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Job Title: Program Data Specialist, Academic and Career Integration

PVN ID: VA-2511-007097

Category: Managerial and Professional

Job Description

General Description

Guided by CUNY’s seven-year strategic plan, CUNY Lifting NY, the CUNY Office of Careers & Industry Partnerships (OCIP) develops and implements partnerships, investments, strategies, and policies that are designed to increase the career success of degree and nondegree students alike.

OCIP is working with all undergraduate colleges to launch CUNY Beyond , a new transformational approach to integrating career connections into every aspect of an undergraduate’s journey. CUNY is committed to ensuring that more students graduating with their degrees can quickly launch careers of their choosing with competitive salaries.

With career information, resources, and exposure throughout their college experience, students will be able to:

+ Identify and explore careers aligned with interests early in their educational pathway

+ Understand what it takes to successfully attain those careers

+ Acquire the required skills, both critical and professional

+ Demonstrate proficiency through applied experience

+ Connect to the first role/promotion through proactive employer engagement

CUNY is seeking a data specialist who will serve as the strategic lead and technical expert for designing, structuring, and analyzing data that supports career exploration, integrated career/academic advisement, and career-connected learning.

The ideal candidate combines the ability to:

+ Create and lead data strategy

+ Forge long-lasting collaborations

+ Translate complex program goals into practical databases and displays

+ Analyze data and make conclusions that improve decision-making and student outcomes.

Other Duties

This is a newly created role and this position will report to the Senior Advisor for Academic and Career Integration.

The Data Specialist will:

Create and Lead Data Strategy

+ Lead development of a data strategy that aligns with career/academic integration goals and broader institutional objectives.

+ Design frameworks for data collection, organization, and use that balance innovation with governance, compliance, and existing CUNY systems.

+ Develop plans for data collection, housing, display, and analysis.

+ Identify data assets, gaps, and opportunities to streamline tracking and measurement.

+ Lead the development of processes to assess effectiveness and support continuous improvement.

+ Serve as a subject matter expert and advisor on leveraging data to advance strategy, equity, and institutional priorities.

Forge Long-lasting Cross-Functional Collaborations

+ Partner with stakeholders throughout CUNY to understand data needs, constraints, and opportunities.

+ Serve as a thought partner with program teams to co-create solutions to help improve decision-making.

+ Incorporate stakeholder feedback to refine data projects and tools.

+ Provide guidance and resources to help non-technical staff interpret and use data effectively.

+ Build relationships across teams to improve student support and outcomes.

+ Train non-technical audiences on data displays, queries, and tools.

+ Lead and facilitate working groups as needed.

Create Practical Databases and Data Displays

+ Build and manage databases to monitor key performance indicators.

+ Create dashboards, visualizations, and reports that support program management and evidence-based decision-making.

+ Evaluate and recommend tools and technologies to enhance dashboards and data displays.

+ Build queries that enable program staff to access actionable insights.

+ Design and maintain efficient data architecture and integrations across platforms.

+ Implement automated processes, quality checks, and monitoring to maintain data accuracy and consistency.

+ Develop and advocate for creative solutions when standard tools or systems are unavailable or incompatible.

+ Document workflows, data dictionaries, and integrations to maintain institutional knowledge and transparency.

+ Ensure all systems comply with security, accessibility, and all other CUNY policies and best practices.

Analyze Data

+ Translate complex data into clear insights for leadership, campus stakeholders, and funders.

+ Identify trends and patterns in data that will inform program design, resource allocation, and continuous improvement.

+ Analyze data to improve future data collection processes and displays.

+ Use data to make actionable recommendations for policy and program decisions.

Others

+ Communicate clearly and tailor messages to diverse audiences.

+ Lead or support special projects and other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

+ Four + years of proven experience in designing, managing, and analyzing program data systems.

+ Two + years of experience with data management and reporting.

+ Two + years of experience developing dashboards and using them for decision making.

+ Demonstrated ability to independently lead data strategy and implementation projects from concept to completion.

+ Ability to design for adaptability in environments where technology and processes are still evolving.

+ Strong proficiency with data visualization and analytics tools (e.g. Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate, Microsoft Suite, Airtable).

+ Proven experience identifying data trends and translating findings into actionable insights for non-technical stakeholders.

+ Creative, resourceful, and comfortable operating in complex, evolving environments.

+ Exceptional communication skills and relationship-building skills with program teams; demonstrated through clear, structured and concise written and verbal presentation.

+ Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

+ Commitment to continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Experience in post-secondary education, workforce development, and/or social services.

+ Familiarity with CUNY systems and data environments.

+ Background in program management, continuous improvement, or policy design.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

+ This position is based in a professional office environment and follows a hybrid work schedule: 70% in-person (7 days) and 30% remote (3 days) during each two-week payroll cycle.

+ A laptop and other necessary equipment may be provided to support remote work.

+ While performing these duties, the employee may be required to:

+ Sit for extended periods

+ Use a computer and other office equipment

+ Occasionally lift or move items up to 20 pounds

+ Reasonable accommodations will be provided?to individuals with disabilities or other needs in accordance with RFCUNY policies and applicable laws.

+ Ability to travel to other CUNY sites as needed.

This is a grant-funded position until December 31, 2026 with the possibility of extension.

RFCUNY Benefits RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals (https://www.rfcuny.org/rfwebsite/media/0zrcgdyw/rfcuny-benefits-at-a-glance-ft-2025-project-employee.pdf)

About the Research Foundation

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY’s research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY’s services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.

RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Key Features

Department Office of Careers & Industry Partnership

Status Full Time

Annual Salary Range $95,000.00 - $95,000.00

Closing Date Jan 06, 2026 (Or Until Filled)

Bargaining Unit No

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