AUTOMATION ENGINEER #00084285

Information Technology

The Information Technology Department supports administrative systems, academic technologies, and research computing. System reliability and campus operations are strengthened through IT initiatives. IT roles involve system support, infrastructure maintenance, and technical collaboration with campus units.

Missouri S&T's IT Engineering Department is seeking an Automation Engineer (Programmer Analyst) with strong software development skills. This position supports university operations by developing, maintaining, and improving integrations, software provisioning systems, and core IT systems and databases.

The ideal candidate will apply sound software engineering practices to build reliable, maintainable, and scalable solutions that connect systems, automate workflows, streamline operations, and reduce manual effort. This role requires more than scripting; it calls for a developer who can understand complex systems, solve integration challenges, and build software that supports critical university services.

Our Ideal Candidate:

• Learns and adapts quickly to new technologies, systems, and environments
• Enjoys identifying repetitive or manual work and turning it into reliable, maintainable automation
• Creatively translates business and technical requirements into practical solutions that span multiple systems
• Works within established security, architecture, and change-management guardrails while managing priorities independently
• Values testing, documentation, operational reliability, and continuous improvement
• Communicates clearly, collaborates constructively, and shares knowledge with teammates and partners

Job Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain automation solutions that reduce manual effort, improve consistency, and increase the reliability of IT and institutional processes
• Create and maintain scripts, services, workflows, and integrations using appropriate languages and tools, such as Python, PowerShell, shell scripting, APIs, and workflow or orchestration platforms
• Integrate systems and services using REST APIs, JSON/XML, event-driven patterns, scheduled jobs, and data-exchange processes; validate data and handle failures safely
• Automate infrastructure and application tasks such as provisioning, configuration, deployment, account or access workflows, system maintenance, reporting, and routine operational activities as appropriate to the team's responsibilities
• Use source control and collaborative development practices to manage changes, review code, test solutions, and support repeatable builds and deployments through CI/CD pipelines
• Apply secure development practices, least privilege, secrets management, logging, error handling, and appropriate safeguards for sensitive data and privileged operations
• Monitor automated processes, investigate failures, improve observability, and develop recovery and alerting mechanisms to support dependable operations
• Work with customers, project managers, data administrators, database and systems administrators, security personnel, and architects to understand requirements and deliver maintainable solutions
• Document purpose, dependencies, configuration, data flows, operational procedures, failure modes, and support ownership for automation and integration solutions
• Evaluate existing processes and tools, identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend approaches that are supportable, scalable, and aligned with institutional standards
• Collaborate with the broader IT organization to provide shared support, reduce single points of failure, and maintain continuity for supported systems and services

Non-Technical Responsibilities:

• Communicate effectively through verbal and written mediums and adjust technical explanations to the audience
• Listen actively, clarify requirements, set expectations, and remain open to constructive feedback
• Work collaboratively in a tightly integrated team environment and participate in code reviews, knowledge sharing, and peer mentoring
• Manage work transparently, maintain useful documentation, and follow applicable institutional policies and change-management processes

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• Demonstrated ability to write, troubleshoot, and maintain scripts or code in at least one language commonly used for automation, such as Python, JavaScript/Node.js, PowerShell, Perl, or shell scripting
• Working knowledge of APIs and common data formats, such as REST, JSON, or XML, and the ability to connect systems or automate data exchange
• Familiarity with Git and basic practices for testing, reviewing, and deploying changes
• Ability to use a Linux and/or Windows command-line environment and troubleshoot routine technical issues
• Understanding of basic security principles, including least privilege, safe handling of credentials, and protection of institutional data
• Strong analytical, communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills

• Experience using JavaScript/Node.js to develop automation scripts, services, and API integrations
• Experience designing and supporting automated workflows, scheduled jobs, orchestration, or cross-system integrations
• Experience with configuration management or infrastructure-as-code tools such as Ansible, Terraform, or similar technologies
• Experience with CI/CD systems and automated testing, including tools such as GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar platforms
• Experience integrating relational databases such as MySQL, Oracle, or MariaDB, including SQL queries and data validation
• Familiarity with Linux and Windows administration, identity and access management, endpoint management, networking, and enterprise infrastructure
• Experience with containers and orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes/OpenShift
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP and related provisioning, monitoring, and security practices
• Knowledge of monitoring, logging, alerting, job retries, idempotency, failure recovery, and other reliability practices
• Experience with institutional or enterprise platforms, service-management systems, data integrations, or business-process automation
• Familiarity with AI-enabled tools or APIs where appropriate, with attention to privacy, security, accuracy, and human review

The anticipated hiring range for this position has been established as $60,944 to $86,632 annually

Salary is determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the individual's particular combination of education, skills, and experience, as well as organizational requirements.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Missouri provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Grade: GGS 11
University Title: APPLICATION ADMIN-EXPERT
To review the University of Missouri's Staff Compensation Structure you can view the Job Code detail page. Internal applicants can determine their university title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

Applications will be accepted until this position is filled.

Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

University Information
Missouri S&T is one of the nation's leading research universities with over 100-degree programs in 39 disciplines. It was founded in 1870 as one of the first technological institutions west of the Mississippi River. Located about 100 miles west of St. Louis in the vibrant community of Rolla, Missouri S&T is an accessible, safe, and friendly campus surrounded by Ozarks' scenery. Missouri S&T offers undergraduate degrees in engineering, the sciences, liberal arts, humanities, and business, with M.S. and Ph.D. programs available in many of the science and engineering programs. With over 7,000 students and 300 faculty, Missouri S&T is big enough to accommodate a broad population, yet small enough for individuals to build high visibility and impactful careers.

About Rolla
Rolla, Missouri offers several great advantages that help individuals enjoy a high quality of life. Rolla is an ideal place for families, with its low cost of living, excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, and a range of recreational activities suitable for all ages. The Ozark Scenic Riverways and beautiful landscapes offers abundant opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts of every lifestyle. With its vibrant community, Rolla hosts multiple events, concerts, art exhibitions, and theater performances throughout the year. The university's Leach Theatre showcases nationally renowned performers for campus and community alike. Overall, living in Rolla offers a high quality of life with a supportive community, affordable living, beautiful natural surroundings, and numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Office of Equity & Title IX at 573-341-7734.