System Administrator (Planning)

The Role

Leads system administration and technical support for the Community Planning Division, including (but not limited to) software solutions in current or future use for tracking development applications. With support from ITS, provides critical technical operations support, maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting. Supports planning and implementation of software and upgrades, enhancements, dashboards, and reports. Provides user support to divisional and corporate staff.  

Duties/Responsibilities

• Leads coordination and planning related to the implementation and ongoing administration, optimization, and upgrades of a development application tracking system and electronic plan review system.
• Coordinates with external vendors and corporate ITS for system installation, configuration, testing (pre and post), troubleshooting, validation, end-user training, and rollout phases of technical deployments.
• Leads and administers system changes, system testing (including test scripts), move to production steps, and post-production support.
• Troubleshoots and escalates system issues, and notifies management, users, and ITS when appropriate. Liaises with vendors to obtain price quotes and resolve operational system issues. Initiates, tracks, and ensures issue resolution.
• Addresses system integration issues with support from ITS and external vendors.
• Identifies requirements for system upgrades/enhancements and optimisation in consultation with management, users, and vendors. 
• Analyzes current operations; evaluates related software applications and modules; and liaises with corporate ITS and vendors to develop and modify existing applications as appropriate.   
• Performs business analysis and process reviews and makes recommendations to senior management regarding system improvements.
• Designs and develops reports and dashboards using corporate reporting tools.
• Analyzes client and business requirements, and develops technical specifications and designs to incorporate business needs. Creates and maintains issue-tracking documents, and compiles resolutions as appropriate. Recommends solutions in consultation with ITS, and provides clients and staff with work plans, statements of work, and cost/benefit analyses. Informs project stakeholders and management of project status, risks, problems, and contingency plans.  
• Monitors vendor costs, time, quality, and resources used and takes action where performance deviates from agreed service levels and/or tolerances.
• Ensures system project deliverables are completed within agreed cost, timelines, and resource budgets, and are formally accepted by appropriate stakeholders.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Maintains documentation for support processes, business continuity, and system configuration.
• Leads work of contractors, vendors, consultants, and project team members on system projects as appropriate. Provides technical support and training to divisional and corporate staff.  
• Advises system users regarding application and system availability, performance, and user experience. Resolves application-related issues with support of corporate ITS and/or vendors, where required.
• Contacts and exchanges information with vendors, external agencies, and other levels of government. Establishes protocols and mechanisms for data exchange between the Region and private and public sector organizations.
• Complies with ITS policies and procedures (e.g., security, data management, system implementation, integration). Communicates regularly with ITS and escalates issues as required. Supports ITS by testing and troubleshooting major upgrades/ changes to corporate systems and applications managed by ITS.  
• Performs related duties as assigned. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are acquired through a 3-year university degree in computer science or a community college diploma in computer systems technology, plus 3 years of progressively responsible related experience in system development lifecycle processes and system administration. 
• Knowledge of database languages, operating systems, development tools, and automation processes. 
• Knowledge and understanding of system security, data protection and system integration methods, data management and reporting tools, and operations best practices. 
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and related legislation, including corporate ITS governance model and policies, and vendor service agreements.  
• Knowledge of and ability to apply security best practices, technology standards and information technology methodologies, including system naming conventions, database normalization and documentation requirements, to allow the Division to maintain control of data and their structures.
• Ability to ensure system specifications do not contravene established ITS policies or procedures.
• Experience in application configuration.
• Knowledge of reporting tools and GIS principles.
• Proven technical skills to develop and maintain high performance integrated solutions to meet complex application requirements.  

Additional Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Communication skills to provide technical support and troubleshooting and recommend improvements to existing systems.
• Explain complex technical information to staff with varied degrees of technical knowledge.
• Present technical training and information seminars. 
• Participate in meetings and exchange information with ITS staff, management, vendors, and contractors.
• Meet with clients to determine system requirements.
• Participate to resolve conflicts related to choice of technologies and participate as an effective team member.
• Ability to prepare reports, project plans, statements of work, work structure breakdowns, and documentation.
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region. 
• May be required to adjust schedule to work some evenings when systems are not in use and requested to work some weekend hours for same.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.