Job no: 510563
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Information & Donor Services
Union: PSU
Categories: Advancement/Fundraising, Computer & Information Technology

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

Takes lead responsibility for the reliable and secure operation of all Advancement software and applications (including Affinaquest, Ellucian Advance, Gravity, EverTrue, iModules, CyberSource and ScaleFunder), Oracle and Salesforce databases, integrations, related software components and interfaces. Acts as principal database architect and as a primary technical resource for all Advancement application software, Oracle and Salesforce databases, and related third-party software, as well as administrative computing applications. Leads ongoing technical support, including software tuning, installation, upgrades and fixes, and the maintenance of software and Advancement applications for 24x7 availability. Establishes policies and procedures to ensure consistent data architecture and application design, and to promote high quality, maintainable application components. Leads the design and implementation of a security plan for these systems and Advancement data. This position acts as the technical lead and system architect for all of Advancement. Reporting to the Director Donor Information Systems. This position may have the opportunity to work remotely from the New England area.

Essential Functions

• Database Administrator (primary role – 80%)
  • Oversees and coordinates the software development, testing, and release management cycles for all Advancement applications, systems, and underlying Oracle and Salesforce databases, to ensure solutions are reliable, predictable, and maintainable. Responsible for the security, performance, availability and integrity of all Advancement systems as well as university data. Manages source code control libraries and other release management software as necessary. Serves as the principal data architect for multiple Affinaquest, Ellucian Advance and Oracle database instances. Designs and develops complex reports and custom dashboards to support senior leadership, Advancement and the UMass president’s office. Acts as the primary technical lead for Advancement projects and manages various phases of software implementations. Ensures that all operating system, database, and application software updates and patches are applied in a timely manner, well documented and are aligned with development, testing, and production protocols.
  • Leads reviews of system coding, testing, documentation, configuration and performance. Develops regression test plans and the associated test programs, scripts, and data sets for software implementations and enhancements. Establishes administrative and technical design standards for application developers and technical support staff to ensure the optimal performance, reliability, auditability, and maintainability of Advancement applications. These standards include detailed coding guidelines, style and naming conventions as well as technical policies and procedures. Conducts periodic reviews to verify compliance with standards and addresses any nonconformities. Oversees change management and code migrations to ensure changes to production environments are well tested, documented, reliable, secure and adhere to both compliance and technical standards.
  • Develops and implements a comprehensive security plan for Advancement applications, environments and data. Evaluates application design decisions to ensure they meet the long-term objectives of Advancement and the Affinaquest/Salesforce technical architecture. Develops system back-up and recovery plans. Monitors compliance, security, users, interfaces and access. Serves as a primary technical contact with software vendors for system upgrades, fixes, and problem resolution. Acts as a technical subject matter expert and consultant for all Advancement systems’ users especially senior leadership. Provides off-hours, on-call, services for urgent problem resolution and system outages. Provides training on the use of databases, software, applications, development tools and reporting tools.
• Senior Application Designer (secondary role – 20%)
  • Serves as the lead programmer for the coding, implementation and support of Advancement applications and software (including Affinaquest/Salesforce and Ellucian Advance). Consults end users to understand business requirements and ensures new application and reporting solutions meet the business needs and specifications. Leads the coding, testing and implementation of effective programming solutions, software packages and automations for Advancement and other constituents across the campus. Documents all solutions, designs, technical specifications and out-puts.
  • Performs a lead role in the migration and conversion from the current Ellucian Advance application to the new Salesforce based CRM system for Advancement (Affinaquest). Provides Affinaquest/Salesforce solutions, workflows, functionality and reports that meet the needs of Advancement, Alumni Relations and our end-users. Develops complex queries, automations and views to fulfill the requests of our user community and senior leadership. Facilitates data-mapping, data cleansing, data translations and other conversion activities.
  • Develops and implements integrations between Advancement systems, other systems on and off campus and third-party software. Uses a combination of integration software and methods to securely and effectively transfer data, perform data transformations and keep multiple applications in synchronization.
  • Leads the creation of effective and accurate reporting solutions in Affinaquest/Salesforce, Ellucian Advance, JavaScript/HTML Crystal and Tableau. Designs and develops fundraising, alumni, prospect and development officer reports for users across campus and senior leadership.
  • Adapts and configures software to support all aspects of Advancement and fundraising efforts.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• A Bachelor’s degree in an IT field with a minimum of 10 years of relational database experience.
• Oracle certification or an equivalent database certification.
• Oracle database administration experience, including security/access, implementing backups, monitoring, maintaining, tuning and encrypting.
• Experience with application design and analysis.
• Experience working on mid-to-large sized databases, securing data and supporting multiple database environments and operating systems.
• Expertise of SQL (Structured Query Language) and relational database design. Experience with current programming methodologies, tools and languages.
• Proficiency in designing, architecting, developing and implementing database enhancements, functionality and procedures.
• Experience overseeing change management (i.e. code migrations) and managing software development life cycles.
• Strong understanding of business intelligence and data reporting tools such as Tableau, Salesforce Report Builder and Crystal Reports.
• Experience with application front-end development and design using JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate the work of others in a leadership role, meet deadlines and work independently.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and software quickly without formal training.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field with a minimum of 8 years of relational database experience.
• Experience with Oracle 12c or newer.
• Experience managing networks, PC’s, client/server software and web applications.
• Salesforce certification or experience with Salesforce Lightning.
• Experience with database development tools such as PL/SQL Developer or Toad.
• Development experience within the Salesforce platform, including SOQL and Apex programming.
• Experience creating reports and analytics using business intelligence tools such as Tableau, Salesforce Report Builder and Crystal Reports.
• Demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment.
• Experience working with higher education administrative data systems, especially with Advancement applications.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

Typical office environment activity.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Salary Information

Salary commensurate with skills and experience.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Along with your application, please submit a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references before November 2, 2021. The position may remain open until filled.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Oct 12 2021 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: