Information Systems Specialist

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) is committed to equity in employment. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to establishing a qualified workforce that is reflective of the diverse population we serve. The UCDSB is committed to providing accommodations [for people with disabilities]. If you require an accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs. This would be facilitated upon receiving an interview and would be done by contacting Human Resources at askuchr@ucdsb.on.ca .

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week - Monday to Friday. 8:30 am-4:30 pm with a 1 hour unpaid lunch.

JOB SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Team Lead, Information Systems, the Information Systems Specialist (ISS) is responsible for providing functional support, developing training curriculum and resources, delivering end user training workshops either in-person or via Skype, troubleshooting and reporting of bugs/issues, arranges and oversees system testing and configuration of the Board’s enterprise student information system.

The ISS is also responsible for facilitating the Ministry of Education’s OnSIS reporting processes. The Software Analyst supports processes and training services to ensure the enterprise student information system meets the needs of the organization and is compliant with Ministry of Education regulations. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Education and software vendor(s), the Software Analyst implements, supports and communicates to schools the processes for the Ministry’s reporting requirements that are essential to ensuring compliance, audit and control procedures are in place to secure annual Board funding and ensure student information is effectively managed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum 3-year community college diploma in an Information and Technology related discipline.

Minimum of two years’ experience and knowledge of managing and supporting an enterprise student information system. Knowledge of Ministry of Education reporting practices, business rules and compliance requirements are considered an asset.

SKILLS REQUIRED:

In-depth knowledge and experience managing and supporting an enterprise student information system.

Thorough knowledge of the Ministry of Education reporting practices and business rules as they relate to student enrolment and achievement - e.g.attendance registers, report cards, OnSIS, student transcripts, diploma and SHSM requirements, and student assessments, evaluations and reporting.

In-depth knowledge of Ministry of Education guidelines - e.g. OSR, registers, report cards, EQAO, e-Learning, OnSIS Ministry reporting.

In-depth knowledge of other data related funding and audit components - e.g.program, student support services, student success.

Experience developing custom SQL reports and queries to extract data from the student information system for reporting and analytical requirements.

Demonstrated ability to take initiative, plan, prioritize, and execute multiple projects that must be completed simultaneously and adhering to strict deadlines and providing immediate end user support to stakeholders.

Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Demonstrated ability to deliver excellent client/customer service to stakeholders and clients at all levels.

Demonstrated ability to effectively comprehend manuals and technical documentation to interpret and analyze both functional requirements and technical configuration details from a variety of sources.

Ability to learn new systems, processes and attend training/courses/professional development as required - e.g. new versions of the enterprise student information system, application server software.

Ability to adapt to changing conditions, and implement and train new technologies - e.g. OnSIS Ministry reporting framework.

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strict deadlines- e.g. Ministry Reporting, Report Cards, EQAO, OCAS and OUAC submissions.

Demonstrated experience developing training resources and curriculum to plan training for various employee groups.

Excellent presentation skills related to delivering workshops and training sessions to groups of employees either in person in a classroom, one-on-one setting or online training.

Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and work in a team environment

Advanced knowledge of desktop applications including MS Office for data conversion - e.g.complex formulae in Excel, xml, CSV files required for data manipulation and analysis.

Ability to maintain confidentiality - e.g. student assessments, suspension/expulsion reasons, medical and special education notes.

Strong administrative and organizational skills.

Excellent writing skills to develop complex information and documentation regarding the requirements of the MOE.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provides technical, functional, Ministry guideline support and training for the enterprise student information system to teachers, principals, office administrators/assistants and guidance counselors.

Administers established data collection and data entry standards and ensure accuracy and integrity of the data.

Prioritize and manage support for elementary, intermediate and secondary schools, business staff and teaching staff.

Analyze and interprets Ministry and Board business functions and processes and communicate to end users.

Ensures procedures are adhered to and provides consultative services and solutions to meet the reporting, compliance, and operational requirements of business units:HR, Finance, Planning, Transportation, Special Education, Student Success, Program, and other levels of Board Administration as it relates to student enrolment, staffing, student success, French program, in support of contractual obligations and negotiations, and requirements of the Ministry of Education.

Coordinates and facilitates the collection and submission of all data required to comply with OnSIS (Ontario School Information System) requirements of the Ministry of Education.

Prepares, directs, and assists the Board and schools with the electronic submission of data and facilitates the audit and reporting process to final sign-off.

Provides expertise and liaison for all staff involved in OnSIS processes including Finance, Planning.Failure to comply with Ministry requirements can result in reduced, or lost, funding for the Board.

Facilitates the Ministry’s OnSIS reporting process by collaborating with Ministry and software vendor and, in turn, developing and implementing school and Board processes and training to ensure compliance.This includes review and sign-off of technical specifications and standards which meet the needs of the Ministry and Board policies and guidelines.

Manages, configures, customizes, and monitors the enterprise student information system configuration to ensure the configurations accurately reflects operational and functional requirements - e.g. setup and configure system codes, Incident Management, Graduation Planner, Report Cards Standards, SHSM, courses.

Ensure the student information (approx. 20K+ students) is accurately managed and maintained by performing regular data integrity checks on student data within the student information system.

Maintains confidentiality of student information as it relates to privacy policies

Coordinates installation and upgrades of the enterprise student information system with data, infrastructure and application teams.

Evaluates new releases of the enterprise student information system software, liaisons with the software vendor and recommends cost-related enhancements to the Supervisor for approval; develops test plans for new releases of the application.

Communicates to all users the enhancements, requirements and modifications of the enterprise student information system software updates.

Develops data extracts, end user reports using SQL tools, Direct Database Export (DDE), Direct Database Administration (DDA), and Report Works.

Supports and configures the user management, security classes and assignments for the enterprise student information system.

Liaise with and provides timely electronic submission of data to the various outside organizations - e.g. Ontario Health Units, Ontario University Application Centre, Ontario College Application Centre, and EQAO - and internal departments - e.g.HR, Program, Finance

Co-ordinates, develops and provides training/workshops for all modules of the enterprise student information system to all levels of Board staff - e.g. PowerSchool, Gradebook, PowerTeacher, PowerScheduler.

Attends conferences, seminars, meetings and workshops related to key responsibilities of the enterprise student information system

May be asked to present at the enterprise student information system user group meetings.

Attends weekly conference calls with the student information system vendor and bi-weekly calls with the Ontario consortium Boards.

Demonstrates good attendance and work in a healthy and safe manner.

Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION:

Supervision is not a requirement of the job.

There may be a requirement to train and support end users on how to perform tasks within the enterprise student information system and ensure deadlines are met for critical reporting processes.

EFFORT REQUIRED (PHYSICAL & MENTAL):

Ability to work under high pressure situations associated with meeting time sensitive deadlines and complying with Ministry of Education reporting requirements.

Work requires light manual effort and physical exertion - e.g. prolonged sitting, walking, and/or standing.

Ability to focus on multiple important tasks simultaneously.

Intense listening concentration required to diagnose problem and problem solving - e.g. troubleshooting, analysis, report development, system configuration.

High degree of mental concentration.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Generally agreeable working conditions such as those found in offices or equivalent work areas with practically no exposure to disagreeable conditions.

Work with constant interruptions from staff and external contacts - e.g. email, in-person, meetings, phone calls, and help desk support tickets.

Frequent work outside regular business hours as required

Work requires extended periods working in front of a computer terminal.

High stress environment where deadlines/issues significantly affect successful project can impact enterprise functionality and financial impact on Board funding.

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