Research Systems Analyst

College/Administrative Portfolio VP Academic
Annual Salary Range $68,553.60 to $95,537.64

About the Team
Institutional Data & Analytics (IDA) mission is to serve the University of Alberta with high quality and impactful analytics, empowering data-driven decisions. The IDA unit operates in a team-oriented, fast-paced, and dynamic environment where responding quickly, clearly, and accurately is paramount. Our work focuses on building and maintaining the U of A’s reporting and analytics environment, including our data warehouse, which is transitioning to the cloud.

We deliver analytical products to support our key missions of teaching and research.

Job Description
This competition is restricted to internal applicants of the University of Alberta. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

This position has an end date of March 31, 2027.

Location -  This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at Enterprise Square.

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Analysis, the Research Systems Analyst is responsible for the development, delivery, integrity, and effective use of the Institutional Data Warehouse (IDW).

The role provides technical leadership and subject matter expertise to transform institutional data into reliable information products used by senior leadership, planning units, and external partners.

Key accountabilities include:

Building and enhancing IDW data structures and processing

Ensuring solutions meet business and technical requirements

Managing data quality and resolving discrepancies

Developing reports, data marts, and business intelligence solutions

Supporting and training users

Maintaining documentation and metadata

This position functions as a subject matter expert in institutional data.

Responsibilities
IDW Development & Delivery (35%)

Design, build, and validate data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) processes from administrative systems (student, HR/payroll, finance, research).

Develop and validate interim and production data models.

Define and implement business rules.

Collaborate with subject experts, IST, and vendors regarding infrastructure, security, and performance.

Provide expertise on data meaning, lineage, and appropriate use.

Information Products & Business Intelligence (30%)

Develop and maintain scheduled and ad hoc reports for internal and external stakeholders.

Design data marts and curated datasets to improve accessibility and performance.

Translate business requirements into analytical and BI solutions.

Define dimensions, metrics, and structures in collaboration with clients.

Requirements Validation & Testing (10%)

Develop test strategies and use cases.

Coordinate and/or execute functional and data validation.

Ensure solutions satisfy agreed requirements prior to release.

Data Quality & Issue Resolution (10%)

Establish controls to validate loads and detect anomalies.

Investigate discrepancies between IDW and other sources.

Lead resolution processes with data stewards across campus.

Recommend improvements to prevent recurrence.

Training & Client Support (10%)

Recommend and deliver training on data concepts and access tools.

Provide one-on-one or group coaching.

Support users with varying technical skill levels.

Documentation & Metadata (5%)

Maintain technical and business documentation.

Develop data dictionaries, definitions, taxonomies, ER models, and data flows.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computing Science, Information Science, Business Analytics, or related field; statistical training is an asset.

Advanced SQL and Python skills.

Strong knowledge of database and data warehouse architecture.

Experience with ETL processes and BI/reporting tools.

Ability to quickly learn new technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working with complex higher-education data (student, HR, finance, research).

Strong collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.

Excellent time management and communication.

Ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter.

This competition will be used to fill two positions.

This position is subject to all applicable…