HR Business Intelligence Analyst I / Business Applications Analyst I

MSU Careers Details•East Lansing, MI

1d•Remote

About The Position

Michigan State University is seeking a skilled HR Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst to support the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of HR reporting and analytics solutions that enable informed decision-making across MSU. Working collaboratively with stakeholders, the analyst gathers and translates business requirements, supports report and dashboard development and testing, provides end-user support, and helps ensure data is accessible, accurate, and meaningful. This role contributes to the effective use of HR data by combining business process knowledge, analytical thinking, customer service, and continuous improvement to advance the university's reporting and analytics capabilities. The position will also support MSU HR's continued transition to SAP-based reporting and modern business intelligence capabilities by helping define reporting needs, support new reporting solutions, and assist stakeholders in effectively using new tools and processes. Note: To support a broad candidate pool, this position is being posted at two classification levels. One candidate will be selected and hired into the level that best matches their experience and qualifications. To be considered for both levels, applicants must submit an application to each posting separately.

Requirements

Experience gathering business requirements, documenting functional specifications, and supporting reporting or business application solutions.
Demonstrated ability to perform functional testing, validate data, troubleshoot issues, and coordinate solution implementation.
Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Experience with enterprise reporting tools, data systems, SQL, SAP, Cognos, or similar business intelligence platforms.
Commitment to customer service, continuous improvement, and delivering accurate, user-focused reporting solutions.
Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree business, management information systems, human resources, data analytics, or a related field; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience analyzing business processes or data, performing validation and reconciliation, documenting findings, testing system changes, and assisting with the resolution of data quality or system issues; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience with SAP, particularly SAP HR/HCM data, reporting, or business processes.
Familiarity with HR data structures and business processes, including Personnel Administration, Organizational Management, Payroll, Benefits, Time, and related HR functions.
Experience designing or supporting reporting dashboards and data visualizations, including predictive and prescriptive analytics.
Experience translating business questions into reporting requirements, metrics or data visualizations.
Experience developing Functional Design Specifications (FDS).
Experience developing and executing structured test scenarios.
Experience using TDX or similar service management platforms.
Experience using Jira for defect tracking or issue management.
Familiarity with SAP or Cognos reporting environments.
Experience writing SQL queries for validation or testing.
Strong communication, documentation, and organizational skills.
Experience in higher education or complex enterprise environments.

Responsibilities

Partner with stakeholders to gather, analyze, and document business requirements for HR reporting and analytics solutions.
Translate business questions into functional specifications and maintain detailed Functional Design Specifications (FDS) to support report and dashboard development.
Develop and execute test plans, test scenarios, and validation activities to ensure reporting accuracy and alignment with business requirements.
Support the development, testing, and deployment of reports, dashboards, and analytics solutions across SAP, Cognos, QM4, and SQL-based reporting environments.
Contribute to the design and enhancement of reporting dashboards and data visualizations that help stakeholders understand HR data, trends, and key performance indicators.
Identify, document, and coordinate resolution of reporting issues and defects in partnership with technical teams using Jira.
Serve as a primary resource for reporting-related questions, service requests, and troubleshooting support for end users.
Assist with reporting administration activities, including report security, access management, and scheduled reporting processes.
Develop user guides, training materials, and documentation that improve reporting adoption and user effectiveness.
Support ad hoc reporting requests and help stakeholders access meaningful data to inform operational and strategic decisions.
Support the transition to SAP-based reporting by helping stakeholders understand reporting capabilities and assisting with the implementation and adoption of new reporting solutions.
Contribute to process improvement initiatives that enhance reporting intake, testing, documentation, and deployment practices.