Systems Analyst

Rice University - Houston, TX

Full-time - Mid Level

Houston, TX

Educational Services

About the position

The Systems Analyst at Rice University plays a crucial role in supporting the alumni and development system known as OwlConnect, which is powered by Blackbaud CRM. This position is designed for an experienced professional who will report directly to the Senior Director of Development Information Services. The Systems Analyst is expected to have a blend of technical and business application expertise, actively participating in new technology initiatives that enhance the university's operational capabilities. The role involves collaborating with users to develop queries, reports, and automated business processes, as well as managing integrations with third-party systems and data warehouse solutions. In this fast-paced environment, the Systems Analyst will be responsible for ensuring data quality and providing support to system users. This includes troubleshooting issues, handling new requests, and managing system upgrades. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical skills, excellent verbal and written communication abilities, and a keen attention to detail. The role requires the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively while maintaining good customer relations with clients and external vendors. The Systems Analyst will also engage in analyzing and documenting user needs, existing policies, and operational methods to identify potential improvements. This includes defining and documenting business requirements, technical specifications, and test cases for system developments. The position may involve writing functional and technical specifications and coordinating with various teams to ascertain system requirements. Additionally, the Systems Analyst will perform testing of new systems and upgrades, ensuring that all functionalities meet the necessary standards before deployment.

Responsibilities

• Builds ad hoc queries, reports, and business processes using standard Blackbaud CRM features/functionality.
• Builds custom business processes and data integrations using SQL.
• Supports system users with issues, new requests, and system upgrades.
• Collaborates with team members and individuals across the Development and Alumni Relations division to develop best practices, reusable objects, and effective documentation.
• Analyzes and documents user needs, existing and new policies, processes, procedures, and operational methods to consider possible improvements to new and existing systems.
• Utilizes elicitation techniques to understand business processes and translate them into system requirements and/or development of systems solutions.
• Defines and documents business requirements, technical specifications, and test cases for system developments.
• Coordinates with business and technology teams, ascertaining system requirements, such as program functions, output requirements, input data acquisition, and system techniques and controls.
• Problem solves in areas such as system design, input/output requirements, and procedural flow between departments and/or business systems.
• Performs configuration of enterprise application software.
• Performs testing of new systems, upgrades, and patching of existing systems.
• Plans, conducts, and documents results of testing.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Management Information Systems, or a related field.
• Three years of related experience in application administration and support, including experience utilizing SQL and related SQL management tools (SSMS, SSAS, SSIS, and SSRS).
• Knowledge of computer system capabilities, business processes, and workflow.
• Experience with enterprise applications and understanding of database-driven applications.
• Experience with SQL scripting.
• Strong understanding of the software development life cycle.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to bridge functional and technical resources by communicating effectively with individuals of varying systems expertise and business needs.
• Proven problem-solving and analytical thinking skills, with the ability to approach problems logically and systematically.
• Ability to maintain good customer relations with clients and external vendors and partners.

Nice-to-haves

• Four or more years of related experience in application software support.
• Programming experience utilizing SQL and related SQL tools, and report development tools using SSRS, PowerBI, and/or Tableau.
• C# programming experience.
• Experience developing business intelligence solutions.
• Experience building SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) packages.
• Experience with project management methodologies.
• Experience with REST APIs.
• Experience with alumni/development database systems, preferably Blackbaud CRM.
• Experience in a non-profit or higher education setting.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401k retirement plan
• Paid holidays
• Flexible scheduling
• Professional development opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement
• Employee discount programs