Program Associate I - Integration Specialist, ESE Systems & Analytics

DPSCD Comp; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Detroit Public Schools Community District seeks a Program Associate I - Integration Specialist, ESE Systems & Analytics, to build and maintain data pipelines that connect PowerSchool Special Programs to the district's data infrastructure.

The role works across systems, automates data movement, and develops PSSP-native reports while supporting MTSS infrastructure and compliance reporting for ESE services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, data engineering, or a related technical field.
• 2–3 years of experience in data integration, systems administration, or a closely related technical role.
• Experience building and maintaining data pipelines between systems via API, flat-file, or ETL approaches.
• Ability to troubleshoot integration failures and data synchronization issues.
• Experience with PowerSchool products or similar SIS platforms is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain data pipelines between PSSP and district systems using API, flat-file, or ETL approaches.
• Develop and maintain automated data feeds replacing manual processes and ensure timely data exports.
• Create operational reports inside PSSP for compliance monitoring and MTSS tracking.
• Coordinate changes with the SIS team to prevent downstream data-flow breakage.
• Document data definitions, mappings, and report logic for non-technical users.

Skills

Data integration

ETL/API integration

Data pipelines

Troubleshooting

Non-technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science / information systems / data engineering

Tools

PowerSchool SIS

PowerSchool Special Programs

Power BI

Data warehouse

Job description

Program Associate I - Integration Specialist, ESE Systems & Analytics

Position Title: Program Associate I - Integration Specialist, ESE Systems & Analytics

Location: Fisher Building, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202

Reports to: Senior Director of ESE Systems & Analytics

Bargaining Unit: OSAS

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Telecommuting Eligibility: Eligible for telecommuting up to 20% (one day per week)

Position Summary:

The Program Associate I - Integration Specialist supports the ESE Systems & Analytics team within the Student Data & Accountability division by building and maintaining the data pipelines and system integrations that connect PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP) to the district's broader data infrastructure. The team is responsible for the administration, integration, reporting, and end-user support of PSSP, which is the district's primary platform for special education data management, and serves as the data quality and systems bridge between the ESE division and the Student Information Services team.

The Integration Specialist builds and maintains the connections between PSSP and other district systems, automates manual data movement, and develops PSSP-native operational reports. As the district works toward building MTSS infrastructure, this role will support the data connections needed to track pre-referral interventions alongside special education records. This role works in close coordination with the Program Supervisor and the Senior Director and operates as the team's primary technical resource for data extraction, pipeline development, and platform-to-platform integration. Success in this role requires strong technical skills in data integration, a demonstrated ability to work across systems with different architectures, and a willingness to develop working knowledge of special education data requirements on the job.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a focus in computer science, information systems, data engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of two to three (3) years of experience in data integration, systems administration, or a closely related technical role
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining data pipelines between systems, including API-based, flat-file, or ETL-based approaches
• Ability to work with large-scale data systems and troubleshoot integration failures, data mismatches, and synchronization issues
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose technical root causes and propose effective solutions
• Ability to communicate technical processes and findings clearly to non-technical partners
• Experience with PowerSchool products: PowerSchool SIS, PowerSchool Special Programs, or equivalent student information or case management platforms (preferred)
• Familiarity with special education data workflows, compliance timelines, or IEP-related processes (preferred)
• Experience with report development inside a student information or case management platform (preferred)
• Knowledge of Michigan state reporting requirements, including CEPI data submissions and pupil accounting processes (preferred)
• Familiarity with data warehouse environments and dashboard tools such as Power BI (preferred)
• Familiarity with MTSS frameworks and tiered intervention data systems (preferred)

Essential Functions:

• Build and maintain data pipelines between PSSP and other district systems, including the SIS, data warehouse, and ancillary platforms, using API-based, flat-file, or ETL-based approaches
• Negotiate and implement scheduled data exports from PSSP to the district's data environment, ensuring that data flows reliably and on the cadence required for reporting and compliance monitoring
• Develop and maintain automated data feeds that replace manual processes ¿ including contractor onboarding data, service delivery records, and other recurring data exchanges between systems
• Build and maintain data connections that support pre-referral intervention tracking alongside special education records ¿ exploring approaches within PSSP and other existing systems as the district works toward a consistent MTSS framework.
• Coordinate with the Student Information Services team and other technical partners to ensure that changes on either side of a system integration are managed without breaking downstream data flows
• Troubleshoot integration failures, data mismatches, and synchronization issues, documenting root causes and implementing fixes that prevent recurrence
• Support the Program Supervisor on PSSP backend configuration tasks that require an understanding of the platform's data structure, particularly where configuration changes affect data extraction or reporting
• Build and maintain operational reports inside PSSP, including single-level and multi-level reports, that surface data needed for compliance monitoring, count preparation, ESE partner team operations, and MTSS monitoring prior to determinations for special education eligibility.
• Validate reports against known cases and expected outputs before they are used for decision-making; document report logic and data definitions so that outputs can be interpreted accurately by non-technical users
• Maintain technical documentation for all integrations, pipelines, and automated processes, including data dictionaries, source-to-target mappings, and process logs
• Identify manual data processes that could be automated and propose integration solutions that reduce operational burden across ESE partner teams
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Director, ESE Systems & Analytics

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants

If you are a current Detroit Public Schools Community District employee, you do not have to submit to a new security clearance, unless your new role requires a different type of criminal background check.

External Applicants

In alignment with Michigan law, if you are hired to fill a position, you will be required to submit to a Detroit Public Schools Community District criminal background check. Information regarding required background checks will be shared at point of hire.

DPSCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability and/or religion. Contact the Civil Rights Coordinator for more information at [phone] or detroitk12.org/compliance.

DPSCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability, age, religion, height, weight, citizenship, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected category, in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admissions opportunities.