System Administrator, Colleague

Summary of Purpose Provides configuration, integration, security and vendor management for the College's Colleague SaaS platform and related integrating software. Ensures the College's responsibilities related to application administration, monitoring, performance management, release coordination, and technical debt management are executed effectively. Serves as the primary technical point of accountability for Colleague SaaS operations collaborating with vendors, IT, and business teams. The role requires a strong commitment to service excellence within a multicultural and diverse environment, with a focus on continuous improvement, quality assurance, and effective communication across departments. Typical Duties This description indicates the types of duties and responsibilities of the employee assigned this title. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required: Manages SaaS tenant configuration settings, environment-specific parameters, and application software upgrades (e.g., Insights, Experience) for the Colleague ecosystem and adjacent enterprise systems as assigned. Administers the SaaS tenant environment through Ellucian-provided tools (e.g., Cloud Console); monitors environmental health and triage issues to determine whether root cause lies within the College's environment or Ellucian platform. Configures and maintains third-party integrations (e.g., payment systems, SFTP-based data exchanges) and printing. Supports SaaS reporting infrastructure and adjacent reporting tools (e.g., Insights, etc.) Performs routine SaaS administrative tasks including record unlocks, coordination with Ellucian on special requests, and maintains technical documentation and runbooks for configurations, integrations, and known issues. Monitors Ellucian's release schedule; assesses release notes for functional, integration, and security impact and coordinates regression testing with IT and business teams. Leads patch, release, and extension package coordination with vendors, IT, and business stakeholders — from emergency fixes to scheduled upgrades — ensuring proper impact assessment, notification, and controlled rollout. Escalates and tracks Ellucian support cases, ensuring issues are resolved with appropriate priority and completeness. Participates in technical evaluations of integrating products, assessing administrative, security, and operational impacts. Creates and manages Colleague security classes and roles; implements approved security definitions and handles user account setup and maintenance. Participates in identity management governance and supports security and identity integrations (e.g., Active Directory, SSO). Monitors for security events; supports the NIST framework and assists with security incidents related to Colleague and integrated software. Researches, diagnoses, and resolves application problems; logs, delegates, and provides guidance on work orders and tickets to ensure timely resolution. Collaboratively works with third-party system administrators and Ellucian support teams, ensuring deliverables meet technical requirements, maintainability, and quality standards. Participates in data governance activities and supports data updates that impact the Colleague ecosystem. Applies, enforces, and continuously improves IT standard operating procedures and controls to ensure quality and consistency. Communicates progress, risks, mitigations, and strategic goals to team and management. Supports business continuity and DR planning as it relates to Colleague SaaS, including understanding Ellucian's SLAs, escalation paths, and the College's responsibilities. Proactively identifies opportunities for technical innovation, process improvement, and automation to enhance IT and College productivity and system reliability. Supports additional system administration work beyond Colleague SaaS as business needs and capacity dictate. Performs additional related duties as assigned. Ability to work additional hours as needed. Knowledge and Skills Required Ellucian Colleague SaaS environment, tools, and administration (preferred; minimum is Colleague on-premises experience) Familiarity with Unidata/database concepts as they relate to Colleague data structures Ellucian Ethos API and Ethos Extensions Ellucian Colleague Studio 3.0 — packaging and deployment of SaaS-compatible packages Ellucian Experience UI and Insights Reporting Third-party integration management; SFTP and file transfer protocols (preferred) Active Directory administration and identity/security integrations (preferred) Vendor relationship management and support case escalation Release management, change impact assessment, and project management Skilled in analytical problem solving and technical decision making Effective verbal and written communication across technical and non-technical audiences Able to build constructive relationships at all levels of the organization Committed to service excellence, professionalism, and continuous improvement Microsoft Office suite Minimum Education and Experience

EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree in Computer Information systems or related degree; OR (5) five or more years of position-relevant experience (these experiences may run concurrently with the experience requirements below).

EXPERIENCE

Three (3) years of experience of system administration and database management systems of Ellucian Colleague or equivalent higher education ERP applications. Experience with Colleague SaaS and related Ellucian products preferred. Experience with multi-cultural students and staff preferred.