Senior Analyst for Program Effectiveness

The primary goal of University Communications is to showcase the University of Virginia as a model of excellence in public higher education through effective and engaging communications, marketing, and building brand affinity. Our aim is to not only inform but also inspire our audiences, ensuring the impact of the University is widely recognized in our broad UVA community, across the Commonwealth, and beyond. We are a team of talented communications professionals who embrace collaboration and foster a culture where the exchange of ideas is essential to strengthening our work.

The Senior Analyst for Program Effectiveness will lead efforts to measure and assist in optimizing the effectiveness of University Communications program areas. This role is critical in assessing the impact of University Communications content, experiences, and brand messaging in shaping key audiences' attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors.

The ideal candidate will oversee market and perception research initiatives, determine consistent key performance indicators, analyze audience behavior and competitors, monitor brand awareness, and provide actionable data and insights that inform and enhance communications and marketing decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

Research and Evaluation

• Develop and implement an annual research plan to evaluate the effectiveness of University Communications program areas and inform future strategies.
• Oversee perception studies to assess audience sentiment, brand awareness, and gaps in knowledge.
• Across several units, monitor and analyze audience and consumption patterns to evaluate how effective University Communication programs are in reaching and engaging its target audiences.
• Analyze and report on the performance of content, channels, initiatives, and campaigns to determine their impact and effectiveness.
• Set up a lifecycle of continued learning and trend analysis that will inform our decision-making.
• Design and implement A/B tests to evaluate and refine communication strategies, ensuring that messaging resonates effectively with target audiences across various platforms and demographics.

Data-Driven Insights

• Promote a data-driven culture within University Communications by providing continuous feedback and insights that inform strategic planning and decision-making.
• Provide training on interpreting and utilizing data, including metrics, trends, audience engagement, and brand perception.
• Support the team in implementing data integration and automating reports.

Brand Monitoring and Reputation Management

• Survey the user community to gauge their needs, preferences, and interaction with UVA's brand resources.
• Analyze UVA's online reputation, including social sentiment, community engagement, and media, to ensure proactive brand reputation management.

Performance Reporting

• Regularly build and review performance reports that highlight the effectiveness of UVA's communication strategies.
• Manage and optimize department's data platforms and dashboards.
• Communicate key findings and recommendations to the Leadership Council and other stakeholders to assess performance, and where needed, inform strategic adjustments.
• Ensure that research findings are used to improve and optimize our communications and marketing efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Data Science, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in marketing research, data analytics, or a related field.
• Expertise in evaluating marketing metrics, audience behavior, and brand health.
• Proven ability to translate research data into actionable insights that inform strategic decisions.
• Experience with A/B testing, social sentiment analysis, and online reputation management.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex data insights clearly and effectively.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience in managing research programs and driving data-informed decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with tools such as Excel, Google Sheets, and SQL for data manipulation and analysis.
• Experience with web and social media analytics.
• Ability to create clear and compelling visualizations using tools like Tableau, Looker Studio, Power BI, or similar.
• Project management experience.

Anticipated Hiring Range: $85,000 to $100,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

At UVA, we are committed to understanding the effectiveness of our communications and marketing efforts. The Senior Analyst of Program Effectiveness will be at the forefront of measuring our impact, providing the insights needed to refine and optimize our strategies, and ensuring that our messaging resonates with and engages our audiences.

This position will remain open until filled.This is an Exempt level, benefited position. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.For questions about the position or the application process, please contact Daniel Strong, Senior Recruiter at das6zb@virginia.edu

Please apply through the University job board, Careers at UVA, and search for R0065912.

Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs' or through their 'Jobs Hub'. Applicants must complete an application online with the following documents:a resume and cover letter.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: Bachelor's Degree
Experience: Six years of experience, or Master's degree with at least two years of experience.
Licensure: None

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician's Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.