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• CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

• If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Job Summary

Penn State IT is seeking a Graduate Assistant to support financial data analysis efforts for the Optimized Service Team (OST) initiative. This part-time, remote position (20 hours/week) will contribute to a University-wide effort to evaluate IT services, improve cost efficiency, and support strategic decision-making through data-driven insights.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze financial and operational data related to University IT services and expenditures
• Support data collection, validation, and reporting for OST discovery workshops
• Develop insights to inform Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and IT service improvements
• Identify trends, cost efficiencies, and opportunities for process optimization
• Prepare reports, dashboards, and visualizations for stakeholders
• Collaborate with Penn State IT teams to support ongoing analysis and decision-making

About the Initiative

The Penn State IT Optimized Service Team (OST) initiative is a comprehensive effort to assess and enhance IT services across the University. Through structured discovery workshops and ongoing analysis, the initiative focuses on:

• Aligning IT investments with strategic priorities
• Increasing efficiency and cost effectiveness
• Enabling innovation through improved resource allocation
• Strengthening IT service delivery and continuous improvement through SLAs

Minimum Qualifications

• Current enrollment in a Penn State graduate program

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate study in Finance, Data Analytics, Business, Information Systems, or a related field
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience with Excel and/or data analysis tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Python, R)
• Ability to interpret and communicate data insights effectively
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Additional Information

• Work Schedule: Up to 20 hours per week
• Compensation: $20 per hour
• Work Location: Remote

Why Penn State IT

This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a high-impact, enterprise-wide initiative while gaining hands-on experience in financial analysis, IT strategy, and organizational transformation