Applications Analyst

Howard University•London, ON

4d•$74,772 - $82,249•Onsite

About The Position

The Applications Analyst will be a pivotal member of the University Affiliate Research Center (UARC) DevOps Team, serving as the primary technical bridge for a consortium of nine academic institutions. This role is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of strategic applications that facilitate government-contracted research and development (R&D). The Analyst ensures that researchers across all nine schools have access to integrated, high-performance software solutions. The role involves assessing diverse institutional needs, managing vendor relationships for specialized research tools, and ensuring that all applications meet stringent federal security and data-handling standards. The Applications Analyst has end-to-end responsibility for the consortium's application ecosystem. This includes assessing the unique software requirements of research teams across nine schools, researching and recommending vendor-based solutions (e.g., modeling, simulation, and data analysis tools), and developing custom integrations where necessary. The Analyst acts as a central coordinator, ensuring that new applications are seamlessly integrated into the UARC’s secure Azure environment and that cross-institutional training and communication are handled effectively.

Requirements

Strong understanding of application architecture, API integration, and database management (SQL, NoSQL).
Minimum 2+ years of experience with Python or JavaScript for application customization and automation.
Familiarity with deploying and maintaining applications within an Azure environment.
Ability to navigate the complexities of a nine-school consortium, reconciling different institutional IT policies and user needs.
Ability to translate complex technical requirements into actionable plans for non-technical research faculty and government sponsors.
Knowledge of secure coding practices and federal data protection standards (FedRAMP/CMMC).
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, or a related field.
2+ years of experience in applications analysis, system integration, or software support.
Must be a U.S. citizen due to U.S. Export Control laws and regulations.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a higher education research environment or a government-contracting context is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Provide advanced technical support and troubleshooting for strategic applications used across the nine-school consortium, ensuring minimal downtime for critical research projects.
Collaborate with faculty and PIs from all member institutions to document functional and technical requirements for new R&D software.
Design and implement data bridges between disparate institutional systems and the central UARC repository to facilitate secure data sharing.
Evaluate and manage third-party software vendors, focusing on tools that support aerospace, defense, or high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
Develop custom web interfaces, APIs, and automation scripts (using Python or JavaScript) to enhance the functionality of off-the-shelf research tools.
Ensure all applications adhere to UARC security protocols, including NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliance for sensitive research data.
Create and deliver training materials and technical documentation tailored for a multi-institutional user base.
Conduct regular application audits to ensure software is performing optimally within the UARC’s Azure cloud infrastructure.