Executive Director, Data Science, Assessment & Evaluation

Position Highlights

The University of Arizona, College of Medicine’s Curricular Affairs office is looking for a creative and innovation-minded professional to serve as the Executive Director of Data Science, Assessment and Evaluation to shape the digital learning landscape at UACOM-T MD program, and beyond. You are someone who imagines a future that isn’t yet built, yet has the statistical prowess, curiosity to constantly improve, and ability to transform the abstract into concrete operational systems, to move medical education forward to new horizons.

The Office of Curricular Affairs works to manage and develop the curriculum for medical students, years 1 through 4, at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine. The department is committed to strengthening and advancing the faculty and the curriculum via development programs.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work‐life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

As a cost-saving measure related to the impact of COVID-19, Furlough and Furlough-Based Salary Programs have been approved by the Arizona Board of Regents. All new hires subject to the programs will be notified in accordance with adopted Furlough and Furlough-Based Salary Programs guidelines and will be required to comply with all measures. To learn more about the programs and whether this position is affected, please visit hr.arizona.edu/FY-2020-2021-Furlough-Program.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key activities in this role are to develop and maintain effective program evaluation and student assessment systems at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine – Tucson, and lead the unit in incorporating learning analytics into the curriculum. In addition, Curricular Affairs helps to manage the MD-MPH program, the Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) program, the Rural Health Professions Program (RHPP), the clinical skills lab, student assessment and program evaluation, and resident and faculty instructional development.

Program Evaluation and Assessment (85%)

• Attract, motivate and be part of creating a passionate Curricular Affairs team by fostering operational excellence, mentoring and encouraging professional growth, fostering creativity and solution-oriented thinking, and a culture of continuous improvement and coaching
• Develop and implement strategic planning for program evaluation and student assessment operations, including developing a data-driven culture that emphasizes transparency in assessment, assessment for learning, and a growth mindset in learners
• As you direct all aspects of student assessment and program evaluation in years 1 through 4, apply a thorough knowledge of evidence-based evaluation and assessment practices in medical education to creating a rigorous, world-class program that aligns with graduation competencies and supports a successful transition to GME
• Apply advanced understanding of statistical methods and data science to create predictive models of student success that simultaneously creates a better way of reporting data to stakeholders that incorporate dashboards, notification systems, and adaptive intelligent recommendation systems aim to advance the art and science of medical education
• Effectively manage and highly engage the operations of the Evaluation and Assessment team within Curricular Affairs. Supervise assigned staff, complete staff performance evaluations, and foster a team-oriented culture. Ensure that course exams are well-designed, reliable, and valid. Ensure exam items are aligned with learning objectives.
• Lead faculty, student and staff in change management for the adoption of evidence-based approaches to assessment and evaluation, as well as innovations in learning analytics
• Collaborate and liaise across multiple units, including Technology Services and other service units in the education mission to maintain high standards for an education data warehouse, data science activities, and a data-driven culture across the College of Medicine
• Ensure that departments and educational governance committees receive timely data—via reports and presentations—on the effectiveness of accomplishing program objectives
• Engage, inspire and be the though leader for the Evaluation Subcommittee members to continuously improve evaluation processes, and to produce major analyses and reports on the curriculum
• Lead policy in evaluation and assessment, and actively participate in educational governance sub-committees
• Work closely with the Director of Accreditation to ensure that the Evaluation and Assessment Team is providing data and overall support to meet all accreditation requirements
• Interest in seeking future growth in leadership and budget management

Research and Publication (15%)

• Conduct scientific inquiry that advances key questions in assessment and evaluation
• Lead dissemination and knowledge sharing activities to engage campus, national and global communities in discussions around innovation in assessment, evaluation and analytics through publications and conference publications
• Mentor and collaborate with local faculty and students on research projects related to assessment and evaluation
• Create IRB proposals for your own research, and mentor others in their educational scholarship projects requiring IRB approval

Minimum Qualifications

• At minimum, a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience.
• At minimum, at least 8 years of relevant work experience is required.
• Please see the highly preferred qualifications above.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD/EdD/MD or other advanced degree in a field appropriate to the area of assessment, evaluation, statistics, and learning analytics.
• Experience liaising across educational program operations and faculty and students.
• Experience with databases, saving data, cleaning data, and data integrity management (e.g. not deleting old files, having a log of what analyses are done, etc).
• Excellent data analysis skills.
• Intermediate MS Office suite.
• SAS, SPPS or R or comparable statistical analysis software.
• Power BI, Tableau or comparable visualization software experience.
• Five or more years of experience in educational evaluation and assessment in a higher education setting, preferably within a College of Medicine or health science division.
• Publications and scholarly works qualifying for Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson.
• Advanced MS Office Suite.
• Previous experience in leading, supervising or directing personnel.
• Knowledge of education research processes and the IRB process.
• Knowledge of medical education literature.
• Knowledge of best practices and accreditation criteria related to institutional evaluation, educational program evaluation, and assessment.
• Familiarity with the higher education policy and governance environment.
• Leadership skills, including the ability to prioritize and set short- and long-range goals, as well as to organize personnel to accomplish goals.
• Effective communication skills, including with presentations and publications.
• Experience running focus groups.
• Curiosity, knowledge, and spirit of innovation.

Diversity Statement

At the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As an Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.