DevOps Engineer

Position Summary

The DevOps Engineer is responsible for overseeing the selection, implementation, maintenance, and support of enterprise software applications used within the administrative and academic functions of Anne Arundel Community College. The DevOps Engineer must architect and maintain systems and data integrations, ensuring appropriate security and access controls are applied, using AACC-adopted industry best practices.
This position involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to facilitate software evaluation and selection, oversee software implementation and integration, manage software lifecycle, enhance collaboration and communication, uphold security and compliance standards, drive automation initiatives, and manage cloud services, all while maintaining comprehensive documentation. This role plays a crucial part in ensuring the effective utilization of technology to enhance the overall educational experience and operational efficiency within AACC.
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is committed to enriching the educational experience it offers through the diversity of its faculty, administrators, and staff members. The college seeks to recruit and support a broadly diverse team who will contribute to the college's excellence, diversity of viewpoints and experiences, embrace concepts of equity and inclusiveness, and support the equal rights of all people by advancing the understanding and appreciation of differences including age, race, gender, ability, religious convictions, socio-economic status, ethnic heritage, or sexual orientation.
While we appreciate your interest in employment with Anne Arundel Community College, applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for any position.
In the best interest of the College, only individuals who are residents of Maryland or one of the following states will be eligible for employment at the college: Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia or the District of Columbia. The college will annually review this restriction and, if appropriate, expand the list of states of employment eligibility.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Integrations Framework Architecture
Architect integrations infrastructure that ensures robust and agile integration capabilities, aligning with the dynamic needs of the higher education industry and AACC.
Design seamless authentication processes and security controls within integrations while maximizing automation opportunities.
Develop an integration strategy that aligns with AACC business goals and objectives and create an architecture that cultivates reusable integrations.
Utilize data and systems integrations methods that are designed to be future-proof.
Software Selection and Evaluation
Serve as a project technical lead, collaborating with academic departments, administrative units, and IIT teams to identify software needs and evaluate third-party software solutions that align with AACC goals and requirements.
Conduct thorough assessments of potential software applications, considering factors such as integration capabilities, functionality, scalability, security, and compliance.
Make software purchasing and decommissioning recommendations.
Implementation and Integration
Plan and oversee the implementation of selected third-party software applications, working closely with IIT teams, vendors, and stakeholders to ensure successful deployment.
Coordinate the integration of new software with existing systems, databases, and platforms to optimize data flow and user experience.
Third-Party Software Lifecycle Management
Oversee the entire lifecycle of third-party software, from evaluation and selection to deployment and ongoing maintenance.
Collaborate with vendors and internal development teams to optimize and streamline third-party software processes.
Stay current on industry trends and advancements in higher education technology to recommend updates, upgrades, or replacements for existing third-party software applications ahead of business and educational needs.
Retire or replace outdated or redundant software, ensuring a seamless transition to new solutions.
Security and Compliance
Develop systems and integrations using a security-centric approach. Collaborate with cybersecurity and compliance teams to ensure that third-party software applications adhere to data privacy regulations, security standards, and AACC policies.
Provide support for security assessments and audits of third-party software to mitigate potential risks.
Automation
Identify opportunities for automation in software deployment, testing, and other processes.
Implement automation solutions to improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention.
Cloud Services
In partnership with Infrastructure Services, manage and optimize cloud infrastructure to support software applications and services, as applicable.
In partnership with Infrastructure Services, implement cost-effective solutions and optimize resource utilization in the cloud environment.
Documentation and Reporting and Support
Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including user guides, technical specifications, and troubleshooting resources, to assist users in utilizing third-party software effectively.
Generate regular reports on software usage, performance, and user feedback to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
Database and Applications Administration & Support
Provide administrative support for third-party applications, including applications database administration.
Provide ongoing technical support and troubleshooting assistance to users, addressing issues promptly and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
Collaboration and Communication
Build and foster collaboration between key IT and functional areas of the college, as related to Enterprise Applications Services. Key areas include, but are not limited to, Enterprise Applications Services, Infrastructure Services, Technology Support Services, Project Management, IDEAL, BFRO, LSS, LRM, and Learning.
Facilitate effective communication to align with IIT’s Strategic Technology Roadmap and AACC’s Strategic Plan.
Other duties as assigned by the Team Leader, Database & Environment Management and Director of EAS.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Educational Technology, or a related field (Master's degree preferred).
Minimum of five years' post-secondary education experience or relevant work experience; Proven experience in software selection, implementation, integration, and support, with the ability to adapt to evolving technology trends and learn new software applications quickly.
Experience architecting data and systems integrations. Demonstrate strong knowledge of software integration techniques and best practices.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including proficiency in documentation and report generation.
Experience designing systems to meet data privacy regulations, security standards, and compliance requirements; Familiarity with data privacy regulations, security standards, and compliance requirements in higher education.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings, weekends and college-closed periods, to accommodate the needs of the college. Must be accessible by cell phone as requested.

Preferred Qualifications:

Administration and/or integration experience with enterprise applications in the AACC portfolio such as Colleague, Canvas, Experience, Recruit, Perceptive Content, Azure, Salesforce, Tableau, ChromeRiver, Benelogic, PageUp, Unimarket, Sharepoint, Fischer, Destiny One, Accalog, Curriculog, HelioCampus, Unimarket, ConvergePoint, Timeclock Plus, R25, ODS, Informer, TDX.
Experience with integration technologies frequently used in higher education such as Ethos, Intelligent Learning Platform (ILP), Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and other technologies that enable an integrated system that includes ERP, LMS, collaborative tools, and data analytics.
Preferred Certifications (any): CIAM, ITIL, CISSP, CISM, AWS (Certified DevOps Engineer, Certified Solutions Architect), Azure administration or development certifications
PMP certification or project management experience, effectively planning, executing, and monitoring software-related initiatives is preferred.
Working knowledge of ISO, CMMI, NIST or other nationally and internationally recognized standards and maturity models. Experience with change management processes to effectively communicate changes, develop testing and remediation plans to minimize side effects of hardware and software changes.
The DevOps Engineer plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful integration, adoption and utilization of third-party software applications that enhance the administrative and educational processes within AACC. This role requires highly technical expertise, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within higher education.