Systems Analyst - Department of Epidemiology

Position Specific Summary:  Responsible for the design, installation, configuration, administration, security, operational integrity, and support of stand-alone and networked computer systems and servers, including installation and maintenance of software for the Iowa Cancer Registry. This position performs routine administrative tasks related to the operations of the Iowa Cancer Registry and collaborates with other IT staff across the University of Iowa, state of Iowa, and elsewhere in support of the College of Public Health and the Iowa Cancer Registry.

Key Areas of Responsibilities/Specific Job Duties and Tasks

Analysis and Design    

•    Evaluate technology and tools and recommends buying decisions for the Iowa Cancer Registry in the College of Public Health.
•    Analyze existing procedures, information requirements, and hardware and software requirements for computer applications related to the cancer surveillance and research work of the staff at the Iowa Cancer Registry.
•    Design and maintain servers and workstations used in the support of activities necessary to Iowa Cancer Registry operations.
•    Design new systems, including both hardware and software applications. 
•    Create storage growth projections, security requirements, backup and recovery procedures to satisfy grant proposal requirements.
•    Work collaboratively to maintain the College of Public Health virtual cluster.
•    Evaluate and maintain the appropriate hardware firewall (currently the CISCO ASA series) so that Iowa Cancer Registry data can be housed according to the requirements of the NCI/SEER contract.

Implementation (Installation, Configuration, Integration)    

•    Assist with systems administration tasks such as hardware setup and upgrades, software upgrades, system backups, and preventive maintenance on College of Public Health servers and firewalls.
•    Assist the CPH team with maintaining automated operating system and software update patching structure, including the development of scripts and software configurations for all College of Public Health workstations and servers.
•    Work collaboratively to manage, maintain, and monitor virtual cluster system upgrades and patching, and configuration backups.
•    Configure and maintain CISCO ASA firewalls, including configuration backup procedures and migrations during hardware upgrades. Monitor logs and modify firewall rule sets as needed and maintain documentation.
•    Initiate and implement the site-to-site transfer of electronic pathology data in collaboration with the technical staff of facilities across Iowa and the Iowa Cancer Registry electronic pathology collection team. Create and maintain testing and production environments, secure data transfers, quality assurance processes, and production deployment.
•    Maintain, configure, and manage the SolarWinds Managed File Transfer (MFT) system for secure data transfer between the Iowa Cancer Registry and multiple groups both within and outside the UI, including CPH research graduate students, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, the Iowa Health Information Exchange, out of state registry data exchanges, public laboratories, and Iowa providers, hospitals, and other facilities.
•    Develop and maintain a secure environment for Iowa Cancer Registry servers and data, including the management of file system access control lists, firewalls and IP security protocols.
•    Work collaboratively to maintain collegiate backup/restore servers, including the performance and monitoring of backups.
•    Develop, manage and maintain Iowa Cancer Registry software licensing and asset management databases.
•    Maintain, configure, and integrate various services with PostgreSQL to support Iowa Cancer Registry research studies and core data operations.

Documentation    

•    Write, maintain, and audit documentation relating to Iowa Cancer Registry servers and server administration processes.
•    Maintain documentation regarding the virtual cluster and associated firewalls.  
•    Write, maintain, and audit documentation concerning Iowa Cancer Registry workstation best practices and security.
•    Assist in the writing of cost authorization (COA) documentation for budgeted and non-budgeted purchases, as needed. 
•    Assist in the development of cost estimates and service agreements for administrative and research projects.

Support    

•    Provide direct user support on hardware, software, and connection issues for the staff of the Iowa Cancer Registry.
•    Support end users from other colleges, as well as users external to the University, in technical issues involving electronic data capture for the Iowa Cancer Registry, Collegiate services, and research projects.
•    Troubleshoot complex hardware/software problems and initiate appropriate action for correction. This includes maintaining laptop or desktop systems located at the campus office of the Iowa Cancer Registry as well as the remote work locations in Iowa and other states of Iowa Cancer Registry staff. 
•    Support and maintain all systems that are involved with the electronic pathology data collection at the Iowa Cancer Registry, including Postgres SQL database running on RedHat Enterprise Linux server.
•    Maintain and extend automation of Active Directory security groups and e-mail distribution lists according to the business requirements of the College.
•    Support Active Directory security groups and Amazon IAM users, groups, and policies for user rights delegation and system access. Maintain security by implementing principle of least privilege (PoLP) in access granted to users and systems.
•    Provide on call support for critical issues and complex problems.
•    Monitor uptime of critical services and configure alerts for issues which may impact operations.

Relationship Management (Vendor/Customer)    

•    Interface directly with hardware and software vendors at the University, collegiate, and Iowa Cancer Registry levels.
•    Serve as a mediator between end-users and product vendors. 
•    Communicate with end-users regarding pertinent system changes within the College and the Iowa Cancer Registry.

Leadership  

•    Participate in University-wide campus communities such as the IT Admins, Linux Admins, and AWS Users Group.
•    Provide the technical front-end aspects of the Iowa Cancer Registry electronic pathology (epath) data collection efforts in collaboration with the Iowa Cancer Registry epath team. 
•    Participate in the planning process for developing operating procedures, guidelines, and policies at a collegiate level and within the Iowa Cancer Registry.
•    Collaborate with peers across the University and College of Public Health to find ways to enhance research and IT services in the Iowa Cancer Registry.
•    Identify shifting trends in technology and align with forward thinking strategies.

Position and Application Details: 

This position is eligible for remote work within Iowa and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.  

To be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a “Relevant File” to the submission: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter 

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended. 

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. 

For questions, contact Michele Hogue at michele-hogue@uiowa.edu 

Benefits Highlights: This is a regular, salaried position. Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans. Complete information regarding the full benefits package may be viewed at: Benefits | University Human Resources - The University of Iowa (uiowa.edu) 

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Systems Analyst 
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific 
• Schedule: Full-time position 
• Work Modality Options: Hybrid within Iowa

Compensation 

• Pay Level: 3B