Lead Analyst, Advancement Data

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Analyst, Advancement Data is a senior technical and analytical resource supporting the University of Chicago Advancement data systems. Reporting to the Director, Advancement Data, the position collaborates with the Senior Director, Data Strategy and Marketing Technology, Advancement stakeholders, and technology partners to assess system impacts and develop reliable, well-documented solutions. The role combines data architecture and business analysis across the CRM, data warehouse, and connected platforms, translating business needs into technical requirements, supporting data modeling and integration, and documenting system architecture. It works independently across multiple systems and provides technical guidance and mentorship to team members. The position applies established practices and knowledge to develop new and existing systems, solve problems, anticipate evolving business requirements, and identify, design, and implement process improvements, system alternatives, and enhancements. It provides technical leadership on data projects and supports scalable data pipelines and integrations, reliable workflows, and effective resolution of complex data and system issues. The role also evaluates potential uses and limitations of AI and emerging technologies in data workflows in partnership with team leadership. The position is based at 5235 South Harper Court in Hyde Park and follows a hybrid schedule with weekly in-office presence. The working environment is a standard office, with travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business and evenings and weekends as needed. The role is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
At least five years of demonstrated experience managing projects involving stakeholder management, requirements gathering, technical specifications, implementation, and evaluation.
At least five years of experience with enterprise data integration, ETL/ELT processes, data pipelines, and data platforms.
Experience designing and maintaining logical and physical data models across enterprise systems, including CRM, data warehouse, or comparable data environments.
Experience analyzing and troubleshooting complex data or system issues, including root cause analysis, impact assessment, and recommended solutions.
Advanced proficiency in SQL and strong experience with complex data structures, relational modeling, and dimensional modeling.
Ability to learn the University’s internal workings and Advancement technology tools, including Phoenix, the University’s Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System.
Proficiency in a Microsoft Windows environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, including effective listening, speaking, and writing, and the ability to explain complex ideas clearly.
Ability to analyze large data sets and draw conclusions.
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and tact, and to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
Ability to work collegially and collaboratively, take initiative, prioritize multiple projects, and independently follow through with attention to detail.
Ability to communicate technical concepts, requirements, and recommendations effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to work effectively in a rapidly changing environment.

Nice To Haves

Coursework in management information systems, business administration, statistics, computer science, analytics, social sciences, or related fields.

Responsibilities

Design and maintain logical and physical data models across the CRM, data warehouse, and connected systems; identify architecture gaps or conflicts and recommend ways to resolve them.
Serve as the business analyst for Advancement Data by identifying stakeholder needs, translating them into data and system requirements, and performing impact analyses for application maintenance and enhancements.
Design and implement scalable data pipelines, integration frameworks, and management procedures for reliable data flow among Advancement systems and upstream and downstream platforms.
Assess complex or unexpected data and system issues; investigate root cause, business and system impact, urgency, and dependencies; recommend priorities and resolutions; and coordinate with technical and functional teams.
Improve enterprise data workflows through performance enhancements, automation, and other system and process improvements.
Lead documentation of business decisions, system processes, data governance, integration workflows, system architecture, metadata, and operational procedures.
Develop and recommend standards and practices for requirements gathering and documentation, and guide team members in applying them consistently.
Provide technical leadership on Advancement data projects, including solution design, technical analysis and review, issue resolution, and guidance on development and documentation.
Mentor analysts and team members in data modeling, SQL, integration design, requirements gathering, and troubleshooting.
Evaluate opportunities to use AI and emerging technologies in data workflows, assessing value, appropriate use, and limitations in partnership with team leadership.
Liaise among Advancement stakeholders, subject matter experts, and technical partners, including Reporting, ITS, the enterprise data warehouse team, and Systems and Process Improvements; communicate recommendations and technical considerations to leadership as appropriate.
Pursue professional development, build networks within the University and with peer institutions, and contribute to broadening the advancement profession.
Translate business and user needs into system requirement specifications using knowledge of business systems and industry requirements.
Recommend improvements to existing applications and revise existing system logic as necessary.
Design, develop, and implement applications, systems architecture, network systems, and application infrastructures.
Communicate and present system enhancements and alternatives to colleagues in IT management.
Perform other related work as needed.