Chief Data Officer

Leadership Profile
January 2022

Prepared by: Nick Giannas, Katie Mazzuckelli

University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Contents

01 The Opportunity

02 Organization Overview

05 Position Summary

08 Goals and Objectives

09 Candidate Qualifications

11 The Community

12 Procedure for Candidacy

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

The Opportunity
University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) seeks an innovative and engaged executive to serve as
its next Chief Data Officer (CDO). This is a tremendous opportunity for the CDO to lead and advance
analytics in support of achieving CU Boulder's strategic priorities by leveraging the institution's data
assets and enabling a data driven university. CU Boulder is one of America's leading research
universities and the flagship of the University of Colorado System (CU System).

With overall responsibility for the Office of Data Analytics (ODA), which includes Institutional
Research, Assessment/Measurement/Insights, Data Science and Faculty Information System
groups, the CDO will provide the leadership and vision to effectively serve the data and reporting
needs of academic, administrative and research units. Reporting to the Vice Chancellor and Chief
Financial Officer, the CDO will be a highly collaborative thought leader, partnering with all
stakeholders to understand their data needs and deliver analysis and insights to support data
informed decision making. The CDO will work in close partnership with the Office of Information
Technology as well as University Information Services at CU System.

The CDO will fully evaluate the existing environment and develop the strategy to transform data
analytics across the university. This leader will be specifically tasked with the following: creating a
structure that allows for better coordination across the highly talented teams within ODA and
distributed groups across the university; the plan to modernize the data technology platform(s);
ensure an effective and transparent governance structure and lead in developing a robust culture of
analytics, evangelizing the capabilities and value that data can provide to the university.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative executive, capable of building strong trusting
relationships with experience leading an analytics function in a complex institution. The ability to
develop, communicate and execute on a vision along with having a passion for serving the public
mission of higher education is essential. The CDO will provide strong strategic and operational
management, developing and empowing the teams within ODA. The CDO will have significant
experience with a host of analytics tools and platforms.

The CDO will be at the center of a complicated ecosystem, ensuring that the data and analytics
structures and capabilities of the university are aligned with the organization's mission, strategy and
objectives. Working within a leading research university in a vibrant college community, the CDO
will have the opportunity to make a significant impact in helping drive CU Boulder's future success.

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Organization Overview
University of Colorado Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) was established in 1877 and remains the flagship
university within the Colorado University system. It serves almost 36,000 undergraduate and
graduate students and employs a faculty/staff workforce of more than 10,000.

It is one of only 36 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities
(AAU), a group of institutions recognized as America’s leading research universities. CU Boulder
recognizes the exceptional opportunities associated with its role as a research university, and values
the unique strength and character research achievements bring to undergraduate education. It is
keenly aware of its responsibility for educating the next generation of citizens and leaders and for
fostering the spirit of discovery through research.

CU Boulder's nine colleges and schools offer 90-plus degree programs and more than 3,600
academic courses. Among its many accolades, CU Boulder boasts five Nobel laureates. In addition,
18 CU Boulder affiliates have become NASA astronauts. And, Engineers without Borders was
established at CU Boulder.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of

faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. It is an
Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

For more details about CU Boulder, visit: https://www.colorado.edu/about

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

University Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

To be a leader in addressing the humanitarian, social and technological challenges of the 21st
century.

Statutory Mission

CU Boulder’s vision is grounded in its statutory mission as a national public research university. In
Colorado statute, the university is defined as the “comprehensive graduate research university with
selective admissions standards . . . offer(ing) a comprehensive array of undergraduate, master and
doctoral degree programs” of what is now designated the University of Colorado System.

CU Boulder recognizes the exceptional opportunities associated with its role as a research university
and values the unique strength and character research achievements bring to undergraduate
education. It is keenly aware of its responsibility to educate the next generation of citizens and
leaders and to foster the spirit of discovery through research. Indeed, CU Boulder believes that its
students, both graduate and undergraduate, benefit from the comprehensive mix of programs and
research excellence that characterize a flagship university. Thus, CU Boulder’s statutory mission is
relevant today and will remain relevant tomorrow.

Values

At CU Boulder, we are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive campus community. We
value different backgrounds, identities and perspectives and believe that engagement with a wide
range of ideas and viewpoints can help students learn and grow. This is the foundation of a good
education.

Our campus promotes an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory environment––one in which everyone

thrives. We believe that supportive interactions based in mutual dignity are foundational to a
productive learning environment and a college experience that can foster lifelong connections,
friendships and intellectual communities.

Racist, sexist, homophobic and other discriminatory actions are unacceptable at CU Boulder. Our
campus community is committed to providing all students, researchers, scholars, faculty and staff
with equitable opportunities to pursue their academic and career goals, in part by preventing and
addressing discrimination, harassment, bullying or other behaviors that undermine these goals.

Our success as a campus community relies on mutual respect, collaboration and a commitment to
incorporating inclusion in our learning and development. Valuing individuals and their contributions
and working to understand others underpin the integrity of our university. We want CU Boulder to
be a place where you are both supported and can belong.

Office of Data Analytics (ODA) University Vision, Mission and Values

The Office of Data Analytics (ODA) houses the Institutional Research,

Assessment/Measurement/Insights, Data Science and Faculty Information System (joined in 2019)
groups, which specialize in data collection, modeling or predictive analytics and visualization. Some

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

current offerings to campus include department and campus-level surveys, faculty course
questionnaires and additional consulting projects that address data analysis, predictive and
prescriptive modeling and exploration needs for an individual classroom to larger campus initiatives.
ODA also leads efforts in data governance and bringing data sources across campus into one
location for deeper, meaningful analysis. The ODA mission is to foster an understanding of
institutional knowledge. This is done by transforming data into actionable intelligence, aiding the
decision-making processes throughout the university.

For more information about ODA, visit: https://www.colorado.edu/oda/

ODA is part of Finance and Business Strategy (FBS), CU Boulder's go-to resource for decision-
making and business planning. FBS' mission is: "Through collaboration, we connect ideas, resources
and decisions that drive CU Boulder's success. We do this through community engagement
stewardship of financial resources and data supported decision-making. FBS staff provide
operational support at all levels to advance the University's mission." FBS is led by CU Boulder's
Chief Financial Officer.

For more information on FBS, visit: https://www.colorado.edu/fbs/

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Position Summary
The Chief Data Officer (CDO) is a leader within Finance and Business Strategy (FBS) and
will influence and support executive-level decision making through data analysis and
insights. The core responsibility of the CDO will be to develop and implement the overall
strategy and roadmap to ensure that data and analytics structures and capabilities are
aligned with the university’s mission, strategy and objectives. The CDO will serve as a
thought leader for the university in the use of data to drive innovation and organizational
objectives, appropriately framing large and complex issues for the campus’ executives and
campus managers at multiple levels and improving the decision-making process through the
use of data and modeling.

The CDO will have overall responsibility for the Office of Data Analytics (ODA) which serves
as the university’s primary source of data about the university. Through the analysis of large-
scale, strategic initiatives and data provisioning, the ODA provides data to enable the
campus to create and discover new opportunities to effectively and efficiently meet its
goals. The ODA provides an analytics focus on the fulfillment of requests to report on
university operations and analyze new and existing strategic initiatives for the campus. This
unit is also tasked with the delivery of data-based insights to leadership through the
development and management of dashboards and similar products aiding in decision-
making and prioritizing resources. In some cases, the ODA may develop or oversee the
development of applications that make use of the data for departments which lack the
resources or expertise internally. The ODA helps to advance the mission of the university by
identifying and evaluating options, initiating cross-functional analysis and debate, facilitating
conversations, improving data accessibility, and increasing analytical capabilities within the
central offices, as well as within the colleges and divisions.

The CDO role will be highly collaborative, partnering with campus leaders, key stakeholders, and
department heads to understand information needs and apply data analytics across the
university. The CDO will collaborate with the CIO and AVC for Integrity, Safety and Compliance on
issues of data security and privacy, digital accessibility, system integrations and data governance.
The CDO will be the lead on data and analytics strategy, governance and stewardship, oversight of
the development and functionality of analytics tools and models and championing a culture of
data-driven decision making.

Reporting Relationships

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer, the CDO will have responsibility for a
staff of approximately 25. Direct reports include:

▪ Director of Institutional Research

▪ Director of Data Governance
▪ Director of Data Science
▪ Director of Assessment, Measurement, and Insights
▪ Director of Faculty Information System

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Responsibilities

The Chief Data Officer will be responsible for the following, by area:

Data and Analytics

▪ Develop a data strategy for the university that is integrated and informed by a diverse group of
stakeholders

▪ Lead the university in thoughtful discussions that lead to conclusions that inform the strategic
direction of the campus. These discussions are informed by the campus strategic
imperatives, priorities and the insights from data analytics

▪ Support leadership in strategic decision making and resource allocation based on data
analytics. Be responsible and accountable for successful execution of data warehousing, Data
Governance, Business Intelligence, Reporting/Dashboarding, Big Data, and Machine Learning

▪ Through discussion, observation and research understand priorities and ongoing needs for
data analysi s across the campus

▪ In collaboration with the CIO and AVC for Integrity, Safety and Compliance, develop and chair
a data council, comprised of department heads, administration, data science faculty and
researchers, and seni or data analytics staff, to discuss and decide issues such as data
access protocol and API development, data access roles and permissions and ethics and bias
inherent in data sets used for decision making

Analytics Tools and Models

▪ Oversee the development and application of advanced modeling techniques to key priority
areas, as well as ideas, initiatives and projects with strategic impact to the campus

▪ Strengthen the campus’ capacity to achieve its longer-term goals by providing knowledge and
information for decision making and action at all levels

▪ Create analytical products and tools including business intelligence systems

Data Governance and Stewardship

▪ Create inclusive systems and approaches to data analysis

▪ Improve communication and facilitate learning

▪ Increase the transparency and availability of agreed upon data and information

▪ Implement systems and processes which improve data sharing and collaboration around
information

▪ Lead efforts which increase transparency and enable the campus to better monitor and
manage its operations and working environment

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

▪ Provide oversight for publishing APIs as well as granting and managing access tokens relative
to ODA platforms and/or services

Data-Driven Decision Making

▪ Improve individual and organizational productivity by helping leaders at all levels make more
effective and timely decisions

▪ Deliver accurate and timely information and intelligence to leadership and staff for decision-
making purposes

▪ Regularly share lessons learned and best practices in decision support tools and processes

▪ Develop services and techniques which become integrated into the processes and efforts of
colleges and divisions

▪ Identify relevant subject areas and create learning opportunities for others across campus
related to data sources, analysis techniques and the development of data models

▪ Facilitate and coordinate contributions of cross-functional groups of practitioners such that

analysis of l arge-scal e initiatives contain a complete analysis (i.e., a broad range of
disciplinary perspectives including infrastructure, human capital, financial, technology, etc.)

▪ Help to advance the mission of the university by identifying and evaluating options,
initiating cross- functional analysis and debate, facilitating conversations, improving data
accessibility, and increasing analytical capabilities within the central offices, as well as within
the colleges and divisions

▪ As needed, develop or oversee the development of applications that make use of the data for
departments which lack the resources or expertise internally

Leadership and Department Management

▪ Personally inspire others to contribute to achieving campus-wide strategies and initiatives

▪ Direct department strategy, vision, mission and staffing

▪ Attract, develop and retain talent to improve team productivity, efficiency and effectiveness

▪ Create a culture and climate conducive to high-impact teamwork

▪ Grow and develop managers and individual contributors assigned to the unit

▪ Lead by example, directly engaging in complex data challenges and Information Management
projects to deri ve deep insights from data

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Goals and Objectives

The following goals and objectives have been identified as priorities for this position in the first 12-
18 months:

▪ Partner with the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer and become fully integrated into the
leadership team. Be perceived as a solid team player who has credibility and integrity, and
contributes broadly as a subject-matter leader in support of data analytics

▪ Develop strong, trusting relationships with academic and administrative leadership and staff
across the university to identify, understand and address their data and reporting needs

▪ Working with leadership, develop the vision and strategic plan for analytics that is fully aligned
with CU Boulder's mission and strategic priorities including student success, employee
recruitment/retention and institutional effectiveness

▪ Perform an overall assessment of ODA including resources, structure and staff. Develop the plan
and implement best practices to enable stronger coordination across the teams and improve
service delivery overall. Enable a culture that energizes, empowers and is supportive of staff and
offers career growth and development opportunities to aid in recruitment and retention

▪ Evaluate the existing environment and develop the roadmap to modernize the data technology
infrastructure and analytics tools, partnering with Office of Information Technology and
University Information Services

▪ Review and ensure the effectiveness of the newly established data governance structure

▪ Lead in developing the culture of analytics to help educate and promote data access and
utilization as well as communicating the value it can provide to CU Boulder. Begin driving the
transformation to a "Data as an Asset" vision for CU Boulder

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Candidate Qualifications
Education/Certification

▪ A bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering or related field required; master's degree
preferred. Equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute

Knowledge and Work Experience

▪ More than five years of management experience, especially at a senior level, preferred

▪ At least five years of experience in data analytics, business intelligence and reporting

▪ Strong analytical foundation with expert, hands-on knowledge of advanced statistical techniques

▪ Demonstrated success in researching and preparing written and graphical presentations on a

broad variety of topics

▪ Demonstrated past success in planning, developing and implementing complex strategic goals
and program initiatives that require the effective management of resources over short and long
timeframes

▪ Experience successfully managing business units in higher education, preferred

▪ Knowledge of ETL, Database, DW, Reporting and Big Data

▪ At least three years of analytics, application or data pipeline development experience with
exposure to analytics tools such as SQL, Hadoop, Spark, Kafka, Hive

▪ Significant experience with a host of analytics tools, visualization platforms and programming
languages

▪ Experience creating data visualizations through tools such as Tableau, Looker, Chartio, Mode
and Perisope

▪ Experience with using Python or R for enterprise data analytics

Leadership Skills and Competencies

▪ Strong written and oral communication skills; able to articulate the team's needs to leadership;
able to articulate ODA's vision throughout the organization

▪ Exceptional interpersonal and conflict resolution abilities; an aggregator

▪ A collaborative leader and consensus builder; able to build trust; authentic

▪ Able to serve as a bridge throughout the enterprise; persuasive; capable of building and
sustaining relationships throughout the enterprise

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

▪ A true servant leader; able to remove roadblocks for the team; capable of working with humility
across the organization to understand and meet data needs

▪ Capable of working at a strategic as well as tactical level. Able to leverage technical and
business acumen as well as leverage personal relationships to realize strategic initiatives

▪ Mission driven; passionate about the mission of academia and issues facing a complex research
university

▪ Able to build a culture of data

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

The Community
Boulder, CO

Boulder is ranked the No. 1 college town in America (American Institute for Economic Research,
2017). From the Rocky Mountains to an engaging downtown, Boulder offers something for
everyone.

Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, about 25 miles northwest of Denver, Boulder is the
12th largest city in Colorado with a 2020 population of 105,000. Residents enjoy 300-plus days of
sunshine a year and moderate weather. It has been recognized as "The Happiest City in the U.S."
(National Geographic, 2017) and earned a spot on Gallup's "Highest Well Being Communities" list
for several years running. It has also been named the fittest city in the U.S. several times (e.g.,
Forbes, 2015; Self, 2017). It is home to the nation's largest concentration of natural and organic
products companies, including: Celestial Seasonings Tea Company, White Wave Foods, Horizon
Organic, Justin's Nut Butters, Quinn Snacks, Rudi's Bakery, Purely Elizabeth and Hope Hummus.

At the foot of the mountains, outdoors activities abound, including hiking in the landmark Flatirons.
Boulder is a biking mecca—there are four bikes for every one person, 300 miles of dedicated
bikeways, great mountain biking trails, a 29-acre free bike park, cycling clubs and more. And, there
are more than 70 Olympians living in Boulder County.

Boulder is a draw for STEM professionals. There are six times more high-tech startups per capita in
Boulder than the nation's average. And, there are 17 federally funded science laboratories in
Boulder, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Boulder boasts the second-highest percentage of STEM jobs in
the country, behind Silicon Valley. The city is also the most highly educated in the nation.

For more details about Boulder, visit: https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/

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University of Colorado Boulder Chief Data Officer

Procedure for Candidacy

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. For fullest consideration, applicant materials
should be received by March 18, 2022. Candidates should provide a resume or curriculum vitae and
a letter of application. Please direct all application materials to Nick Giannas or Katie Mazzuckelli via
the WittKieffer Candidate Portal here. Nominations may also be directed to the consultants through
the portal. Information that cannot be sent electronically may be forwarded to:

Nick Giannas and Katie Mazzuckelli

WittKieffer
2015 Spring Road, Suite 510
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
Phone: 678-302-1560

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of

faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are
an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The hiring range is $280,000-$300,000. Relocation assistance and a sign on bonus are available per
department guidelines.

All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to comply with the campus COVID-19
vaccine requirement. New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or
religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

The material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only. This material has been
copied, compiled, or quoted in part from University of Colorado Boulder documents and personal interviews and is believed to
be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and
factual situations govern.

All images and logos used in this leadership profile are courtesy of CU Boulder.

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