Application Specialist (SIS)

Application Specialist (SIS) 250 Day Contract, Benefits

Hours a day: 8 Hourly rate: Lane D-F, $35.32 - $41.82

Contact Information:

• Name: Ryan Neff
• Phone: 385-579-7000
• Email: rneff@lakemtn.org

The Student Information System (SIS) Application Specialist for Skyward Qmlativ is the district's lead trainer, end-user support resource, and front end system administrator. The role is the functional bridge between technical systems and school-level operations. It trains staff, troubleshoots user issues, is an escalation channel, configures the application, protects data integrity, and works with the SIS vendor on application questions and system level improvements. District engineers own the server, database, and integration work behind the SIS. With the district newly moved from Skyward SMS 2.0 to Qmlativ, an early emphasis is the continued support and adoption of the new system.

Key Responsibilities

Training & User Capacity

• Designs and delivers training and in-service sessions on SIS applications and workflows for office professionals, registrars, teachers, and school and district administrators, tailored to each group's role and experience level.
• Onboards new staff to the SIS and provides refresher training ahead of key points in the school year, such as registration, scheduling, grading periods, and year-end rollover.
• Supports school sites in mastering daily operations within the new SIS, through site visits and one-on-one coaching.
• Creates and maintains accessible user guides, job aids, quick-reference guides, video tutorials, and a self-service knowledge base.
• Uses help desk trends and user feedback to identify training gaps and update training materials.

End-User Support & Troubleshooting

• Provides timely Tier 3 escalation support for SIS application issues referred by the Help Desk and building-level staff, through help desk requests or site visits.
• Diagnoses procedural and application issues and resolves them with the user, routing server, database, and integration issues to district engineers or the vendor.
• Follows up with users to confirm resolution, and communicates known issues, fixes, and upcoming changes to affected staff.

SIS Configuration & Access

• Configures and maintains SIS application settings, including calendars, scheduling, gradebooks, attendance, discipline, enrollment workflows, and fee management.
• Manages user accounts, security roles, and access permissions for all SIS users district-wide.
• Partners with the district engineers who own SIS server, database, and integration work by testing new modules, patches and upgrades from the user's perspective and communicating maintenance windows to staff.

Data Integrity & Reporting

• Ensures data accuracy and alignment with district, state, and federal reporting requirements.
• Corrects and validates data for state and clearinghouse reporting.
• Standardizes data entry practices and system workflows across all schools.

Vendor Relations

• Serves as the district's point of contact and subject matter expert for the SIS vendor on application and workflow questions, escalating unresolved issues and tracking cases through resolution.
• Evaluates new feature releases for impact on district workflows and training materials.
• Represents the district in vendor user groups, webinars, and beta or preview programs as appropriate.

Documentation

• Maintains records of permission levels, security access, licenses, and work logs for audit and reference purposes.
• Prepares written documentation, procedures, and reports related to SIS operations and configuration.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Education, Business, Information Systems, or a related field preferred; experience in school or district office operations accepted in lieu of a degree. A formal information technology background is not required.

Experience:

• Experience in a K-12 school or district office role required, such as registrar, attendance or counseling office staff, data or application specialist.
• Extensive hands-on experience using Skyward for daily school operations required, such as enrollment, attendance, scheduling, and grading; Qmlativ experience preferred.
• Experience training, mentoring, or serving as the go-to Skyward resource for colleagues preferred.
• Experience configuring SIS application settings or user access preferred.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Comprehensive understanding of school-site operations, including enrollment, attendance, master scheduling, grading, and state reporting.
• Ability to train adult learners and explain system processes in plain language to users at every skill level.
• Strong customer-service and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to diagnose user issues and procedural bottlenecks.
• Strong focus on data integrity, and working knowledge of student data privacy requirements such as FERPA.
• Comfort with technology and the aptitude to learn SIS configuration, security roles, and reporting tools, with support from district engineers.
• Exceptional ability to collaborate and communicate across all levels of the organization, from frontline staff to district leadership.
• Ability to adapt to evolving state requirements or district processes.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Other Requirements:

• Ability and willingness to work in both elementary and secondary school settings.
• Valid Utah driver's license.