Systems Engineer Sr

Department: IT Cyber Collaboration Svcs

Salary/Grade: ITS/82

Job Summary:

This position is part of a team that provides tactical, 24/7 operational support and strategic direction for the University's collaboration products including email, document management tools, conferencing, and person to person and group messaging software across the Evanston, Chicago and Qatar campuses.

This position is responsible for strategic direction, systems architecture, product management, design and implementation of collaboration infrastructure platforms. This includes vendor management, vulnerability management (application-level), application release/upgrade analysis and planning, policy coordination (e.g. db sizes, retention, archiving, compliance, etc.), patch management (application-level), application governance, security of the environment(s), and message hygiene management/administration focusing on the Collaboration Services product portfolio.

To effectively support the needs of the University, this position will regularly consult with the user community and its representatives to define requirements, analyze business needs, consider current and future business implications, translate functional into technical requirements, validate solutions, and drive business process improvement efforts across Collaboration Services products.

Performs tasks related to the design, implementation, support/maintenance, and enhancement of NU's enterprise, vendor and in-house developed applications.

This position will provide guidance and advise product stakeholders on best practices for implementing or enhancing systems. In support of community requirements, this position will work with management to ensure system design(s) provide the appropriate level of inter-system integration. This will include architectural impact assessments of new services and changes to existing services. Other duties include requirements gathering, process creation, knowledge transfer to support units, project planning, testing, infrastructure documentation and deploying software.

This position serves as the subject matter expert in regard to content, processes, and procedures as they relate to assigned products within the Collaboration Services product portfolio. Manages complex projects independently.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning:
• Directs the evaluation of new and emerging technologies.
• Partners with users in designing features for technology.
• Provides recommendation on how to enhance system for future growth.
• Advises/recommends project and activities as related to system/architectural direction and strategy.
• Structures project requirements; designs, documents, and implements data driven solutions.
• Provides recommendations for strategic planning and system growth/future business needs.
• Assists in the long range planning of collaboration technology systems.
• Consults with functional users and technical staff to determine best approaches, ensuring that approved solutions are implemented in a timely and correct fashion.
• Consults with the user community and its representatives to define requirements, analyze business needs, consider current and future business implications, translate functional into technical requirements, validate solutions, and drive business process improvement efforts across Collaboration Services products.

• Design & Implementation:
• Directs efforts and projects in the design, installation, operation, support, and maintenance.

• Administration:
• Investigates new technologies and strategies for CI Infrastructure Collaboration Services system deployment and integration into the production campus collaboration/communication infrastructure.
• Develops and implements procedures for data security, management and compliance.
• Directs the technical analysis of software and hardware.
• Writes document requirements for evaluation of new hardware/software to meet the needs of the campus community.
• Coordinates vendor product demonstrations, setup evaluation criteria and development recommendations for purchase of new hardware/software.
• Develops security definitions for the operation and management of the campus CI Infrastructure Management Software Systems and Services.
• Creates ad hoc administrative reports.
• Delivers system presentation and overview.
• Evaluates feature/upgrade/change requests and recommends action.
• Represents NU at regional and national conferences.
• Represent projects in absence of manager.
• Develops relationships with vendors.
• Partners with internal/external staff to develop requirements for new services and applications to meet the needs of the campus community.
• Maintains awareness of evolving information technologies through professional publications, outside contacts, and ongoing professional development.
• Manages projects ensuring timelines and deliverables are met and meet expectations.

• Development:
• Provides technical leadership on projects.
• Acts as subject matter expert (SME) in appropriate technologies and business domain.
• Leads complex day-to-day operational activities for maintaining the software and core processing environment of NU's distribution of CI Infrastructure Collaboration Services including patching, backups, configuration, updating and documentation.
• Leads staff for troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and corrective actions to ensure the highest availability and overall integrity of NU's distribution of CI Infrastructure Collaboration Services.
• Provides recommendations on how to enhance system to meet full business requirements.
• Determines project feasibility and how to integrate with current system.
• Utilizes requirements gathering techniques such as gap analysis, interviews, joint application development sessions, etc.; develops solutions/programs/reports, and implements technology.
• Troubleshoots problems involving complex difficult issues.
• Conducts or participates in business process review sessions to obtain and document operational and business requirements.
• Provides analysis, recommendations and technical assistance to business units and schools within the University in support of projects using the Collaboration Infrastructure.

• Performance:
• Provides 2nd and 3rd tier support through a periodic on-call rotation.
• Consults with Service Operations and users to diagnose and resolve problems in a timely fashion while stressing user service.
• Analyzes and isolates root cause.
• Provides solutions to user questions and other queries such as connectivity problems, performance issues, functionality, outages etc.
• Utilizes available tools to monitor performance and respond appropriately.
• Recommends appropriate tools to address performance and operational monitoring.
• Champions utilization of best practices and standards, and ensures compliance with IT/University policies.
• Manages projects ensuring timelines and deliverables are met and meet expectations.

• Supervises:
• Provides work direction to team members.
• Supervise staff such as team member's subordinates, contractors, vendors, students etc.
• Provide input to Performance evaluations for junior team members.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4 year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a Bachelor's degree in a major such as Computer Science, Information Technology, or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 4 years of experience in functional/business/system analysis or equivalent experience required.
• 6 years of experience in a professional information technology environment with responsibility for developing, customizing, integrating, and deploying Collaboration software.
• Experience with Google Apps for Education, Active Directory design and administration, Box Collaborative Storage, GoogleAppEngine, identity management/provisioning, information security, and various operating systems and software such as Mac OS X, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, and VMware vSphere.
• Strong critical thinking, business intelligence application design, troubleshooting, and project management skills.

Minimum Competencies:

• Written and verbal communication
• Conceptual Ability
• Dependability
• Decision Making
• Initiative
• Innovation/Creativity
• Crisis Management
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to work on multiple projects concurrently
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to explain and interpret complex technology in business terms.
• Able to work collegially within a team environment.
• Work independently, assuming start-to-finish responsibility for software projects from requirements documentation through deployment.
• Willing to embrace new technologies and systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to use judgment in interpreting and adapting policies, precedents and work directions for appropriateness to specific tasks or problems.
• Ability to maintain composure and work effectively in a high pressure setting.
• Energy and enthusiasm for this type of work, along with a clear desire to continue to develop and grow in knowledge and experience.
• Advanced knowledge and experience with quality of service across enterprise environments.
• Able to develop integrated short and long-term strategies for Collaboration that includes the infrastructure, application and service offering aspects.
• Able to develop multi-year roadmaps that represent these strategies.

Preferred Competencies:

• Problem solving
• Quality/Compliance with Process/Procedure
• Results Driven
• Strategic Thinking
• Independent/Self driven work
• Team Building
• Visionary Leadership
• Project Management experience
• Able to orally and visually present to audiences of different sizes and authority levels.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $111,803-$132,767 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

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