Research System and Business Analyst

Department: Office Rsrch Innov and Econ Impact

Classification: Info Technology Spec 2

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Workplace Type: Remote Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 05

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is responsible for establishing and nurturing a dynamic environment which will maximize external funding for research, scholarly, and creative pursuits while ensuring that the University's financial, contractual, and regulatory exposures are minimized. OSP provides guidance and support to the university community in its research efforts and creates an administrative environment which fosters the creative process and ensures protection of the University's financial and contractual obligations.

About the Position:

The Research System and Business Analyst position for the Research Administration Management Portal (RAMP) in the Office of Sponsored Programs handles the functional, technical, and business management for the Huron Research Suite (HRS), which is a Software as a Service (SaaS) system. This includes performing ongoing system monitoring, testing, and maintenance; serving as the primary daily support for the system to provide guidance to users and resolve any issues that arise; coordinating and following up on issues with the vendor support team; and maintaining all system documentation, business processes, and training resources. This position works closely and collaboratively with the OSP team, PIs, unit administrators, ITS, and central offices on these tasks.

Responsibilities:

• Supports the research administration system, serving as a key resource in system analysis, ongoing maintenance, testing, and modification;
• Performs regular system analysis to translate technical and business requirements into functional specifications;
• Continually monitors system and conducts regular technical and functional system testing to validate performance and usability;
• Develops, coordinates, executes, and validates test plans for software upgrades, modifications, and new features to verify effect on existing features and functions and ensure desired results are achieved to meet business needs;
• Contributes business process expertise and solutions to users aligned with system functionality to meet and enhance business needs and user requirements;
• Identifies changes needed to system and explores feasibility;
• Reviews system data for accuracy, and ensures integration feeds and processes run accordingly, working to resolve any issues identified;
• Develop, validate, and maintain various reports generated within system;
• Serves as the primary customer service contact for help tickets and customer support requests with troubleshooting system;
• Provides functional assistance and solutions to business problems, working with users to diagnose, review, and resolve incidents.;
• Identifies issues that need to be communicated, posts user alerts, and assists with implementing temporary “workarounds” when system issues effect operations;
• Determines causes of unusual occurrences, and applies standard practices to implement solutions;
• Escalates problems for resolution as needed, collaborating with vendor partner through vendor support system;
• Manages ticketing systems and follows-up regularly on unresolved issues;
• Keeps track of all system expirations and certificates and coordinates needed updates;
• Regularly assigns and updates user roles/permissions and maintains/updates all system settings;
• Regularly reviews business processes to ensure alignment with delivered system functionality to maximize utilization of system and streamline procedures;
• Maintains and updates business process documents for users and other technical and functional system documentation as changes occur;
• Collaborates with various subject-matter experts to assess system needs and identify required outcomes;
• Consults with users and collects feedback regarding system to define additional business needs;
• Works with team to review and prioritize requests;
• Assists with keeping all system training materials and guides updated as system enhancement and business process changes occur to facilitate enhanced system understanding;
• Clearly communicates any system updates and changes in a timely manner to team for dissemination to users;
• Provides input for regular communications as it relates to system;
• Assists with user training and demonstration of system as needed; and
• Serves as a flexible resource for the team, assisting with other assigned tasks and special projects as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Business, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Considerable experience with Huron Research Suite (SaaS) functionality;
• Considerable experience with system integrations/bulk imports;
• Considerable experience documenting business processes in alignment with system requirements;
• Considerable experience researching and resolving functional/technical system issues and managing system roles;
• Considerable experience creating system requirements documentation and reports, and conducting thorough system testing;
• Knowledge of Huron Research Suite functionality;
• Ability to articulate clearly with excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to work in a team environment, build and maintain collaborative relationships, and provide high-quality customer service;
• Ability to anticipate and identify problems and take necessary actions to resolve;
• Ability to analyze and identify system business needs of the organization and proactively respond with effective solutions, creating a bridge between the functional and technical sides of the system;
• Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate data;
• Ability to work independently under general direction of a supervisor;
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Adobe;
• Other attributes include possessing high standards of accuracy and a strong attention to detail, being highly organized, and having strong time-management and prioritization skills;
• Candidates must be:
  • (i) a citizen of the United States;
  • (ii) a person who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States (a "Green Card" holder);
  • (iii) a person who is a "protected individual" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3); or
  • (iv) a person who is otherwise able to become generally eligible to receive unclassified technical data pursuant to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.”

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters/Advanced degree in IT, business, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA);
• Prior experience with sponsored research administration;
• Prior experience in a university setting;
• Prior experience with enterprise-wide systems such as Banner;
• Prior experience with DocuSign, email catcher, SSL Certificates, SSO, LMS such as Cornerstone, CITI, Smartsheet, proposal submission systems such as Grants.gov and eRA Commons;
• Knowledge of sponsored research administration policies and procedures and the effects on system/end-user operations;
• Knowledge of research administration management systems, both functional and technical; and
• Ability to interpret university, federal, state, and sponsor rules and regulations as it is applied to sponsored project management and apply/translate to understandable system/business processes.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Research System and Business Analyst at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: December 8, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  January 9, 2026

Open Until Filled:  Yes