Academic Applications Lead - Open For All Nationalities

Ajman University; Ajman; On-site; AED 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Ajman University seeks an Academic Applications Lead to direct student-facing systems including Banner SIS, LMS, and related platforms. You will manage implementation teams, coordinate across academic and IT stakeholders, and drive strategic roadmaps for student information systems and advising tools.

The role requires leadership, vendor management, and strong technical knowledge of Oracle, SQL/PLSQL, and SaaS solutions. English is required; Arabic preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Computer field or equivalent.
• 7+ years in higher education technology and 3+ years in leadership.
• English required; Arabic preferred.
• SIS Banner 9 and Admin/self-service experience preferred; PMP/PRINCE2/ITIL is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead change management for major system implementations and upgrades.
• Manage vendor relationships for academic applications; ensure value and performance.
• Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for academic applications.
• Oversee Banner SIS, LMS integration, and related migrations.
• Maintain data requirements, mappings, and diagrams for devs/testers.
• Translate technical specs into clear non-technical requirements.
• Coordinate system upgrades and ensure seamless transitions.
• Troubleshoot SaaS, Advise, and mobile apps integrated with Banner SIS.
• Create test cases and lead QA processes; document procedures.
• Collaborate with academic units to understand data needs.
• Test and upgrade patches; manage data warehouse schemas.
• Migrate/integrate data across applications; ensure performance.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Customer service

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer field

7+ years in higher education technology

3+ years in team leadership

SIS Banner 9 / Admin and self-service

PM/PRINCE2/ITIL certs (preferred)

Job description

Job Description

This position provides strategic leadership and oversight for all student-facing systems and applications at Ajman University. The Academic Applications Lead is responsible for leading implementation team of academic applications, managing the entire student information technology system, and ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance of all systems supporting student registration, academic tracking, advising, and student services. This role requires strategic planning, team leadership, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration with academic leadership and IT stakeholders.

The Academic Applications lead exercises independent judgment in decision-making, leads complex projects, manages project progress, and serves as the primary authority for all student systems matters.

SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONS

The Academic Application Lead should have experience with the following:

• Banner Student Information system (Registration, Self-service, Students and Faculty),

• Banner Student Admin

• Oracle platform, SQL,PL/SQL; Reporting Tools and Java scripts

• Students advising system such as CRM Advise

• Mobile applications.

• Academic Advising solution.

• SaaS cloud solution.

• Mantaining the readiness of SIS applications after applying any new updates, upgrades or releases.

• Leading projects related to Academic Applications and Banner SIS systems, supervising/implementing the development, integration and migration processes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead change management initiatives for major system implementations, upgrades, and process improvements.

• Manage vendor relationships for academic application providers; and ensure optimal value and performance.

• Develop and execute strategic roadmap for academic applications aligned with AUs digital transformation goals and academic priorities.

• Implement with the Applications team members the best practices for scalability, supportability, ease of maintenance and system performance Deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot core all Banner and academic modules Meet and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to establish project scope, system goals, and requirements

• Maintain, analyze, prioritize, and organize requirement specifications, data mapping, diagrams, for developers and testers.

• Translate highly technical specifications into clear non-technical requirements

• Set workflow process and maintain the student systems.

• Oversee the implementation and integration of the LMS and Banner system.

• Coordinate system upgrades and ensure seamless transitions.

• Troubleshooting academic applications integrated with Banner SIS such as, but not limited to:

  • Applications on SaaS cloud solution.

  • Academic Advising solution.

  • Mobile applications.

• Define and coordinate the execution of testing procedures, and develop test cases to serve the overall quality assurance process

• Provide documentation of all processes and training as needed

• Collaborate with academic units, registrars, and administrative units to understand their data needs and requirements.

• Test and Upgrade applications’ patches.

• Troubleshoot data extract issues and create new data schemas for the university data warehouse.

• Create, modify and tune DBs’ schemas.

• Migrate/integrate data with different applications.

• Implement best practices for supportability, ease of maintenance, and system performance.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelors degree in Computer field.
• Min five years’ experience in technical/software support.
• Languages: English is required and Arabic is preferable.
• Technical Skills: Good skills in troubleshooting and customer services skills.
• Professional/Job Related Certificates: SIS Banner 9, Admin and self-service, Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) preferred/ITIL Foundation or higher preferred.
• Years of related experience: Minimum 7 years in higher education technology, including 3+ years in team leadership.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Computing Studies
• Information Systems
• Business Administration
• Strong knowledge of Oracle platform, SQL,PL/SQL
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in English.
• Knowledge of customer service standards and procedures.
• Team leadership and people management.
• Vendor and contract management.
• Stakeholder management and executive communication
• Higher education business processes and academic operations

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• No or very limited physical effort is required.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risk.