Tableau Systems Administrator

About the Role

The Tableau Systems Administrator is responsible for managing and optimizing MBTA’s Tableau Server/Cloud environment, ensuring reliability, performance, and scalability. This role collaborates with cross-functional teams to support data initiatives, data visualization needs, and assists in deploying and maintaining Tableau dashboards. The administrator leads efforts in monitoring, troubleshooting, instilling best practices within Tableau Server/Cloud, and optimizing the overall Tableau ecosystem while ensuring superior data quality.

This position ensures a positive end-user experience, application availability, and addresses conflicts effectively. The role also focuses on developing quality control processes for day-to-day operational objectives, reporting metrics, and solutions metrics for the team.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain Tableau infrastructure, ensuring high availability, performance, and secure access for all users.
• Implement and monitor security protocols, permissions, and user access levels to protect sensitive data.
• Oversee data connections within Tableau Server/Cloud, including database integrations, API connections, and data refresh schedules.
• Ensure data sources are accurate, consistent, and optimized for efficient performance.
• Serve as the primary support point of contact for questions and escalations related to the Tableau environment, including troubleshooting, access issues, and data source setup.
• Provide training sessions to increase user adoption and promote best practices.
• Collaborate with internal IT and data governance teams to enforce security standards and data compliance policies on the Tableau environment, including row-level security, authentication, and permissions.
• Assist with the development of integration process data flows and data mapping analyses.
• Take ownership of Prep flow errors, communicating about them and working to resolve them efficiently.
• Support Tableau Server to Tableau Cloud migration activities, including planning, user acceptance testing, environment validation, post-migration optimization, and coordination with business users, IT Infrastructure, and Security teams.
• Continuously monitor Tableau Server/Cloud for performance issues, manage server health checks, and troubleshoot connectivity or performance-related problems.
• Resolve application and data-related problems regarding systems integration, compatibility, and multi-platform integration.
• Develop and implement key components to create testing criteria for guaranteeing the fidelity and performance of application and data architecture.
• Establish methods and procedures for tracking data quality, completeness, redundancy, and improvement; develop and promote data integration methodologies and standards.
• Work closely with data stewards, data analysts, developers, and business stakeholders to deliver functional solutions that meet business needs, support complex visualizations, and ensure consistent data quality.
• Support a diverse data community to develop analytical BI solutions.
• Assess the usefulness of new technologies and advocate for their adoption.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of experience across the following areas:
  • Business Intelligence (BI) knowledge and exposure from an ETL perspective.
  • Application or Database Production support.
  • Scripting and object-oriented programming languages.
  • Relational database management.
  • Data engineering or a related role.
• Two (2) years of experience as the primary administrator of a Tableau environment.
• Proven experience with Tableau Server to Tableau Cloud migration.
• Proven experience in managing user permissions, implementing security best practices, and configuring data connections within Tableau Server/Cloud.
• Demonstrable experience with data management principles (such as ETL/ELT, data warehousing architecture, query design, cloud services, and performance tuning).
• Proven track record of self-starting and growth in related field(s).
• Developing and maintaining formal documentation that describes data and data structures, including data modeling.
• Superior attention to detail and an ability to think critically and conceptually.
• Team-oriented and flexible with a proven track record in collaborating with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Customer service disposition.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced setting and able to collaborate in a congenial team environment.

Qualifications (Substitutions)

• A High School Diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate degree from an accredited institution with an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field, substitutes for one year of experience.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Five (5) years of experience with MBTA’s technical and data infrastructure.
• Five (5) years of experience working within an application or Database Production support role.
• Five (5) years of experience with scripting and object-oriented programming languages.
• Five (5) years of Relational Database experience.
• Eight (8) years of BI development experience.
• Eight (8) years of ETL/DWH experience.
• Six (6) years of Cloud-based technological experience.
• Proficiency with interactive reporting platforms (Tableau, Power BI, etc.).
• Proven success with documentation of processes, distributing to end-users, and supporting those users.
• Over five (5) years’ experience with advanced data management systems (e.g., Python, R, PostgreSQL, etc.).
• Deep expertise in data modeling and structuring.
• Experience in high-volume data environments.
• Experience with cloud-based technology.
• Experience with systems migration.
• Experience with predictive analytics and data science methodologies.

Job Conditions

• Ability to effectively read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age, except if participating in an approved high school internship/co-op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a diverse workforce team.
• Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co-workers.
• Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and policies of the MBTA, including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
• Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting (unless a current student or recent graduate).
• Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and/or medical Clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screenings.
• Ability to work all shifts and/or locations assigned, directed, or necessary for this position.
• Intern/co-op staff must be enrolled full or part-time in an accredited educational program and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for the entire duration of the internship/co-op. Additionally, interns/co-ops must have valid work authorization and a U.S. Social Security Number prior to starting pre-employment screenings/pre-boarding.