Priya Rajendran

About Priya Rajendran

Dreams don’t work unless you do.” — John C. MaxwellI work at the intersection of data, strategy, and institutional decision-making.As Director of Data Management, Technology & Strategy at Illinois Tech, I design and lead enterprise data systems that support advancement strategy, campaign execution, and leadership decisions tied to the university’s $1B Power the Difference campaign. My focus is on clarity—turning complex, fragmented data into intelligence which leaders can trust when the stakes are high.I’m often brought in when initiatives stall, signals conflict, or decisions need grounding. I build governance, metrics, and predictive frameworks that surface risk early, align effort to outcomes, and keep momentum moving forward.My background spans software engineering, edtech analytics, and enterprise data leadership. Across roles, my approach has stayed consistent: disciplined, analytical, and outcome-driven. Data should not be loud. It should be precise. And it should work.Business & professional inquiries: e••••••••@gmail.com

Experience

1. Director of Data Management, Technology and Strategy

   Illinois Institute Of Technology

   Jan 2025 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Driving enterprise-wide data strategy and infrastructure enhancements as part of a 20-member Advancement Services team, directly managing a core team of 3; increased data accuracy by 35% through automated ETL pipelines and governance improvements, and improved reporting speed by 50%, enabling faster decision-making and elevating analytics maturity across Advancement.Served as the strategic lead in advancing campaign growth by engineering a predictive analytics model and dynamic donor pipeline dashboard, enabling major gift officers to proactively identify high-propensity alumni; optimized prospect segmentation and engagement scoring, resulting in a 20% lift in qualified prospect identification and enhanced gift officer portfolio performance.

Education

• Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani

  Master of Business Administration - MBA

• Illinois Institute of Technology

  Masters of Applied Science, Data Science

• BITS Pilani Work Integrated Learning Programmes

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

• Anna University

  Bachelor’s Degree, Computer Science

  2015 — 2019