Description

The Programmer/Analyst – Student Data Systems and BI Reporting is a technical expert within University Analytics and Institutional Research (UAIR) responsible for building, maintaining, and optimizing the university’s student data infrastructure. This role focuses on SQL development, data automation, and Power BI optimization to deliver accurate, timely, and accessible reporting that supports institutional decision-making, student success initiatives, and compliance with federal and state reporting requirements.
The Programmer/Analyst works closely with UAIR analysts to design, review, clean, and automate SQL code, creating reliable and scalable queries, stored procedures, and ETL workflows. This position also leads efforts to develop and maintain customized student data reports for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that reports meet institutional standards, accreditation needs, and regulatory mandates.
In addition, this role is responsible for enhancing and maintaining Power BI dashboards to ensure data accuracy, real-time refresh capabilities, role-based security, and intuitive visualization. The Programmer/Analyst partners with the Office of Technology and other teams to manage system integrations and data pipelines, leveraging APIs and advanced automation tools to maintain a unified and efficient institutional data ecosystem.
This position requires a deep understanding of relational database design, query optimization, data governance practices, and business intelligence tools to provide campus leadership, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders with actionable insights that inform enrollment management, retention strategies, and overall student success efforts.

Examples of Duties

• Design, develop, and maintain complex SQL scripts, stored procedures, ETL processes, and APIs to extract, transform, and load student data from institutional systems such as Banner, Workday, or other enterprise platforms.
• Write, optimize, and document custom code and automation scripts in SQL, Python, R, or other supported programming languages to streamline reporting and analytics.
• Implement and maintain secure, scalable, and efficient data models to support student success and institutional analytics.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on database architecture and integration, ensuring systems are configured and maintained to support long-term analytics needs.

• Design, implement, and manage Power BI dashboards and visualizations to provide actionable insights on enrollment, retention, graduation, and other student success metrics.
• Regularly update and validate dashboard data sources to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Collaborate with analysts, leadership, and campus stakeholders to create self-service data tools and visualizations.
• Evaluate emerging BI tools and features, recommending upgrades or enhancements to existing solutions.

• Build and maintain automated reporting pipelines to deliver accurate and timely reports for internal and external stakeholders (e.g., IPEDS, state and federal agencies).
• Conduct audits and data integrity checks to ensure the accuracy and consistency of institutional student data.
• Partner with institutional leaders to create predictive models and actionable reporting to inform enrollment management, retention, and strategic initiatives.
• Translate technical processes into user-friendly documentation and guides to ensure transparency and consistency.

• Work closely with Information Technology Services to maintain secure access, role-based permissions, and governance standards for all data systems and dashboards.
• Provide technical consultation, training, and support to UAIR team members and campus partners to improve their use of data and reporting tools.
• Participate in cross-functional data governance and analytics committees, contributing technical expertise to university-wide data strategy efforts.
• Stay current on industry best practices in business intelligence, data engineering, and analytics to continuously improve UAIR’s data infrastructure.

• Prepare well-organized, accessible reports, presentations, and proposals that clearly communicate key findings and insights.
• Utilize statistical tools and data visualization software to effectively summarize and present data.

• Recommend and implement enhancements to data management systems and processes.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for all data analysis, management, and reporting activities.

• Analyze and interpret data for institutional and external reporting, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Develop and maintain reports and dashboards to support decision-making across the institution.

• Assist in developing self-service reports and dashboards for institutional stakeholders, enhancing access to accurate data.
• Perform ad-hoc data collection and analysis to meet the needs of various constituents across the institution.

• Manage multiple complex projects concurrently while ensuring timely completion and high-quality results.
• Work independently and collaboratively with team members on data analysis and reporting tasks.

• Maintain documentation of data processes, ensuring transparency and repeatability.
• Propose process improvements to enhance efficiency in data management and reporting.

Typical Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in business, computer science, CIS, economics, statistics, mathematics, or related field required.

• Master’s degree in business, statistics, economics, CIS, computer science, mathematics, student affairs, higher education, or related field preferred.

• Minimum of two years of experience utilizing evaluation and analytic software (for example, Excel, SPSS, Qualtrics, Survey Monkey, etc) required.
• Expertise in Microsoft Excel, including advanced features such as pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data visualization tools, and formula creation (required).
• Expertise in PL/SQL development, including writing and optimizing scripts, stored procedures, and complex queries for enterprise-level systems (required).
• Experience designing and managing Power BI dashboards, reports, and data models with a focus on accuracy, security, and accessibility (required).
• Demonstrated project management experience and attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability in statistical analysis and interpretation
• Demonstrated ability in data presentation
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated proficiency in written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups/populations
• Thorough knowledge of statistics and the ability to understand and analyze qualitative and quantitative information required
• Experience with sophisticated information management tools required
• Experience in data manipulation required
• Advanced proficiency in Excel preferred
• Experience with BANNERLMS preferred
• Experience completing or contributing to IPEDS and other federal reports for National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) preferred.

Special Instructions:

Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our faculty and staff are the university’s most valuable asset, and our goal is to provide a robust Total Rewards Program designed to help them maintain a happy, healthy, and productive lifestyle.

Highlights from UCM's total rewards package for full-time employees include:

• 32% (staff) and 6% (faculty) defined retirement contribution, paid by the university;

• Voluntary Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA) programs (403(b) and 457(b)) that allow eligible employees to make additional pre-tax contributions to a retirement plan;

• Employees can earn up to full tuition (15 credit hours) for themselves per academic year. Full-time employees are also eligible for up to $175 towards non-credit courses each fiscal year. Employees can earn up to full tuition for their dependents;

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans that begin on the first of the month following your date of hire. Basic dental and vision insurance paid at 100% by the university;

• Available Health and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts;

• University-paid basic life insurance (including accidental death and dismemberment) and short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage;

• Generous leave accruals that begin accruing on your start date, plus 14 paid holidays per year.

• The UCM Childcare Center on the Warrensburg campus can provide faculty, staff, and students quality care for their children ages six weeks to 10 years.

• The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) is free for all employees and is located on the Warrensburg campus.

• An Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees and their immediate family members to help assist with personal challenges you may face in your daily life;

• UCM offers an Employee Discount Program through Working Advantage.