Analytics Engineer

University of Pennsylvania

About The Position

The Analytics Engineer serves as a critical technical architect within the Advancement Prospect Analytics department, transforming complex institutional data into actionable intelligence. This role bridges the gap between raw data infrastructure and frontline fundraising strategy by designing, building, and maintaining robust data products within a modern cloud-based stack. Leveraging Snowflake for data warehousing and Salesforce NPSP for relationship management, the incumbent engineers seamless data integrations that empower 18 schools and central DAR staff to identify and engage Penn’s most impactful prospects. This position emphasizes a full-stack development philosophy, utilizing GitHub for version control and peer review, Asana and JIRA for agile project management, and Qlik Cloud, Snowflake and Posit Connect for deploying dashboards and predictive models to support the University’s sophisticated fundraising campaigns.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience data engineering, systems analysis, or a related technical field or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Demonstrated proficiency in Snowflake SQL and advanced relational data modeling.
Proven experience with Git/Version Control workflows and managing complex task dependencies in Asana or JIRA.

Nice To Haves

Technical Stack: Experience with Salesforce NPSP (Non-Profit Success Pack) and architecting schemas specifically within a Snowflake environment.
AI & NLP: Experience using LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, or open-source equivalents) for AI-driven text processing and analytics.
Programming: Proficiency in R or Python for data mining, statistical inference, and predictive modeling.
Domain Knowledge: Understanding of the Higher Education "Advancement" lifecycle, including Prospect Pipeline management, Annual Giving, and Major Gifts.
Core Competencies: Technical Rigor: Strong command of Data Integration, CI/CD for analytics, and database reporting structures.
Communication: Exceptional ability in Stakeholder Management and Requirement Gathering; able to explain technical concepts to non-technical fundraisers.
Strategy: Demonstrated expertise in process redesign and systems analysis with the ability to quickly learn and apply emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

Systems Architecture & Data Engineering Lead the design and implementation of scalable, automated data pipelines between Snowflake, Salesforce, and external data sources.
Develop and optimize complex SQL queries, views, and associated middleware to ensure data integrity and high performance across the advancement ecosystem.
Architect data models and transformation layers that translate raw data into strategic fundraising tools and actionable insights.
Development Workflow & Governance Establish and maintain best practices for code management using GitHub, including branching strategies, pull requests, and documentation-as-code.
Ensure all analytical scripts (SQL, R, Python) are versioned, audited, and recoverable.
Implement CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) principles for analytics to ensure reliable, tested, and automated deployment of data models.
Project Management & Stakeholder Engagement Act as a technical project lead by utilizing Asana and/or JIRA to track milestones, manage backlogs, and communicate project health.
Coordinate requirements gathering for long-term strategic initiatives, translating complex business needs into technical specifications and transparent project timelines.
Advise DAR users on the planning, selection, and implementation of data solutions to address specific business requirements.
Advanced Analytics & AI Maintain deployment of visualization tools and statistical environments in Qlik, Snowflake and Posit.
Leverage LLMs (proprietary or open-source) for text processing, such as analyzing donor contact reports or automating prospect bios.
Monitor application health and provide high-level technical support to users across 18 University schools and centers.

Benefits

Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare.
You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis.
Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year.
In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility.
Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities.
From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff.
Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments.
Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.