Business Analyst

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides supercomputing and advanced digital resources for the nation's scientific enterprise. At NCSA, University of Illinois faculty, staff, students, and collaborators from around the globe use advanced digital resources to address and research grand challenges for the benefit of science and society. NCSA has been advancing one third of Fortune 50 companies for more than 30 years by bringing industry, researchers, and students together to solve grand challenges at rapid speed and scale.
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is currently seeking a Business Analyst to join our Business IT group to provide budget, cost and benefit, and quantitative analysis for NCSA, Administration, and project needs. The selected candidate will analyze sensitive data, produce strategic reports, and make recommendations on process improvements, systems selection, systems implementation, and cost and value management.

NCSA is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community. Candidates who have experience working with a diverse range of faculty, staff, and students, and who can contribute to the climate of inclusivity are encouraged to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

Process Documentation and Improvement:

• 
  Evaluate business processes, anticipate requirements, uncover areas for improvement, and develop and implement solutions.
  
• Allocate resources and maintain cost efficiency.
  
• Research new methods to improve monitoring, discover issues and deliver better value to the customer.
• Identify where (Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices can be implemented.

Project Requirements Gathering and Testing:

• Leverage resources, expertise, and experience across projects, including specific operational strategies for budget creation, forecasting, purchasing and invoice approval.
  
• Prioritize initiatives based on business needs and requirements.
  
• Serve as resource person for project staff in issues related to project management support.
  
• Perform quality control for new and ongoing procedures and workflows, including assessing needs, requesting, and responding to feedback, and monitoring successes / failures of current procedures.
  
• Understand and communicate the financial and operational impact of any changes to the project plans.
  
• Facilitate use of adopted project management control systems to reflect project progress.
  
• Evaluate project variances and report against them.

Contribute to Strategic Planning:

• 
  Participate in strategic planning with regards to NCSA, Administration, and project needs.
  
• Stay current on the latest processes and IT advancements to automate and modernize systems.
  
• Validate resource requirements and develop cost estimate models.
  
• Coordinate the writing and approval of contracts.
• Use independent judgment, develop project information management tools to convert project management information between project management control systems, and compile custom reports and project analytics as needed.

Plan and Execute Operational Support Activities:

• Plan and execute the operational support for research activities to optimize the use of space and ensure no disruption in any supplies or services that would impair or delay the research process.
  
• Evaluate equipment maintenance needs and implementation of all research requirements pertaining to research equipment, estimate costs and establish preventative maintenance programs where appropriate
  
• Respond to and participate in National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and other grant-related reviews and audits.
  
• Provide oral and written communication of project status, trends, issues, and risks to stakeholders.
  
• Monitor multi-million-dollar project proposals and budgets.
  
• Ensure that group technical work is accurately tracked.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, management, or a field related to the position.
  
• Two years of professional business, financial, and/or managerial work experience in a university, private or
  public environment.
  
• Demonstrated experience with grant administration and finance management.
  
• Project management experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 
  Master’s degree in business/accounting/finance, or computer science, or engineering or related field.
  
• IT/Computing project management expertise or background.
  
• IT /Computing financial management and reporting expertise or background.
  
• One year of professional project management experience.
  
• Two or more years’ experience in finance management/grant management.
  
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) project management techniques.
  
• Two or more years’ experience with University procurement practices and policies.
• Agile software engineering practices.
• IT/Computing financial management and reporting expertise or background.
• Experience with Agile software engineering practices.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5010 - Business/Administrative Associate position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 6/5/2023. Salary is commensurate with experience.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on May 15, 2023. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact jgoodly@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu.

Requisition ID: 1016495
Job Category: Administrative
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu