WEB SERVICES INTEGRATION SPECIALIST

Job Summary

Acts as a technical and consulting resource to various University departments and units with respect to the planning, implementation, and maintenance of web service systems. Supports the University's academic and administration departments by acting in a functional capacity in all phases of the Project Life Cycle for medium to large projects, including post-production support and ongoing maintenance. Continuously gains an understanding of the University's operations and processes and how systems are used in support of those operations. Ensure that the internal and external customer perspective is a driving force behind decisions and activities. Follow service practices that meet customers’ and University needs, and interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the University.

Purpose and Key Functions.
•    Design, develop, implement, and evaluate functional specifications for a variety of complex University web services technology systems. 
•    Lead the ongoing design and support of web and web services technology and related environments.
•    Critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, decompose high-level information into details, abstract up from low-level information to a general understanding, and distinguish user requests from the underlying true needs.
•    Participate in negotiations with suppliers to discover options and acquire the most cost-effective solutions for technology requirements.
•    Elicit requirements using interviews, document analysis, requirement workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, business analysis, and task and workflow analysis. 
•    Evaluate work product to ensure adherence to established functional and operational specifications.
•    Conduct in-depth client interviews to determine business process flows and rules.
•    Perform advanced levels of analysis, problem solving and research skills to formulate solutions to complex business needs. 
•    Design, implement, and document support processes, procedures, and mechanisms that inter-connect heterogeneous web service systems in support of the integration of processes and data flow.
•    Gather and compile information to create reports and graphs for capacity planning, and performance metrics.
•    Investigate, evaluate, compare, and demonstrate new hardware, software and cloud products which could enhance the University’s computing, information processing, and network environment.
•    Deliver workshops and demonstrate new technologies to campus staff as web services are being implemented.
•    Integrate web services to improve user experience and data sharing.
•    Prepare technical specifications and requests for quotes from suppliers and requests for proposals.
•    Act as an on-site team lead responsible for planning, coordinating, and scheduling work assignments to ensure the completion of assigned projects.
•    Develop success criteria and risk assessments for projects and changes.
•    Review web service systems, processes, and information and provide recommendations to supervisor.
•    Work independently with users to define concepts.
•    Communicate project, issue, and system status updates to others. 
•    Communicate testing results to other stakeholders.
•    Facilitate effective dialog between user community and technical staff.
•    Design, develop, and maintains a faculty wide e-commerce system.
•    Estimates time and resources required to cost projects. 
•    Conduct feasibility studies and cost-benefit analyses for new and existing project solutions and translate technical flow into business terms. 
•    Conduct a variety of calculations and analyses to estimate system requirements for projects. 
•    Analyze web server logs to determine security breaches and implements corrective measures.
•    Provide advice to others regarding web application systems and strategies.
•    Provide technical assistant to individual user groups, user support, and operational staff in the introduction and development of specialized web services.
•    Accountable for the clarification, rationalization and documentation of project requests.
•    Serve as the primary contact point with the user community. 
•    Utilize the appropriate control tools to coordinate projects according to Project Management Office methodologies.
•    Develop, implement, and document best practices to align with departmental and University strategies and processes.
•    Collaborate with developers and subject matter experts to establish the technical vision and analyze tradeoffs between usability and performance needs.
•    Conduct gap analyses.
•    Ensure that projects meet specified functionality requirements.
•    Liaise with computer vendors, other institutions, and associated computer user groups as a means to maintain communication between all parties involved in technical projects and day-to-day operations.
•    Undertake projects such as performance monitoring and capacity planning to monitor the overall reliability and effectiveness of the computing systems and information processing architecture including storage area networks.
•    Assist with the development of project proposals and estimates.
•    Resolve problems in the test, production implementation, and post-implementation phases in coordination with other technical and business groups.
•    Liaise between the technology and support teams.
•    Facilitate effective dialog between user community and technical staff.
•    Follow a test script and document defects.
•    Read and understand a complex project plan and develop simple project plans.
•    Remain current with relevant web service delivery methods and methodologies.
•    Remain current with security policies and procedures and work with System Administrators to implement security changes.
•    Remain current with regular changes to hardware and software upgrades and changes.
•    Work collaboratively with others to achieve departmental and institutional goals. Actively participate as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals. 
•    Remain current with security policies and procedures and work with System Administrators to implement security changes.
•    Provide lead hand supervision and is responsible for the quality and quantity of work of others.