Business Systems Analyst Intermediate

Michigan Housing is an actively engaged unit within Student Life Auxiliary Services in the Division of Student Life. It serves approximately 11,500 students—9,100 undergraduate and 2,400 graduate/professional students and their families—across 19 residential facilities, including residence halls, apartments, and other living options on north and central campuses in Ann Arbor. In Fall 2026, five new residence halls and a dining facility will open, expanding capacity by 2,300 undergraduate students. The Operations department manages housing occupancy, applications, contracts, transition logistics, community centers, and parking permits with a team of 23 full-time staff and over 200 student staff.

About the role

The Business Systems Analyst (BSA) administers the housing management system, StarRez, which supports critical functions such as assignments, occupancy management, billing, and integrations with university data systems. This role partners with Student Life Technology Solutions to apply technology to solve business problems, improve existing processes, and implement new ones. The BSA documents workflows, creates process maps, and identifies gaps in operations and technology. Through data analysis and modeling, the role supports the strategic direction of campus housing and has a dotted functional reporting line to Student Life Technology Solutions.

Responsibilities

• Application Specialist (50%)
  • Manage the ongoing optimization and administration of the enterprise housing management system (StarRez), including assignments, occupancy management, billing, and integrations with campus data systems.
  • Provide project management and process analysis oversight for current and future housing initiatives in partnership with Student Life Technology Solutions.
  • Act as the primary point of contact and relationship owner with the housing management system vendor; participate in peer communities of other institutional users.
  • Design and implement custom processes and procedures through analysis of current systems.
  • Manage and prioritize change requests.
  • Serve as a housing liaison with university departments to ensure high-quality, responsive, and effective service to students and staff.
  • Manage access and permissions to the housing management system.
  • Develop training manuals, coordinate staff training, and maintain reference documentation for processes and business continuity.
  • Provide direction, guidance, and in-house support for end-user concerns.
  • Ensure system features meet stakeholder needs; test and evaluate software upgrades; maintain system integrity and reliability.
  • Create custom forms and reports.
  • Manage user configuration and groups.
  • Document requests for application enhancements or integrations with other systems.
  • Triage service issues and initiate communications with vendor support.
  • Act as a liaison to Student Life Technology Solutions for support escalations or project requests.
• Business Analysis and Reporting (40%)
  • Analyze workflows, data collection processes, regulatory requirements, and reporting needs to translate business requirements into technical specifications for cross-functional projects.
  • Assess current state, define desired future state, and identify projects to achieve future goals.
  • Review housing business processes to identify improvements and bridge gaps between business operations, IT, and student-facing services.
  • Document processes and coordinate business operations with partners (e.g., Student Life Business and Finance).
  • Analyze operational data and financial reports to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Identify and create innovative solutions to complex housing problems in partnership with Student Life Technology Solutions.
  • Design testing scenarios to validate applications, functions, and processes.
  • Provide recommendations during solution development to meet Housing’s business needs.
  • Collect requirements for dashboards to provide relevant information to different user levels.
• Administrative Duties (10%)
  • Provide analysis and requirements for data exchanges between systems (e.g., data warehouse into Housing).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, a computer-related field, or equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Two years of professional experience performing business/workflow analysis, developing detailed business and functional requirements, creating scope documents, or standardizing operating procedures.
• Experience with relational database structures (e.g., Oracle, MSSQL, MySQL, or equivalent enterprise-level databases).
• Experience developing complex business reports.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.

Qualifications

• Four years of professional experience performing business/workflow analysis, developing detailed business and functional requirements, creating scope documents, or standardizing operating procedures.
• One year of experience writing and/or conducting user acceptance testing.
• Understanding of project management functions, including creating and maintaining deliverables such as project scope, plans, status reports, cost estimates, communication plans, and milestone schedules.
• Experience analyzing unfamiliar business processes or performing root cause analysis to identify problems and opportunities.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, handle and prioritize simultaneous requests, and manage laterally and upwards.
• Knowledge of University of Michigan information systems (e.g., StarRez, Wolverine Access, Advocate, CS Gold).

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, team-oriented environment.
• Effective interpersonal, communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills when working with colleagues at all levels.
• Strong time management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to diversity and a solid understanding of and appreciation for cultural, ethnic, and individual differences.

Working Conditions

• On-site work required at multiple sites on the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor campus.
• Some nights and weekends may be required.
• Extensive computer and phone use required; may be required to be stationary for long periods.