Careers in Informatics
The following list includes a few job titles that Informatics students could expect to hold with their degree.
Business Analyst
Salary: 45-55K
- Description:
- The Business Analyst role supports business systems. In addition, this role will support the design, development, and implementation of process improvements related to business and reporting systems. Successful candidates will understand complex business applications and evaluate how current systems are being used to meet business requirements. This roll will also support the business with reliable systems support and will apply proven communication, analytical, and problem solving skills.
- Responsibilities:
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- Assist Business Application users to troubleshoot issues and find resolutions
- Collaborate with the business users to define requirements for enhancements to the enterprise system
- Document existing enterprise software processes and procedures
- Manage and coordinate change requests to the current business systems
- Provide system monitoring of scheduled jobs and support issues; proactively identify issues and coordinate resolution
- Help resolve issues between requirements and technical constraints
- Ensure data accuracy and reliability
- Provide updates to users on new functionality to the current business systems
- Provide support for Security Administration of business applications
- Work on team to develop and support new reporting solutions in response to changing business needs
- Support internal users on the functional use of the ERP applications
- Ensure issues are identified, tracked, reported on and resolved in a timely manner
- Qualifications:
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- Demonstrated familiarity with business analysis methodology
- Proven analytical and process management skills in addition to technical aptitude
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Ability to learn on the fly and deal with ambiguity in an ever-changing environment
- Teamwork and collaboration with peers and business partners
- Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks and meet aggressive deadlines
- Experience creating and mapping workflow processes
- Ability to collaborate with individuals to accomplish common goals
- Experience working with relational databases
Database Administrator
Salary: 50-65K
- Description:
- The Database Administrator is responsible for day-to-day support of corporate database needs. This includes content management, CRM, ERP, internal and external facing databases. The Database Administrator will report to vairous level stake holders.
- Responsibilities:
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- Design, implement, and optimize database for corporate needs
- Develop database scripting for automation between different applications
- Troubleshoot database issues
- Planning dataflow for a new or revised database
- Considering both 'back end' organization of data and 'front end' accessibility for end users
- Refining the 'logical design' so that it can be translated into a specific data model
- Further refining the 'physical design' to meet system storage requirements
- Maintaining data standards, including adherence to the Data Protection Act
- Meeting users' access requirements and resolving their problems
- Ensuring that storage, archiving, backup and recovery procedures are functioning correctly
- Working closely with IT project managers, database programmers and web developers
- Qualifications:
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- Knowlege of database systems including Oracle, SQL, and DB2
- Knowledge of database procedural programming
- Extensive experience and knowledge on interaction and integration between database and application
- Hardware installation, troubleshooting, and repair experience
- Eager to learn new skills and technologies
- Good communication and customer service oriented skills
- Flexibility in a fast changing business environment
- Willingness to participate in all levels of IT operations projects
- Dependable and able to meet deadlines consistently
- Experience with programming languages: Java, C#, C/C++, or .NET
Web Developer
Salary: 50-80K
- Description:
- Web developers design applications and scripts for the World Wide Web using a variety of Internet programming languages. They usually handle all the programming and scripting that makes Web pages interactive or allows users to interact with back-end applications such as databases. The duties of web developers are distinct from those of web designers, web copy editors, and web content creators, who are responsible for creating the textual and visual content of websites.
- Responsibilities:
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- Design and program world-class on-line systems
- Assist business units by refining requirements in support of architectural and technical capabilities
- Define, document, and communicate technical requirements for current and next-generation systems
- Ability to create accurate resource estimates for development based activities
- Define, develop, release, manage, configure , and test software applications
- Assist in the creation of a new development methodology paradigms
- Maintain accurate procedures and technical documentation
- Provide maintenance, and technical escalation assistance for development problems
- Qualifications:
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- Experience in C#, C/C++, Java, ASP, ASP.NET, XML, and Content Management Systems systems
- Must be self-motivated and able to work in a fast-paced environment
- Working knowledge of project management and software development lifecycle
- Strong knowledge and programming experience with develop environmentsWorking knowledge of project management and software development lifecycle
- Knowledge of Databases and IIS
User Interaction Designer
Salary: 45-60K
- Description:
- Interaction Designers work on a wide variety of projects, from critical applications used across the entire company to informational sites tailored to the needs of individual product teams. You'll be involved throughout the process, including brainstorming about what projects should be taken on, interviewing users and fleshing out requirements, designing and mocking up alternatives, conducting user testing, and consulting throughout implementation.
- Responsibilities:
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- Apply user-centered design methods to create relevant, high-quality web-based user interfaces
- Contribute to defining the future of information design on existing and new web sites
- Evolve CSS design for existing web sites
- Create visual design elements and information design for complex template-driven dynamic web sites
- Interact with product management, marketing, information technology and engineering teams to support product launches and marketing programs
- Lead task flow analysis and UI walk-throughs with business and technical team members
- Produce prototypes and detailed user interface specifications
- Keep skills and knowledge up-to-date in fields of human-computer interaction, interaction design, visual design and information architecture
- Ability to understand how product design, interaction design, graphics and technology work together to produce an integrated user experience
- Qualifications:
-
- Experience in visual design and information architecture in a software development environment
- Experience designing for template-based, data-driven web sites or web applications
- Strongly grounded in principles of visual design, information design, composition, color and typography
- Ability to learn and understand technical network security concepts that are important to the customer
- Expert in use of design and prototyping tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator/Freehand, Dreamweaver, Homesite and Flash
- Strong experience with standards-based CSS as it relates to information design
- Must demonstrate creative and innovative approach to design
- Skill in communicating design ideas and presenting to clients
- Ability to work quickly under short deadlines wuth a willingness to follow a Contextual Design process
- Work in a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary team environment
User Research
Salary: 45-60K
- Description:
- The User Researcher plans, designs and conducts user research studies for a sophisticated suite of visualization and document processing products. You will lead research efforts by applying user-centered research principles and techniques to the discovery, definition, design and evaluation of new products, displays, and interactions.
- Responsibilities:
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- Work with complex software tools for legal, business, or consumer products
- Conduct research with the aid of complex computer hardware, software, and lab/testing equiptment
- Compile test results with qualitative and quantitative data
- Ability to focus and multi-task in a time-sensitive environment
- Understand client-side web technologies including browser support
- Conduct ethnographic research, heuristic evaluations, usability testing, benchmark testing, competitive evaluations and questionnaire/survey design
- Develop creative approaches to researching complex user experience problems
- Conduct research early in the product development process, with a proven record of informing the product direction and strategy
- Qualifications:
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- Solid foundation in research-based design using both quantitative and qualitative methods
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Experience with research best practices and technology
- Enjoys working independently
- Can travel as needed for customer visits and other research tasks
Network Engineer
Salary: 60-80K
- Description
- A network engineer is responsible for installing, maintaining and supporting computer communication networks within an organisation or between organisations. Their goal is to ensure the smooth operation of communication networks in order to provide maximum performance and availability for their users. Network engineers may work internally as part of an organisation's IT support team or externally as part of an IT networking consultancy firm working with a number of clients.
- Responsibilities:
-
- Interface with external carriers and vendors on Activation and Provisioning Architecture
- Interface with our network vendor partners to jointly define system requirements, interfaces and architectures for WiMAX 802.16e ASN/CSN profiles including evolving applications and services
- Manage Core Network Component Vendors
- Manage internal core networks including IP/Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, and LAN /WAN technologies
- Drive IP networking and transport layers involving L2 switching, routing, automatic failover, VPN’s, traffic prioritization and address translation
- Get involved in Core Network Component Price Negotiations as needed
- Own, manage, and evaluate L2/L3 IP test plans, tunneling, QOS and acceptance criteria for all network designs
- Perform proof of concept testing and validation of the network design in the lab/field as needed
- Qualifications:
-
- Very focused, energetic, and proven leader in IP networking and vendor management
- Hands-on experience in IP networking
- Experience with MAC layer admission control and scheduler design and simulation a strong asset
- Thorough understanding of DiffServ, IntServ/RSVP, and other related QOS protocols a strong asset
- Problem solver & effective leader
- Excellent problem-solving skills>
- Ability to manage stressful situations and adapt to changing environments
Network Administrator
Salary: 60-80K
- Description
- The jobs of systems administration and network administration overlap to a large degree, and especially in smaller organizations, the responsibilities associated with these two titles are often held by a single individual. System administrators are generally responsible for installing, supporting, and maintaining servers and other computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages.
- Responsibilities:
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- Administer and maintain local and wide area network server hardware and software
- Configure server systems and troubleshoot various network related issues, client and server
- Work with IT Architecture group on planning and organizing local and wide area network projects
- Maintain network backup and restores as required
- Maintain and troubleshoot network routers and switches, and other core network devices
- Support server and client installations of enterprise-wide anti-virus products
- Assist and manage the design, configure and maintain local and wide area network security
- Support & Maintenance of the enterprise messaging system
- Work in conjunction with IT management on compliance reporting and performance tracking
- Provide user account maintenance
- Qualifications:
-
- High level of analytical ability where problems are complex
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability to multi-task with frequent interruption
- High level of interpersonal skills to work effectively with others
- Extensive knowledge of networking components including TCP/IP, DNS, WINS, and DHCP
- In-depth experience with Microsoft Back Office products
- Knowledge of the technologies and principles supporting a switched network environment
Network Security Analyst
Salary: 50-60K
- Description:
- The Network Security Analyst is responsibe for monitoring enterprise wide servers for any and all types of security breaches. Use security, intrusion detection and systems skills to provide support and prevent inappropriate activity for a major client.
- Responsibilities:
-
- Monitor multiple monitoring systems for signs of malicious and/or anomalous activity
- Triage incidents, escalate and/or investigate as required and communicate findings
- Respond to critical incidents in the network including Information Security, LCA, HR, Operations, Dev, etc.
- Contribute to the Network Security group during design reviews, risk assessments and creation of policy
- Analyze data collected from sensors on a daily basis, report findings output/action items/intelligence
- Perform daily sensor device monitoring duties to ensure that all sensors are active
- Assist with research on latest viruses, worms, POC, exploits, etc.
- Analyze, interpret and present research findings into clear, concise reports
- Use logic and analysis to identify the potential enhancements and flaws in security measures
- Qualifications:
-
- A strong understanding of intrusion detection technologies
- Must have experience conducting analysis at the packet level
- Network architecture, concepts, design, integration and protocols including TCP/IP
- A good basic understanding of information security principles in an enterprise
- Excellent oral, written and organizational skills
- Demonstrate leadership, sound judgment, ability to learn quickly, independently, self-motivate and foster collaborative team approach
- Ability to work under pressure in a highly dynamic and diverse environment
IT Director/Manager
Salary: 70-120K
- Description:
- Information technology (IT) managers are responsible for planning and implementing the overall policies and goals for an organization’s information technology department. They analyze the information technology needs of their organizations in order to determine staffing and equipment requirements for IT departments.
- Responsibilities:
-
- Supervise the work of other IT staff
- Responsible for day-to-day management of an organization’s information systems
- Oversee hardware and software installations and upgrades, programming and systems design, development of networks, and implementation of Internet and intranet sites
- May also be responsible for the budgetary aspects of running an IT department
- Qualifications:
-
- Knowledge to understand and supervise IT staff members and explain their work
- Experience in either consulting or business management
- Posess strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
Consultant
Salary: 55-65K
- Description:
- As a Consultant, you will apply your skills in project and program management while exhibiting leadership in process re-engineering and implementation of process and technology. This role will often lead meetings with technical business owners to design the application and you will help define and structure new system processes.
- Responsibilities:
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- Ownership for gathering, refining and prioritizing requirements from functional requirements team through meetings, questionnaires or interviews
- Assess current business systems and define work items to identify and implement technical requirements
- Translate functional business requirements into systemic requirements and detailed technical designs
- Provide and project the definition scope through management of application architectural designs>
- Maintain deep familiarity with systems development lifecycle
- Work with analysis, testing, and business owner teams to understand desired system functionality
- Lead development effort with work estimates and participate in scope setting
- Create and execute unit tests exercising the code’s functionality and compatibility with other features prior to releasing code to test team
- Qualifications:
-
- Ability to design applications that perform efficiently, are operationally stable, and meet the business requirements
- Solid working knowledge of development practices for working with a team of developers
- Solid understanding of software architectures applicable to project
- Ability to provide development estimates
- Demonstrated knowledge of software development lifecycle methodology
- Ability and experience leading a technical team
- Strong business/functional knowledge of the specific area of work
- Solid written and verbal communication skills
Project Manager
Salary: 45-65K
- Description
- A Program Manager helps define product strategy, define functional requirements, works with developers and testers during implementation, releases features on schedule, and helps resolve any problems.
- Responsibilities:
-
- Translating business and market requirements into product strategies and feature sets
- Evaluating third-party technology and guiding the analysis leading to build versus buy decisions
- Actively engage software development to specify and design complex features
- Coordinate activities across multiple functions to ensure delivery of innovative and differentiated products and services
- Work with product marketing to define the go-to-market strategy through target customer communication
- Act as an internal and external evangelist for your product
- Qualifications:
-
- Experience in information retrieval, text classification, and/or machine learning software systems
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Experience working with stake holders
- Knowledge of management best practices
- Strong negotiation and conflict resolutions skills are essential
- Knowledge coding languages lie C/C++, ASP, HTML, DHTML, SQL, JavaScript, and browser technology
Database Specialist
Salary: 50-65K
- Description:
- Database specialists maintain and develop database systems that companies use for storing, analyzing, and retrieving data. Different databases include Microsoft’s SQL Server, IBM DB2, Filemaker Pro, Oracle, and Sybase. Database specialists work with both technicians and not-technicians in the preparation of software presentations and reports. Sometimes these specialists assume the title of database analyst.
- Responsibilities:
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- Interviewing employees to assess group and organizational needs
- Helping designers with database development
- Problem solving and repair
- Assessing system weaknesses and making necessary improvements
- Operating security and backup protocol for system protection
- Test systems for optimal efficiency and security
- Qualifications:
-
- Specific skills in a variety of database systems
- Excellent logical and analytical skills
- Communication and interpersonal abilities
Product Developer
Salary: 55-70K
- Description:
- Product Developers are developers who yearn to create and implement full product lifecycles – not just code solutions. Teams develop massively scalable, distributed software systems and also collaborate on multitudes of smaller projects that have universal appeal.
- Responsibilities:
-
- Research, conceive and develop software applications to extend and improve product offering
- Contribute to a wide variety of projects utilizing natural language processing, data compression, and search technologies
- Collaborate on scalability issues involving access to massive amounts of data and information
- Solve all problems that come your way
- Qualifications:
-
- Experience with UNIX/Linux or Windows environments, distributed systems, machine learning, information retrieval and TCP/IP
- Experience programming in C, C++, Java and/or Python
- Experience in network programming and/or developing/designing large software systems
Systems Analyst
Salary: 55-65K
- Description:
- The Systems Analyst is responsible for day-to-day support of corporate and customer technology needs, servicing multiple locations nationwide. This includes hardware and software support, maintaining company databases, and programming tasks.
- Responsibilities:
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- Complete first level end user support requests
- Provide corporate hardware, software, network, and peripheral support
- Provide remote or onsite field support to our remote office sites
- Troubleshoot technical issues
- Provision new user accounts, workstations, laptops, servers, phones, and mobile devices
- Ghost/image laptops and servers
- Document installation, configuration, and troubleshooting procedures
- Maintain detailed records of hardware and software inventory
- Participate in various operational projects as assigned by IT management
- Qualifications:
-
- Strong analytical, technical troubleshooting, and problem solving skills
- Fluent in wireless access point setup and configuration
- Hardware installation, troubleshooting, and repair experience with PCs and peripherals
- Good communication and customer service oriented skills
- Flexibility in a fast changing business environment
- Willingness to participate in all levels of IT operations projects
- Dependable and able to meet deadlines consistently
- Knowledge on programming languages like Java, C#, C/C++, or .NET
Usability Engineer
Salary: 45-65K
- Description
- Usability engineers design and test software, websites, and other technology-based systems and services to optimize the ease and efficiency of users’ task performance. Engineers design prototypes, conduct usability tests using various empirical methods, and make recommendations to programmers about specific changes and new requirements.
- Responsibilities:
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- Interviewing project team members about their product, usability concerns, and design process
- Driving user research activities such as gathering data for creating user personas, task lists and scenarios
- Designing usability tests
- Presenting results from usability tests and other user research to project teams
- Summarizing results from usability tests into design guidelines or style guides
- Qualifications:
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- Work related experience in Human Machine Interaction or usability required
- Demonstrated skill in collecting and analyzing human behavioral data required
- Excellent communication skills required. Must be able to work independently or as part of a team
- Experience in project management