Institutional Data Engineer

Posting Details

Posting Summary

Logo

Posting Number
STA00692PO26

Job Family
Operational Analysis

Job Function
Business Intelligence

Market Title
Data Engineer

Link to Market Title
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Job Level
P3 - Professional

Business Title (Internal Title)
Institutional Data Engineer

Campus
Columbia

Work County
Richland

College/Division
Division of Information Technology

Department
IT Enterprise Applications

State Pay Range
G11

Market Range
MRJ - $78,441 $98,051 $117,662

Anticipated Hiring Range
$78,441 - Salary is commensurate with experience

Location of Vacancy
On-site in Columbia, SC

Part/Full Time
Full Time

Hours per Week
37.5

Work Schedule

• Standard working schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, with 1 hour for lunch.
• Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the Division of IT.

Basis
12 months

Job Search Category
Information Technology

About

About University of South Carolina

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor's degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service - helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Veterans' Preference Statement

The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

Benefits for FTE Positions

The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.

Position Description

Advertised Job Summary

Shape the Future of Data Analytics at One of America's Most Beautiful Campuses

Join the University of South Carolina in Columbia, the vibrant capital city of one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. As we revolutionize our digital landscape, we are seeking an experienced Institutional Data Engineer to join our Analytics and Data Governance team within the Division of Information Technology. Help us transform South Carolina's flagship campus into a nationally recognized hub for innovation and data-driven excellence.

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference while working with evolving technologies and solving challenging problems in a collaborative environment.

The Institutional Data Engineer serves as a technical expert responsible for designing, developing, maintaining, and optimizing the University's enterprise data infrastructure, integration processes, and analytical data environments. This role integrates data from multiple enterprise systems, develops and maintains data pipelines, supports data quality and governance initiatives, and enables reliable institutional analytics and reporting for the University of South Carolina and its extended campuses.

Key responsibilities

• Provide scalable and reliable access to institutional data.
• Improve data accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Modernize the institution's analytics capabilities.

What We're Looking For

• Strong problem-solving and communication skills; works well across distributed teams.
• Demonstrated proficiency in data engineering technologies and processes (e.g., SQL, relational databases, ETL/ELT technologies, data warehousing)
• Brings strategic vision and operational excellence to IT service delivery.
• Thrives in a collaborative culture where curiosity and innovation are valued.

Why Join Us?

• Join a collaborative team that supports innovation and service-oriented technology solutions.
• Solve data challenges that have meaningful institutional and system-wide impacts.
• Help shape the university's analytics capabilities, data-informed culture, and institutional decision-making.

Perks of the University of South Carolina

• Join a major public research university with opportunities to work on complex, meaningful technology and data initiatives.
• Collaborate with talented professionals across the university system.
• Enjoy a professional environment that emphasizes innovation, continuous learning, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Work in a role that offers opportunities to contribute to the strategic and operational success of the university.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Requires a bachelor's degree in a job-related field and 3 or more years of job-related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job-related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, Information Systems, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Strong proficiency in ETL tools (e.g., IBM DataStorage, Informatica, SSIS) and BI tools (e.g., Cognos, Tableau, PowerBI), including recommended configuration and security practices in hardware and cloud-based server environments.
• Strong proficiency in SQL for data querying, transformation, and optimization.
• Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, or PostgreSQL.
• Familiarity with data warehouse concepts and dimensional modeling.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with keen attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience working in a higher education or public sector environment.
• Experience working with enterprise data systems (e.g., HR, Finance, Student Information, Learning Management) and large-scale institutional datasets.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Knowledge of higher education data structures, business processes, and institutional research methodologies.
• Ability to follow directions and communicate effectively with colleagues and supervisors. Ability to collaborate across distributed, cross-functional teams.

Job Duties

Job Duty

Data Engineering and Integrations

• Serve as a subject-matter expert, leading enterprise-wide data engineering and integration projects and initiatives as directed
• Design, develop, and maintain enterprise data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and system integrations, and automated workflows supporting institutional reporting and analytics.
• Work in partnership with data architects to set technical standards, architecting and optimizing enterprise data models, data warehouses, curated datasets, and database objects that provide scalable, secure, and reliable access to institutional data.
• Create and optimize database objects, views, stored procedures, and integration solutions to improve system performance and scalability.
• Monitor and enhance data architecture to ensure efficient and reliable access to institutional data.
• Support integration of data across the Columbia campus and university system institutions to promote consistency and comparability of reporting

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
30

Job Duty

Data Quality and Integrity

• Implement data validation, reconciliation, and quality assurance processes to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of institutional data.
• Identify, investigate, and resolve data discrepancies across source systems, reporting environments, and analytical datasets.
• Develop automated monitoring processes and exception reporting to proactively detect data quality issues.
• Collaborate with data stewards and functional offices, recommending, establishing, and maintaining data standards and business rules.
• Support institutional efforts to improve enterprise data governance and data stewardship practices.
• Maintain system documentation, process documentation, technical specifications, and metadata.

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
30

Job Duty

System Maintenance and Support

• Maintain and support enterprise data platforms, reporting databases, and data integration environments.
• Monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and implement corrective actions to ensure reliability and availability.
• Perform routine maintenance, upgrades, testing, and deployment activities for data infrastructure and integration processes.
• Respond to technical support requests related to institutional reporting and analytics systems.
• Assist with change management practices, backup procedures, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning related to institutional data systems.

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
20

Job Duty

Service Innovation

• Research, evaluate, and recommend emerging technologies, tools, and methodologies that enhance institutional analytics and data management capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve operational efficiency.
• Participate in the development of innovative reporting, dashboarding, and self-service analytics solutions.
• Support modernization initiatives involving cloud technologies, advanced analytics, and data platform enhancements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts that increase the effectiveness of institutional data services.

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
10

Job Duty

Collaboration and Requirements Gathering

• Partner with institutional research, information technology, academic units, administrative offices, and campus stakeholders to understand business needs and reporting requirements.
• Serve as a technical expert, guiding strategy and technical solutions for institutional needs.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams and working groups focused on institutional data initiatives.
• Translate functional requirements into technical specifications and data solutions.
• Provide consultation and technical guidance regarding data availability, structure, and reporting capabilities.
• Support training and knowledge-sharing activities related to institutional data resources, mentoring junior engineers and technicians across the system.

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
5

Job Duty

Other Duties

• Perform other duties assigned by the AVP for IT Enterprise AI, Data, and Research Computing, the Director of Institutional Data Analytics, or your supervisor in order to support the strategic and operational needs of the division, university, and university system.
• Participate in professional development activities and maintain awareness of emerging trends, regulations, and recommended practices.
• Support university committees, working groups, special projects, system-wide initiatives, and executive requests as needed.

Essential Function
Yes

Percentage of Time
5

Position Attributes

Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.

Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive
No

Hazardous weather category
Non-Essential

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies
3

Desired Start Date

Job Open Date
09/17/2026

Job Close Date
10/31/2026

Open Until Filled
No

Special Instructions to Applicant

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

We are only accepting applications submitted by October 31, 2026.

The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities

Click here to learn more about why you should work at USC.

Quicklink for Posting
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EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.