.



Job Summary

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UChicago's mission is to advance innovative ideas and technologies from the University of Chicago ecosystem to the world. It aims to create entrepreneurial leaders through a broad range of experiences, including classroom learning, experiential learning, leading-edge research, and community outreach.


The Director, Strategic Data Initiatives is a leadership role that manages the overall data strategy for the Polsky Center and generates deep and actionable insights related to programmatic and startup data. This position collaborates with the Polsky Center's Executive Committee and other unit leaders to develop and implement data strategies that enhance decision-making, optimize programs, measure impact, and embed a data-driven culture across the organization. This role supports the growth and long-term impact of center initiatives by ensuring that data is useful, actionable, and easy to understand, driving meaningful outcomes for the organization.



Responsibilities

• Leads the development of a data strategy plan for the Center aligned with its mission and priorities, with an emphasis on programmatic and startup data. Key deliverables include actionable and accessible insights for decision-making and program planning.


• Implements flexible tools for consistent and accurate data collection and management with an emphasis on scalability and ease of use.


• Analyzes program and startup-related data to identify trends, evaluate program performance, and generate insights that inform strategic decision-making.


• Delivers reports, dashboards, and presentations to stakeholders.


• Develops frameworks to track long-term venture outcomes, growth metrics, and the impact of Polsky-supported startups.


• Trains staff and builds staff capacity to utilize data tools, in particular Airtable, and interprets insights through training and guidance, fostering a culture of data fluency across the organization.


• Manages and develops frameworks from which the team analyzes complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. Reviews and recommends infrastructure improvements that connect medium to large complex data sets.


• Advise staff or faculty members in project creation and implementation by applying principals of data science in manipulation, statistical applications, programming, analysis and modeling.


• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications




Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.



Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.



Certifications:




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Preferred Qualifications




Education:

• Bachelor's degree.


• Master's degree in relevant field.

Experience:

• At least seven years of experience collecting and analyzing data, managing projects, developing programs, and/or executing events related to entrepreneurship, innovation, and venture capital.


• Demonstrated experience navigating political and cultural complexities.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office, Airtable, and other CRM/productivity software.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated passion and interest in data strategy, entrepreneurship, and higher education.


• Familiarity with investing/venture funding ecosystem.


• Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.


• Work independently with little supervision, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)


• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.



Job Family

Research



Role Impact

People Manager



Scheduled
Weekly Hours

37.5



Drug Test Required

No



Health Screen Required

No



Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No



Pay Rate Type

Salary



FLSA Status

Exempt



Pay Range

$85,000.00 - $120,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.



Benefits Eligible

Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.



Posting Statement



The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.


Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.


All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Apply Now