Iowa STRONG Consortium Data Specialist

Hawkeye Community College is a comprehensive community college focused on meeting the needs of the community by providing quality, affordable learning experiences for a diverse student body through our Adult Learning Center, Business and Community Education Department as well as through more than 50 career and technical programs and liberal arts transfer programs. Hawkeye Community College’s mission is about empowering students, strengthening businesses and enriching communities with a vision to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

For more information, visit: Hawkeye Community college

Job Summary

Hawkeye Community College is hiring a full-time, grant funded Iowa STRONG Consortium Data Specialist to join our team.

This role puts you at the center of a genuinely statewide data system which you'll help build and standardize from the ground up across all 15 Iowa community colleges, rather than maintaining data for a single campus. You'll gain hands-on experience with large-scale participant tracking, federal performance reporting (PIRL/WIPS), and data governance frameworks that few positions offer at this scale, while directly shaping how the state demonstrates the real-world impact of workforce training on employment and wages.

The work is highly visible and consequential: your data quality and analysis will inform program decisions, credential design, and sustainability planning for a program serving thousands of Iowans in high-demand fields. It's an excellent platform for growth into data leadership, institutional research, or workforce policy roles.

Essential Duties

Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Deploys, configures, and maintains the centralized participant-tracking system across all consortium colleges.
• Standardizes data definitions and reporting protocols for credit and non-credit programs statewide.
• Develops and delivers data training to consortium colleges alongside the Consortium Director.
• Builds and manages a centralized reporting calendar and submission workflow for all sub-grantees.
• Aggregates, validates, and quality-checks participant data each reporting cycle and leads quarterly data validation reviews.
• Establishes and oversees participant file review/monitoring processes to support compliance and audit readiness.
• Follows consortium data governance and confidentiality protocols established under the Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development data-sharing agreement, including FERPA compliance and secure handling of participant data.
• Develops procedures for verifying credential attainment, employment outcomes, and measurable skill gains.
• Supports PIRL/WIPS federal reporting requirements and coordinates with Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development on wage record matching and data-sharing agreements.
• Supports data collection and reporting workflows tied to Iowa Department of Education/Iowa Workforce Development wage record, National Student Clearinghouse, and State Wage Interchange System (SWIS) matching processes to help monitor participant employment and earnings outcomes.
• Prepares data summaries and analysis to inform program and training modifications.
• Produces reports for analysis of participant trends and performance, including cohort persistence, retention, completion, credential attainment, and employment outcomes using the participant-tracking system and other data resources.
• Collaborates with the Consortium Director and program leaders across consortium colleges in the development of reports for analysis to improve outcomes and services to participants.
• Works with consortium college representatives to design, create, implement, and maintain reporting capabilities and standards.
• Works closely with technical and non-technical end users, gathering ad hoc reporting requirements, converting requirements into technical specifications, and training staff on how to produce and use reports.
• Collaborates in the development of user materials (e.g. training handouts, field definitions, data dictionaries)
• Participates in campus committees as assigned.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Unless otherwise approved under Hawkeye’s remote work policy, regular on campus and/or onsite attendance is considered an essential function of the position.

Minimum Qualifications

Additional Position Information / Application Process

Work is performed in a combination of an office and/or classroom setting, climate-controlled environment, with a combination of natural and fluorescent light using technology. Requires good hand-eye coordination including visual acuity to use a keyboard and read technical information; arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp. Sit, stand, bend, lift and move frequently during working hours. During course of day, interact with students, faculty and staff in person, by telephone and computers.

Wage & Employment Status

Complete an online application including 3 professional references with a minimum of 1 being a past or current supervisor and upload the following:

Priority screening is set to begin on: Monday, October 26, 2026

Hawkeye Community College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to equity and diversity in its educational services and employment practices: https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu/about/equal-opportunity/. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex; race; age; color; creed; national origin; religion; disability; sexual orientation; gender identity; genetic information; or actual or potential parental, family, or marital status in its programs, activities, or employment practices. Veteran status is also included to the extent covered by law. Any person alleging a violation of equity regulations shall have the right to file a formal complaint. Inquiries concerning application of this statement should be addressed to: Equity Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator for employees, 319-296-4405; or Title IX Coordinator for students, 319-296-4448; Hawkeye Community College, 1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, Iowa 50704-8015; or email equity-titleIX@hawkeyecollege.edu, or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 W. Madison, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.

If any applicant is in need of a reasonable accommodation in completing the application process, please notify a member of Human Resource Services.

Full-time, exempt positions have a comprehensive or competitive benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, and LTD insurance, a Section 125 plan for medical and dependent care expenses; holiday, personal, sick, and vacation leave; tuition reimbursement / tuition remission; and a choice of retirement programs—IPERS (defined benefit) or TIAA (defined contribution).

Summary of Paid Leave (Non-Work Days)

• Minimum 20 days of vacation (maximum accrual of 280 hours)
• Fifteen 15 days of sick leave (maximum accrual 840 hours). May be used for employee, spouse, and dependents as defined by FMLA.
• Twelve (12) holidays/paid break
• Four (4) personal days each year (non-cumulative)
• The campus may be closed completely the last two weeks in December but this timeframe is subject to change on a yearly basis.
• Up to five (5) days per year bereavement leave (non-cumulative)
• Up to five (5) days per year critical illness leave (non-cumulative)
• Jury duty as required

Additional Benefits

• Employee and Dependent Tuition Remission – Employee Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services
• FLEXPLUS (IRS 125) Plan for Medical and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement
• Supplemental Retirement Options through Retirement Investors Club (RIC)
• Telecommuting Work Schedule (Approved on job/business need basis)
• Summer Hours
• Voluntary Critical Illness, Voluntary Accident, Pet Insurance
• Use of Heath Education Services Center (HESC) Wellness Center (excludes personal training sessions)