About UMass Amherst
The flagship of the Commonwealth, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a nationally ranked public land-grant research university that seeks to expand educational access, fuel innovation and creativity, and share and use its knowledge for the common good. Founded in 1863, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450 acres in scenic Western Massachusetts and boasts state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity. The institution advances a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where everyone feels connected and valued—and thrives, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, and 100 undergraduate majors. We believe every member of our university community can contribute to our ongoing success by striving for the highest level of excellence as we seek breakthrough solutions to mounting environmental, social, economic, and technological challenges in our world.
Job Summary
Reporting to the Deputy Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness (DCIE), the Institutional Effectiveness Consultant partners with academic and administrative departments to support strategic planning, process evaluation, and institutional improvement efforts to ensure optimization and alignment with the University’s strategic objectives and initiatives. This position plays a key role in enhancing institutional effectiveness through data-informed planning, development of performance metrics, and facilitation of evidence-based decision-making. The Consultant works collaboratively with the Office for Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) team and campus stakeholders to build institutional capacity for continuous improvement, promote alignment with the university’s strategic priorities, and foster innovation in practices and systems.
Essential Functions
- Collaborates with campus stakeholders to understand and align departmental strategies with institutional goals.
- Supports departments in developing and refining strategic plans, logic models, or improvement frameworks.
- Works with units to identify appropriate metrics and measurement strategies to track progress toward desired outcomes.
- Guides the design and implementation of evaluation approaches to assess the impact of programs, initiatives, or operational changes.
- Conducts process reviews and recommends opportunities to enhance efficiency, reduce redundancy, and improve effectiveness.
- Analyzes institutional and departmental data to inform strategic decisions and identify areas for improvement.
- Prepares and shares actionable insights and findings with stakeholders using visualizations, summaries, and presentations.
- Facilitates discussions, workshops, or retreats focused on strategic planning, process optimization, or change management.
- Develops and maintains tools, templates, and resources that support data-informed planning and continuous improvement.
- Promotes the use of best practices and emerging methodologies in strategic planning and institutional effectiveness.
- Stays informed on trends and advancements in planning, assessment, and higher education administration.
- Contributes to the development of communication materials that support campus-wide improvement and alignment efforts.
- Identifies opportunities for innovation and brings new ideas to the university to achieve strategic goals and enhance its long-term success.
Other Functions
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Bachelor’s degree with at least five (5) years of experience in continuous improvement, program evaluation, or a related field.
- Experience working in higher education.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to assess challenges, identify solutions for improvement, and drive decision-making.
- Proven track record of successfully collaborating on improvement initiatives, inclusive of design, implementation, and evaluation in a higher education environment.
- Demonstrated track record of contributing to successful initiatives in higher education.
- Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
- High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to adapt to a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
- Master’s degree in business administration, higher education administration, organizational development, or a related field.
- Experience with academic program evaluation.
- Strong understanding of continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience optimizing academic initiatives in a higher-education environment (e.g., program review, center review, curriculum/instructional transformation, student support services).
- Experience in educational and/or survey research or data science.
- Certification in Lean, Six Sigma (Green Belt, Black Belt), Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, PMP, Agile, or other related continuous improvement methodology.
- Familiarity with planning and collaboration tools (e.g., Monday.com, Trello, Asana).
Physical Demands/Working Conditions
- Typical office environment.
Work Schedule
- Monday - Friday, 8:30 am -5 pm.
- This position may require occasional evening or weekend work to meet project deadlines or facilitate improvement initiatives.
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This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional) Employee Personnel Policy.
Salary Information
Salary Level 28
Exempt Hiring Ranges
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.