Senior Student Affairs Systems Lead

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Work type: Staff
Location: San José
Categories: Unit 9 - CSUEU - Technical Support Services, Probationary, Full Time, Information Systems & Technology

The Senior Student Affairs (SA) Systems Lead serves as a technical leader responsible for the design, development, implementation, and ongoing support of enterprise web-based applications, websites, and database systems supporting the Division of Student Affairs. This role provides advanced technical expertise, data reporting, and electronic communications system support to multiple campus units, the broader university community, and external partners.

The incumbent leads the full lifecycle of complex application development efforts, including requirements analysis, system design, development, testing, and deployment. They evaluate and recommend technology solutions, contribute to system and software procurement decisions, and ensure alignment with business needs and institutional priorities.

Operating both independently and in a leadership capacity, the Senior SA Systems Lead manages complex technical projects, guides cross-functional teams, and develops innovative, scalable solutions to address multifaceted challenges. This role requires strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, as well as the ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences.

The position functions at a level comparable to external consultants, enabling the university to maintain in-house development expertise, increase operational flexibility, and optimize costs, while delivering high-quality, reliable technical solutions across the Division of Student Affairs.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for the design, development, and implementation of fully integrated IT systems, including client applications, server-side components, databases, and supporting services for multiple campus units.
• Provide project management for team initiatives, improving task coordination and ensuring clear visibility and status reporting for stakeholders.
• Oversee project plans, timelines, and vendor relationships to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery of system releases.
• Communicate project goals, timelines, best practices, and expectations to stakeholders and team members.
• Provide technical analysis, recommendations, and support for the planning, development, and implementation of projects across the Division and campus units.
• Ensure all applications comply with established security and accessibility standards and policies for SJSU and the CSU.
• Partner with university stakeholders to ensure alignment with departmental requirements and prevent conflicting initiatives.
• Analyze and address critical business issues, gather requirements, and develop use cases.
• Establish and maintain environments that enable secure, accessible data and information with appropriate access controls.
• Build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, serving in an advisory role to leverage data for performance improvement and university-wide strategic planning.
• Develop and document clear, comprehensive plans, roadmaps, and communications for business users, technical staff, and IT teams.
• Ensure adherence to IT policies and standards to maintain consistency across the SJSU campus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Expert knowledge of software development methodologies, programming languages, and industry best practices
• Expert ability to apply and interpret standards and guidelines, and to recommend new procedures, protocols, and standards as needed
• Expert analytical and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize and coordinate large, complex, and strategic software development, system integration, and migration projects
• Expert communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts and influence stakeholders and management on design and development decisions
• Demonstrated ability to develop, test, and debug web applications within secure, networked environments
• Ability to communicate design and implementation decisions effectively to project teams
• Ability to provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentorship to junior programming staff
• Strong knowledge of modern programming languages, design methodologies, web development frameworks, and tools
• Experience with project management methodologies, tools, and techniques
• Ability to design, specify, develop, and implement complex, multi-environment web-based applications
• Ability to research, evaluate, and apply appropriate web technologies to support internet-based applications and services
• Strong collaboration and active listening skills, with the ability to synthesize and communicate complex technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences

Required Qualifications

• Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field; additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required…