Posting Details
Posting Summary
Logo Posting Number STA00692PO26 Job Family Operational Analysis Job Function Business Intelligence USC Market Title Data Engineer Link to USC Market Title https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/212246 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 USC 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 USC
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 USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. 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 USC 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 https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/213077 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.
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
- Do you have at least 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?
Yes
No
- I understand that this position is expected to maintain an on-site work schedule at our downtown Columbia, SC campus.
Yes
No
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- List of References and Contact Information
Optional Documents