Senior Research Solutions Architect

Department

Provost URA: Research Finance

About the Department

University Research Administration (URA) has the responsibility to review and provide institutional endorsement for all proposals to federal and other external sponsors (excluding gifts), assuring compliance with University policies and sponsor terms and conditions. URA is the institutional authority for the negotiation and acceptance of financial support or other contractually binding obligations in the form of a contract, grant, or agreement, including material transfer agreements and clinical trials.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director, Research Finance, the Senior Research Solutions Architect defines technology solutions that satisfy the needs of URA business by analyzing business requirements, evaluating existing systems, and proposing optimal architectures, process and workflow to solve business challenges. The Senior Research Solutions Architect acts as a bridge between business needs and technical capabilities with internal and external stakeholders in support of the UChicago research ecosystem. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of Oracle Cloud and research administration systems.

The job leads cross functional teams in the development of new and existing systems. Solves complex problems and anticipates evolving business requirements to identify, design, and implement appropriate process improvements, systems alternatives, and/or enhancements to current systems.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement technical solutions by developing an understanding of research related business functions and challenges, translating complex requirements into effective designs that align with enterprise strategy and standards. 

• Propose optimal business processes and implementation plans that prioritize cost-effectiveness, performance, scalability, reuse, security, and operational efficiency.

• Oversee the full lifecycle of solution implementation projects, providing technical leadership and mentorship. 

• Serve as a subject matter expert for University Sponsored Projects (USP) in Oracle Project Portfolio Management (PPM).

• Develop a monitoring system to manage USP transactions and budgets in PPM and coordinate University units to regularly resolve transaction issues in advance of period close.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, business stakeholders, and vendors to manage expectations and ensure alignment with enterprise policies and standards. 

• Analyze existing business processes to identify and recommend improvements based on industry trends and professional knowledge. 

• Provide transactional leadership and functional support as required including: proactive review or unprocessed costs; accounting exception errors throughout the open period; monitor USP budgets across units and report on overspending and other issues; and GL reconciliation.

• Lead Project Managers in the divisions/departments to process corrections (Ex. Project extensions, cost corrections).

• Serve as a liaison between business users and IT teams, ensuring clear communication and understanding of requirements and solutions.

• Create and maintain clear documentation to successfully communicate proposed solutions to all stakeholders. 

• Facilitate workshops, meetings, and training sessions for end-users to ensure optimal utilization of Oracle PPM functionalities.

• Participate in system upgrades, testing, and deployment activities, including writing and executing test scripts and implement configuration changes as required.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop workplan, gather requirements and test report builds.

• Enhance training and operational procedures to drive increased efficiency and productivity. 

• Manage stakeholder expectations by effectively communicating complex technical concepts and addressing concerns 

• Coordinate between the Office of the Provost and Unit financial managers to build a comprehensive understanding of the University's portfolio.

• Utilizes expertise and a thorough understanding of business systems and industry requirements to translate business and user needs into system requirement specifications.

• Communicates and presents on system enhancements and/or alternatives to colleagues in IT management.

• Performs other related work as needed. 

Minimum Qual