Application Support Analyst

Summary: We are seeking a highly skilled Application Support Analyst to serve as an application support point of contact for programming and application support within our IT Applications team. This role will diagnose and resolve reported program issues, provide technical assistance to end users and IT staff, and handle data-related requests from business partners, including ad hoc data extracts, reporting needs, and data quality investigations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. 

• Serve as the first point of contact (Application support) for internal users reporting programming, application, or system issues, triaging problems and escalating to senior staff as needed.
• Diagnose reported program errors by reviewing job logs, tracing program logic, and reproducing issues to identify root cause.
• Troubleshoot and debug existing RPG/RPGLE, CL, PHP, and SQL programs, applying fixes or coordinating corrections with senior developers.
• Provide technical assistance and clear, timely communication to end users and business partners regarding the status and resolution of reported issues.
• Maintain and support existing applications, including monitoring scheduled jobs and interfaces, and applying minor code changes to resolve production issues.
• Handle data-related requests from business partners, including ad-hoc data extracts, reporting needs, and data quality investigations.
• Work with DB2, MS SQL, and other relational databases to query, maintain, and validate data used to fulfill support tickets and data requests.
• Maintain and perform Tableau data imports on a monthly basis.
• Document reported issues, resolutions, and recurring problems to build a knowledge base and improve future troubleshooting efficiency.
• Write and maintain documentation to describe program development, logic, coding, testing, changes, and corrections.
• Collaborate with the application development team to escalate complex issues and to conceptualize and enhance existing programs and applications.
• Ensure compliance with internal standards and external regulations (e.g., SOX), including providing SOX compliance listings, code listings, and samples as requested for audit purposes.

Essential Competencies and Skills 

• Able to communicate effectively with non-technical staff and with members of interdisciplinary teams.
• Able to work both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Highly self-motivated and directed.
• Strong understanding of coding methods and best practices.
• Flexible and adaptable in regard to learning and understanding new technologies.

Education, Work Experience, and Certifications

• Bachelor's or associate degree in the field of computer science, information technology, or software engineering, plus two years of relevant work experience.
• Proficient in a variety of programming languages, including ILE RPG, RPG/Free, CL, PHP, and HTML.
• Strong relational database experience with MS SQL, DB2, and MySQL, including writing complex queries, stored procedures, and performance tuning. Experience with data warehousing concepts, ETL processes, and data modeling is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of various IBM application development software.
• Preferred knowledge in the insurance industry is preferred.

Physical Requirements

• Able to work in a typical office setting where the employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Occasional travel required (< 10%).

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Nodak Insurance Company complies fully with all federal, state, and local employment laws and shall provide equal employment and advancement opportunities for all persons regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, the presence of any mental or physical disability, status with regard to public assistance or marriage, or any other category protected by local, state or federal law.