Systems Analyst, LIMS Technical Lead

The successful Systems Analyst candidate will work in the Science & Technology function and be located in the Pittsburgh region.  The candidate will be a member of the LabVantage Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) implementation project team.  The LabVantage project will roll out a global LIMS platform across S&T Research and Product Development labs over a 3-5 year period.  In this role, the candidate will serve as the IT Technical Lead for systems integrations and work with other analysts and stream leads.  The LabVantage LIMS project includes successful delivery of three work streams:  Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN), Analytical Management System (AMS) and Chemical Inventory Management (CIM). 

As a Systems Analyst (LIMS Technical Lead), this individual will:

• Participate in the deployment of a functional LIMS system (ELN, AMS, and CIM) with limited to no customizations.
• Lead the IT technical stream of the LabVantage implementation project,
• Architect system interfaces between LabVantage and other systems in use at PPG, including GPS, strategic ERP systems (SAP, Oracle) and formulation tools.
• Develop detailed technical specifications based on functional requirements.
• Serve as the primary technical contact for shared services and COE resource contributing to the project deliverables.
• Provide guidance and support to analysts working on LIMS instrument integrations.
• Resolve technical issues identified during unit testing and end user testing.
• Work with LabVantage consultants to understand and resolve technical issues affecting integrations, deployment, or performance.
• Develop and execute cutover plans and provide post go-live support.
• Be responsible for following PPG’s IT project methodology throughout the project lifecycle.

Science & Technology is a global function comprised Research and Product Development labs.  The incumbent will support projects at S&T lab locations including:

• North America:  Allison Park, Monroeville, Harmar, Springdale, Burbank
• Europe:  Marly, Milan, Ingersheim, Amsterdam, Wroclaw
• Asia Pacific:  Tianjin

The candidate must be willing to travel 10-20% depending on project requirements, including travel between Pittsburgh area S&T labs in Allison Park, Monroeville, Harmar, and Springdale.

The LIMS Technical Lead will provide analytical and technical expertise as a member of the S&T front line IT team through the analysis, design, development and implementation of LabVantage LIMS.  Leveraging prior software development and IT implementation experience, the LIMS Technical Lead will be expected to develop a deep understanding of the needs of the S&T function and how to address those needs with effective IT solutions.   Incumbents in this position develop and maintain credibility and effective working relations with both technical and functional team members, including implementation stream leads.  They collaborate to define detailed requirements for system interfaces, assess available technologies, and develop and present viable solution options.

The LIMS Technical Lead must be technically proficient at an in-depth level and possess a broader knowledge of various technical areas.  They translate business and functional requirements into detailed specifications from which applications and interfaces will be developed, and implement complete solutions.  The Systems Analyst will propose innovative technical solutions that uphold data security, export compliance, and intellectual property (IP) protection standards.  They also assure applications and interfaces are developed in a way that complies with architectural standards and established methodologies and practices.

As a Systems Analyst, the candidate will create, modify, and test programming code themselves or provide technical consulting support on projects or system issues.  They oversee the creation of source code and properly document all solutions.  Incumbents must respond appropriately to system maintenance requests and use their analytical abilities and technical skills to isolate problems, fix immediate needs, and analyze all ramifications of proposed solutions.  Finally, they understand the system performance expectations associated with applicable technologies and take performance criteria into consideration in the design and development of solutions.

Interpersonal
The Systems Analyst, LIMS Technical Lead must have demonstrated that they can provide direction to other project team members.  They must have good coaching skills and regularly coach other team members.  This individual will lead the design and development of system integrations and influence project priorities.  This will require sharing responsibility with other team members to ensure on-time product delivery.  The successful candidate must provide direction and clarification as required for shared service and COE resources contributing to the project.  They must also display the requisite verbal, written, and presentation skills to effectively articulate ideas / designs to colleagues in multiple functional areas and at varying levels of technical understanding.  The LIMS Technical lead must be familiar with project management techniques and be able to prioritize resources and tasks, and develop risk contingencies.