Software Engineering and Platforms Tech Analyst

Job Description

Position Description: Over the past 4 years Elanco IT has been on an incredibly exciting journey. Separating from our parent company and standing up on our own gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a modern technology stack free of the burden of large-scale technical debt. We are now looking to take this one step further, leveraging newly established engineering capabilities to help Elanco deliver on customer needs faster than ever before. This role is part of our new enterprise platform engineering team focused on driving secure, reliable, efficient practice across our business and IT teams. We are seeking a highly skilled Technology Analyst with expertise in Power BI, GCP or Azure, Alert Management, Automation, Cost Overrun prevention, and Cloud Cost Analysis to join our Information Technology department. As a Technology Analyst, you will play a crucial role in assessing, implementing, and optimizing technology solutions that align with our business objectives and ensure efficient and cost-effective cloud operations. To be successful in an Analyst role in Elanco requires a highly motivated individual, with an innovative mindset and a willingness to drive tangible outcomes. The individual must be able to articulate complex technical topics, collaborate with external partners and ensure quality delivery of the required solution. Responsibilities: Engineering • Technology Evaluation and Selection: Evaluate and recommend cloud services and tools, including GCP and Azure, to meet specific business needs. • Alert Management: Establish and manage alert systems for monitoring cloud services and applications. • Automation: Identify opportunities for automation in cloud management and operations. Develop scripts, workflows, and automation processes to improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention. • Cost Overrun Prevention: Monitor and analyse cloud usage and expenses. Implement strategies to prevent cost overruns by optimizing resource allocation and identifying costsaving opportunities. • Cloud Cost Analysis: Create reports and dashboards using Power BI to provide insights into cloud usage and spending. Present findings to management and provide recommendations for cost optimization. • Requirements Gathering: Collaborate with business units and stakeholders to gather and document technology requirements related to cloud services. • Vendor Evaluation: Evaluate cloud service providers and third-party solutions. Negotiate contracts and agreements that provide the best value and performance for the organization. • Implementation Support: Assist in the implementation of technology solutions by providing guidance, oversight, and troubleshooting support to project teams. • Security and Compliance: Stay updated on security best practices, compliance regulations, and cloud security. Implement security measures to protect data and systems from threats and vulnerabilities. • Training: Provide training and support to end-users and IT staff, ensuring they are proficient in using new cloud technology solutions. • Work with Principal Platform Engineer to help drive direction of platform and automation capabilities including our internal technical products. • Work with a diverse team on some of Elancos most exciting engineering initiatives helping drive secure, reliable, and efficient using the latest technology. • Look for continuous improvement opportunities in our core ecosystem identifying new ways to enhance application team and developer experience. • Bring your expertise into a team of talented engineers and continually help shape where the team can help to better enable our secure, reliable, efficient vision. • Follow the value mentality with opportunity to work across the engineering team helping to walk in the shoes of application teams as well as operational engineering teams. Daily / Monthly Responsibilities • Stakeholder Management: o Understanding Stakeholder Needs: Daily interaction with stakeholders, including business units, senior management, and external partners to understand their technology needs and priorities. o Communication and Updates: Regularly communicate with stakeholders to provide updates on ongoing technology projects and their impact on the organization. Address inquiries, concerns, and requests promptly. o Expectation Management: Manage stakeholder expectations by ensuring they have a clear understanding of project timelines, milestones, and potential challenges. o Alignment with Business Goals: Ensure that technology solutions align with the organization's business objectives. Regularly assess whether current technology efforts are meeting stakeholder requirements. o Feedback Gathering: Collect feedback from stakeholders regarding the performance and usability of technology solutions. Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements. o Issue Resolution: Address issues and concerns raised by stakeholders related to technology solutions. Collaborate with the appropriate teams to resolve these issues promptly. o Conflict Resolution: If conflicts or disagreements arise among stakeholders, work to mediate and find mutually agreeable solutions. o Prioritization: Prioritize technology initiatives based on stakeholder needs and the overall impact on the organization. o Reporting: Create and maintain regular reports and updates for stakeholders, summarizing the status of technology projects, costs, and any challenges or opportunities. o Project Review Meetings: Conduct regular meetings with stakeholders to review project progress, discuss challenges, and strategize for future technology initiatives. o Change Management: Facilitate the management of changes resulting from technology implementations, ensuring that stakeholders are prepared for and adapt to these changes effectively. • Technology Evaluation and Research: o Stay updated on the latest trends and developments in cloud technologies, Power BI, and related tools. o Research and assess new technologies, tools, and cloud services to identify opportunities for improvement. • Alert Management: o Monitor alert systems to identify and respond to issues affecting cloud services and applications. o Collaborate with stakeholders to address and resolve alerts promptly. • Automation: o Develop and maintain automation scripts and workflows to streamline cloud management tasks. o Identify processes that can be automated to improve efficiency. • Cost Analysis and Optimization: o Analyze daily cloud usage and spending to identify cost-saving opportunities. o Create and review reports and dashboards using Power BI to track and report on cloud costs. • Requirements Gathering: o Collaborate with business units to gather requirements for technology solutions and cloud services. o Ensure clear documentation of business needs and objectives. • Solution Design: o Work on the design and architecture of cloud solutions, considering scalability, costeffectiveness, and security. o Ensure solutions meet the documented requirements. • Vendor Management: o Review and manage relationships with cloud service providers and technology vendors. o Negotiate contracts and agreements to optimize value and performance. • Implementation Support: Assist project teams in implementing technology solutions, providing guidance and troubleshooting as needed. Ensure projects are executed according to established standards and timelines. Security and Compliance: Stay updated on security best practices and compliance regulations relevant to cloud services. Implement security measures to protect cloud resources and data. Training and Support: Provide training and support to end-users and IT staff to ensure they can effectively use new technology solutions. Address any technical issues or questions that arise during daily operations. • Documentation: Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including system designs, process flows, technical specifications, and user manuals. Update documentation as needed to reflect changes and improvements. • Collaboration and Communication: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure technology solutions meet business needs. Communicate with stakeholders to provide updates on technology projects and their impact. Basic Qualifications: Education: A bachelor's or Masters degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related discipline is usually required. Experience: Proven experience in a relevant role, such as a Technology Analyst, IT Analyst, Cloud Analyst, or a similar position, is typically required. Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to manage and effectively communicate with stakeholders, including business units, senior management, and external partners. This includes understanding their needs, expectations, and ensuring that technology solutions align with their goals. Cloud Expertise: Proficiency in working with cloud platforms like Google Cloud Platform (GCP) or Microsoft Azure is essential and have hands-on experience with these platforms and a deep understanding of cloud services, architecture, and management. Power BI Proficiency: Proficiency in Power BI or a similar data visualization and reporting tool is important. Should be able to create reports and dashboards to analyze and present data effectively. Alert Management: Experience in managing alert systems and monitoring tools to detect and respond to issues affecting technology solutions and cloud services. Automation Skills: Knowledge and experience in automation, scripting, and workflow development to streamline operational tasks and improve efficiency. Cost Management: Understanding of cloud cost analysis and management. The ability to identify and implement cost-saving measures is important. Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are crucial. Technology Analysts need to interact with cross-functional teams and stakeholders and effectively convey technical information. Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to assess technology solutions, troubleshoot issues, and optimize cloud operations. Documentation and Project Management: Proficiency in creating and maintaining documentation for technology solutions and projects. Knowledge of project management tools and methodologies is a plus. Security and Compliance Awareness: Knowledge of security best practices and compliance regulations, especially as they relate to cloud services and data protection. Basic Cloud Technology Understanding: A fundamental understanding of cloud technologies, cloud service models (e.g., IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), and cloud deployment models (e.g., public, private, hybrid). Personal Traits : • Strong attention to detail. • Ability to adapt to changing technologies and environments. • Willingness to learn and explore new tools and technologies. • Strong work ethic and commitment to meeting deadlines. • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. • Ability to work well under pressure and handle critical incidents effectively. • Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. • Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team. • Strong time management and prioritization skills. Other Information: Occasional travel may be required