Position Summary The Software Applications Analyst I supports, administers, integrates, and continuously improves the University’s enterprise application portfolio. The position provides functional and technical support for cloud-based and on-premises systems, with primary emphasis on Ellucian Colleague SaaS, Colleague Self-Service and Experience, TouchNet, EAB platforms, Canvas, and other University-leveraged systems. The analyst works with campus stakeholders and vendors to resolve incidents, implement enhancements, maintain reliable data exchanges, automate repeatable processes, and develop secure API and database integrations. The role also develops documentation and training, performs testing and quality assurance, and supports projects that advance efficient, accurate, and user-centered University operations. Core Application Portfolio
- Ellucian Colleague SaaS, including Colleague UI, Self-Service, Experience, Data Connect, Data Warehouse, Ethos, and related modules and services
- TouchNet payment, commerce, and student-account related solutions
- EAB platforms, including Navigate and EAB 360 or successor products
- Canvas learning management system and associated integrations
- Colleague CRM Recruit, PowerFAIDS, Softdocs, Maxient, Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, Handshake, StarRez, Upswing, TicketReturn, OCLC, and other University-leveraged systems
- Legacy and transitional platforms, interfaces, and data repositories as assigned
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Application Administration and Support
- Provide day-to-day functionality and technical administration for assigned enterprise applications across production, test, development, and training environments.
- Manage incidents, service requests, known issues, vendor cases, upgrades, feature releases, maintenance activities, license or renewal notices, and application lifecycle tasks.
- Monitor system availability, scheduled jobs, interfaces, automated procedures, and integrations; investigate failures and coordinate timely resolution.
- Configure application settings, roles, permissions, workflows, forms, and features in accordance with approved change management and security practices.
- Provide accurate and responsive support to students, faculty, staff, and campus offices; escalate complex issues to vendors or internal technical teams when appropriate.
Data Integration, APIs, and Automation
- Design, build, test, document, monitor, and maintain integrations among Ellucian Colleague SaaS, TouchNet, EAB, Canvas, and other University systems.
- Develop and support RESTful API integrations, including authentication, data mapping, error handling, logging, validation, scheduling, and secure transfer of institutional data.
- Use Python, SQL, vendor integration tools, scripting, and workflow or scheduling technologies to automate repeatable operational and data-processing tasks.
- Create, maintain, optimize, and troubleshoot SQL queries, views, stored procedures, extracts, imports, and reports across supported database platforms.
- Perform data analysis, transformation, reconciliation, validation, and quality assurance to ensure complete, accurate, and timely information between systems.
- Maintain technical specifications, interface inventories, field mappings, schedules, dependencies, credentials-handling procedures, and recovery steps for integrations and automated processes.
Implementation, Testing, and Change Management
- Analyze business requirements and current operating procedures; translate needs into application configurations, technical requirements, integrations, reports, or process improvements.
- Evaluate vendor enhancements and new technologies for compatibility, security, accessibility, data integrity, operational impact, and alignment with university needs.
- Plan and perform unit, integration, regression, user-acceptance, and post-deployment testing; document results and coordinate issue remediation.
- Prepare and facilitate change requests, implementation plans, rollback plans, release communications, and production validation activities.
- Participate in application implementations, upgrades, migrations, data conversions, and cross-functional technology projects.
Documentation, Training, and Collaboration
- Create and maintain system documentation, runbooks, knowledge-base articles, data dictionaries, user guides, training videos, and standard operating procedures.
- Deliver application training and presentations for students, faculty, staff, IT Support, campus departments, leadership, and vendors as required.
- Collaborate with functional offices, IT colleagues, vendors, consultants, and project teams to identify solutions and deliver successful outcomes.
- Communicate system status, risks, dependencies, outages, changes, and project progress clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Security, Compliance, and Service Quality
- Follow University policies and applicable standards for information security, privacy, access control, records handling, and change management.
- Apply least-privilege access principles and protect credentials, personally identifiable information, financial data, and other sensitive institutional information.
- Support audit requests, access reviews, control documentation, disaster-recovery preparation, and business-continuity activities for assigned systems.
- Provide quality assurance for outstanding issues and contribute to reliable, efficient, and customer-focused technology services.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, management information systems, software engineering, data analytics, or a related field; relevant professional experience may be considered in accordance with university requirements.
- 0-2 years of related experience supporting enterprise applications, application integrations, databases, reporting, automation, or software quality assurance.
- Demonstrated working knowledge of SQL and Python, including the ability to read, write, test, troubleshoot, and document code.
- Knowledge of relational databases and data concepts, including PostgreSQL, Microsoft Access, data mapping, validation, and structured data exchange.
- Knowledge of API concepts and integration methods, including REST, JSON, authentication, error handling, and secure data transmission.
- Knowledge of HTML and general web-application concepts; familiarity with Java or other programming languages is beneficial.
- Ability to analyze complex issues, manage multiple priorities, work independently, meet deadlines, and maintain attention to detail.
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, customer-service, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate with university leadership and nontechnical users.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365; familiarity with Google Workspace and Apple products.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting Ellucian Colleague SaaS, Colleague Self-Service, Experience, Ethos, Data Connect, or related Ellucian products.
- Experience supporting TouchNet, EAB Navigate or EAB 360, Canvas, or other higher-education enterprise platforms.
- Experience building or supporting system-to-system integrations, scheduled jobs, ETL processes, data extracts, web services, or workflow automation.
- Experience with source control, code review, API testing tools, ticketing systems, change management, and technical documentation.
- Experience in higher education or in a complex environment with interconnected administrative, academic, financial, and student-support systems.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Enterprise application administration and troubleshooting
- SQL querying, reporting, stored procedures, and database support
- Python scripting, automation, and data processing
- API integration, data exchange, and interface monitoring
- Requirements analysis, testing, quality assurance, and change management
- Technical writing, user training, and knowledge transfer
- Vendor management and cross-functional collaboration
- Professional judgment, confidentiality, initiative, accountability, and continuous learning
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements Work is typically performed in an office or remote-work setting at a desk, with regular meetings and support activities across campus, either in person or virtually. The position may occasionally require work outside normal business hours to support maintenance, implementations, outages, or critical operational needs. The employee may be required to lift or move equipment weighing up to 50 pounds and to maintain a safe, orderly work area. Supervisory Responsibility This position has no direct reports unless otherwise assigned. The position reports to the Assistant Director of IT Systems Operations. Additional Expectations The duties listed are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, qualifications, or working conditions. Responsibilities may be modified to meet the evolving operational and strategic needs of the University. Final classification, compensation, minimum requirements, and employment language are subject to Human Resources review and approval.