Systems Administr ator & Business Analyst
Department: Information Technology/ Business Systems
Location: On -Site Niagara Falls, Ontario
Employment Type: Full Time
Reports To: IT Director
Innovation Flows Here.
Officially opening its doors in 2024, the University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF) is an innovative and digitally oriented institution that prepares graduates for leadership in the digital world. We believe in delivering programs that provide a direct pathway to meaningful careers in high-demand industries. UNF is part of the Global University Systems Canada group of institutions and Global University Systems, an international network of higher education institutions.
Our location
Our campus is located in historic downtown Niagara Falls. Beyond being Canada’s #1 travel destination, Niagara Falls is a small vibrant city that offers up a slice of metropolitan living at a different pace. From world-class dining and entertainment options to luxury shopping and cultural experiences. Our location offers the amenities of a large urban centre within a comfortable, liveable community.
Position Summary
The University of Niagara Falls Canada is seeking an experienced Systems Administrator & Business Analyst to support the administration, optimization and continued development of the university's Ellucian Colleague student information system and related enterprise systems.
This is a hybrid role that combines two complementary skill sets. As a Systems Administrator, the incumbent keeps Colleague and its connected systems secure, reliable and well-maintained - owning configuration, upgrades, access, monitoring, backups and integrations. As a Business Analyst, they work directly with operational teams - particularly the Registrar's Office and Finance - to understand business needs, improve processes, gather and document requirements, and translate them into practical system solutions, reports and enhancements.
It is a hands-on, dual-skilled position requiring strong technical and system-administration capability alongside solid business-analysis and process-improvement skills, plus the stakeholder engagement to serve as a key link between institutional departments, internal IT, external vendors and Ellucian.
Key Responsibilities
System Administration
- Administer, configure and maintain Ellucian Colleague and related enterprise systems, including application, environment and integration layers.
- Manage system upgrades, patches, testing and release management across development, test and production environments.
- Provision and manage user accounts, roles, permissions and security in line with institutional policy.
- Monitor system performance, availability, capacity and data integrity; proactively identify and resolve issues.
- Administer backups, recovery and business-continuity processes for supported systems.
- Maintain system documentation, configuration records and technical standard operating procedures.
- Coordinate incidents, changes and scheduled maintenance with internal IT, Ellucian and third-party vendors.
- Develop and maintain scripts and automation to streamline administrative and operational tasks.
Business Analysis
- Partner with university departments to elicit, analyze and document business and functional requirements.
- Map current-state processes, perform gap analysis and design improved workflows supported by Colleague.
- Translate operational requirements into functional specifications, system configurations and technical solutions.
- Facilitate requirements-gathering and design sessions and manage stakeholder expectations.
- Plan and coordinate system testing, including preparing test cases and leading user acceptance testing (UAT).
- Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve efficiency, accuracy and service delivery.
- Develop process maps, standard operating procedures, user documentation and training materials.
- Ensure system processes support institutional policies, regulatory requirements and operational best practices.
Registrars office & Student Records Support
- Provide dedicated support for student records, registration, enrolment, course scheduling, academic standing, grading and graduation processes.
- Assist with the development and optimization of Registrar workflows and reporting requirements.
- Support data-quality initiatives relating to student records and academic information.
- Help resolve complex student-record and registration issues requiring technical intervention.
- Support integrations and projects involving academic records, scheduling and student-lifecycle management.
Finance Support
- Support the Finance team with Colleague processes relating to student accounts, tuition, fees, payments, refunds, financial reporting and reconciliation.
- Develop and maintain financial reports and operational dashboards.
- Assist with integrations involving payment platforms, banking systems and other financial applications.
- Support Finance with process improvements, system testing and issue resolution.
- Work with Finance and Registrar teams to ensure consistency between student, enrolment and financial data.
Reporting, Analytics, & Dashboards
- Design, build and maintain operational reports, executive reports and dashboards.
- Work with stakeholders to define reporting requirements, data definitions and performance indicators.
- Develop automated reporting processes to reduce reliance on manual spreadsheets.
- Support institutional data governance and ensure reports are accurate, consistent and appropriately secured.
- Assist leadership and operational teams with timely access to reliable information for decision-making.
- Collaborate with analytics teams to support live dashboards and institutional reporting requirements.
Systems Integration & Project Support
- Support current and future integrations between Ellucian Colleague and other institutional systems.
- Participate in the planning, design, testing and implementation of new applications and integrations.
- Develop and maintain data extracts, interfaces, APIs and scheduled data-transfer processes where required.
- Coordinate with vendors and internal teams to ensure integrations are secure, reliable and properly documented.
- Provide technical support for strategic institutional projects involving student, academic, financial or operational systems.
- Participate in requirements gathering, testing, implementation planning and post-launch support.
Stakeholder Engagment & Training
- Act as a key technical and functional resource for Colleague users across the university.
- Build strong working relationships with department leaders, subject-matter experts and system users.
- Facilitate requirements-gathering sessions and translate business needs into practical solutions.
- Provide training, guidance and knowledge transfer to staff.
- Develop user guides, training materials and technical documentation.
- Communicate system changes, risks, issues and project progress clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Data Governance, Security & Compliance
- Support the accuracy, completeness and consistency of institutional data.
- Ensure appropriate access controls, security practices and privacy requirements are followed.
- Assist with audit requests, compliance reporting and data validation.
- Identify and address data-quality issues in collaboration with relevant departments.
- Support the development of institutional standards for system use, reporting and data management.
Qualifications
- Postsecondary degree or diploma in information technology, computer science, information systems, business systems or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience administering and supporting Ellucian Colleague in a postsecondary education environment.
- Solid system-administration experience - configuration, upgrades and patching, user and access management, monitoring, backups and environment management.
- Strong business-analysis experience - requirements gathering, process mapping, gap analysis, functional specification and user acceptance testing.
- Strong understanding of student information systems and higher-education business processes.
- Experience supporting functions such as student records, registration, finance, admissions or academic operations.
- Experience developing reports, dashboards, data extracts and operational analytics.
- Experience with system integrations, APIs, data interfaces or middleware.
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to bridge technical and non-technical audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with multiple Ellucian Colleague modules, particularly Student, Finance and related administrative functions.
- Experience with Ellucian reporting and analytics tools.
- Knowledge of SQL, database concepts, data warehousing or business-intelligence tools.
- Experience with Power BI or comparable dashboard and visualization platforms.
- System-administration experience with Windows / Linux servers, scripting (e.g. PowerShell or Python) or scheduled-job management.
- Familiarity with CRM, learning-management, payment, scheduling or document-management integrations.
- Experience participating in an Ellucian Colleague implementation, migration or major enhancement project.
- Knowledge of Canadian postsecondary reporting, privacy and regulatory requirements.
- Business-analysis (e.g. CBAP / CCBA), ITIL or project-management certification would be considered an asset.
Key Competencies
- Strong technical, system-administration and analytical capability.
- Ability to understand both technical systems and operational business processes.
- Service-oriented and responsive approach.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and system reliability.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work independently.
- Collaborative approach to working with academic, administrative and technical teams.
- Ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
- Strong documentation, requirements and organizational skills.
- Commitment to continuous improvement and institutional effectiveness.
Success Measures
- Reliable, secure and effective operation of Ellucian Colleague and related systems.
- Improved support for the Registrar's Office, Finance and other university functions.
- Reduction in manual processes and system-related operational issues.
- Accurate, well-documented requirements translated into effective system solutions.
- Timely delivery of accurate reports and dashboards.
- Successful implementation of integrations and system enhancements.
- Improved data quality, documentation and user adoption.
- Positive feedback from institutional stakeholders.
Application process
Interested candidates are invited to submit an application, using ONE document that includes a cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae (CV) including evidence of teaching experience and scholarly accomplishments, and teaching portfolio (if applicable), as well as the names of three references. A single PDF document is preferred. Note: file maximum of 5MB per attached upload.
Use of AI Disclosure
University of Niagara Falls Canada (UNF), UNF is committed to a fair and transparent recruitment process. While AI tools assist us in identifying and communicating with candidates, applications are reviewed by our dedicated Talent Acquisition team to ensure a thorough evaluation of all candidates.
We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where all individuals have an equal opportunity to succeed. We comply with all relevant laws and regulations in Ontario and adhere to the highest standards of ethical hiring. We are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring that all data collected during the recruitment process is handled with the highest level of confidentiality.
Diversity, inclusion, and equity
UNF is strongly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusivity within its community and especially invites applications from all qualified candidates. Racialized persons / persons of color, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas are encouraged to apply.
We recognize that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, UNF will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
We will accommodate the needs of the applicants and the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the selection process, please advise jobs@unfc.ca to ensure your accessibility needs are accommodated through this process. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
We appreciate all applications received; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
We are situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Hatiwendaronk and Anishinaabe peoples. We also acknowledge the many other First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who call this region home.
We commit to building relationships based on respect, reciprocity, and reconciliation as we work, learn, and gather on this land. Furthermore, we acknowledge that the Niagara Region is situated on treaty land, and we stand with all Indigenous peoples, past and present, in promoting the wise stewardship of the lands on which we live.
Learn more about the University of Niagara Falls Canada at our website .
