Business Systems Manager

The Office of Business & Entrepreneurship (OBE) helps extend the reach and impact of the Universities of Wisconsin by connecting businesses employers communities and economic development partners with university resources expertise and opportunities. Through longstanding statewide programs strategic partnerships data assets and emerging workforce and technology initiatives OBE helps address evolving business and community needs while strengthening economic opportunities across Wisconsin.

As OBE enters its next phase of growth technology systems and data assets play an increasingly important role in supporting partnerships measuring organizational impact and delivering services efficiently and effectively. The Business Systems Manager provides operational leadership for OBEs business systems ecosystem including customer relationship management tools business intelligence resources reporting environments and proprietary data assets. Working alongside the Business Affairs Director technical specialists vendors and subject-matter experts this position helps ensure critical systems remain reliable scalable secure and responsive to evolving needs while balancing stewardship of existing assets with a continuous focus on improvement.

We seek a curious resourceful professional who enjoys solving problems building expertise and helping others understand what is possible through data and technology. The successful candidate will research unfamiliar issues evaluate options and make informed recommendations while collaborating with technical experts business users Universities of Wisconsin stakeholders economic development organizations and vendors. OBE has a strong track record of developing leaders from within and values individuals who take ownership contribute new ideas and strengthen organizational capabilities. If you enjoy seeing how technology data partnerships and strategy come together to create measurable economic impact for businesses and communities across Wisconsin this role offers opportunities that traditional business systems positions rarely provide.

Business Systems Leadership Governance & Operational Continuity

Ensures OBEs technology systems reporting capabilities and business processes remain reliable secure and responsive while supporting continuous improvement and effective service delivery.

• Provides operational leadership for OBEs business systems ecosystem including customer relationship management business intelligence reporting and related technology platforms supporting organizational operations and external partnerships.
• Oversees the administration governance security documentation and continuous improvement of OBEs CRM and related technology systems including hands-on configuration and troubleshooting when appropriate; ensures reliable service delivery privacy compliance records management and effective user adoption.
• Aligns technology systems with organizational priorities service expectations customer needs and business objectives; defines service standards and translates stakeholder requirements into practical systems workflow reporting and automation solutions.
• Prioritizes and communicates strategies approaches and timelines for technology implementation system enhancements testing upgrades release management and lifecycle planning; evaluates proposed solutions and oversees implementation activities.
• Establishes reporting standards performance measures and decision-support requirements; works with technical staff to guide dashboards analytics and reporting resources while monitoring service levels risks and key performance indicators.
• Serves as an internal advisor and stakeholder liaison identifying opportunities to improve customer service program effectiveness operational efficiency and business intelligence through technology and data.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and recommends automation corrective actions or new approaches that strengthen customer experience organizational effectiveness operational continuity and long-term sustainability.
• Manages relationships with software vendors developers consultants and technology partners including deliverables performance budgets and contractual expectations.

Data Assets Service Delivery & Stewardship

Ensures OBEs internal and external data assets remain trusted secure accessible and effectively used to support operations decisions partnerships and customer-facing services.

• Oversees OBEs internal information assets including CRM programmatic operational budget reporting compliance and outcome data used to manage activities and demonstrate results to state and federal funding stakeholders.
• Establishes data quality validation documentation access retention privacy security and records management standards appropriate to OBEs internal and customer-facing data environments.
• Coordinates across program teams data stewardship analytics business operations and organizational stakeholders to ensure OBEs CRM programmatic budget compliance and outcome data are accurately maintained analyzed and translated into reporting and decision-support resources.
• Oversees the operational continuity policies licensing structure service delivery and fulfillment processes supporting the proprietary YourEconomy time-series database and related products.
• Coordinates the flow of YourEconomy opportunities from customer and partner requirements through licensing account administration invoicing and payment coordination product fulfillment and delivery of research data dashboards and other analytical products that meet established service standards.
• Guides and supports data stewardship and technical execution ensuring clear priorities sufficient capacity appropriate controls trusted data and timely product readiness.
• Monitors demand workload delivery risks data quality customer experience and partnership opportunities; recommends improvements that increase the value sustainability credibility and responsible use of OBEs internal and external data assets.

Talent Development & Organizational Enablement

Builds the expertise leadership capacity and shared knowledge needed to maximize the value of OBEs systems data assets and business intelligence resources.

• Supervises professional staff and exercises supervisory authority consistent with Universities of Wisconsin policy including hiring work assignment coaching performance management recognition corrective action and approval of work activities.
• Establishes priorities performance expectations and development goals aligned with organizational objectives and service standards.
• Develops talent through mentoring cross-training knowledge transfer professional development and opportunities to deepen subject-matter expertise and leadership capability.
• Ensures written procedures technical documentation training resources and stakeholder education support service continuity successful job performance user adoption and effective use of OBEs systems and data resources.
• Promotes a collaborative customer-focused culture centered on accountability curiosity innovation continuous improvement and practical problem-solving.

The Office of Business & Entrepreneurship (OBE) helps entrepreneurs businesses and economic development professionals across the state to achieve their goals through expert consulting educational resources and training technical assistance economic reports and a dynamic statewide network.

Through our four distinct program units OBE helps Wisconsin businesses perform at their highest levels. We help ideas and innovators succeed. Were Wisconsins hub for specialized resources many at no cost to help business owners grow.

The Business Systems Manager (official title: IT Manager) is a full-time salaried academic staff position.

Well-qualified candidates can expect a starting annual salary within a range of $90000 - $100000 commensurate with the candidates education related experience and qualifications.

• Bachelors degree in business administration Information Systems Data Analytics Computer Science Public Administration Economics or related fields.

• Two to four years of progressively responsible experience supporting technology systems business systems customer relationship management platforms data management reporting environments or related technology-enabled operations.

• Experience leading technology implementation business systems enhancement process improvement or operational improvement initiatives.

• Experience supervising mentoring training coordinating or informally leading staff teams or projects.

• Experience working collaboratively with internal stakeholders external partners vendors customers or service providers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience administering supporting or enhancing Zoho One Zoho CRM or a comparable enterprise CRM platform.

• Experience supporting data governance information management enterprise reporting or records management initiatives.

• Experience managing vendor relationships software implementations technology enhancement projects or external developers and consultants.

• Experience supporting customer-facing data products licensing agreements subscription services research products or information services.

• Experience with business process automation workflow development application configuration systems integration APIs or related technical solutions.

• Experience supporting sales pipelines customer relationship functions product fulfillment or service delivery operations.

• Experience in higher education economic development entrepreneurship support workforce initiatives nonprofit organizations or public sector environments.

• Experience working with customer relationship management platforms enterprise applications reporting environments business systems or complex data systems that support organizational operations and decision-making.

• Experience using business systems reports dashboards data resources or customer information to improve service delivery operational effectiveness or organizational decision-making.

Knowledge Skills Abilities

• Ability to analyze information identify issues evaluate options and make informed recommendations.

• Ability to learn new systems technologies and business processes and apply that knowledge to improve outcomes.

• Strong organizational communication and project management skills including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

The office location is located at 780 Regent Street in Madison WI. An in-office requirement is expected three days per week with the option to work the remaining two days off-site/remote. Telecommuting agreements are subject to change at any time.

Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through October 7 2026. However applications may be accepted until the position has been filled. To receive full consideration applicants are required to apply online and provide in PDF format a Resume and Cover letter addressing your experience and education as it applies to all minimum and preferred qualifications.

Questions may be addressed to Kristina Williston HR Generalist at

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability you can find information about how to make a request by contacting .

This offer of employment is conditional pending the results of a criminal background check and a reference check process that includes questions regarding employee misconduct sexual violence and sexual harassment. If you have prior work history within the past 7 years with the Universities of Wisconsin your personnel file will also be reviewed for employee misconduct. If the results are unacceptable the offer will be withdrawn or if you have started employment your employment will be terminated.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States a lawful permanent resident a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of employer sponsorship) on before or after the effective date of appointment.

The Universities of Wisconsin will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. . 19.36(7).

Universities of Wisconsin employees receive an excellent benefits package. To learn more about the benefits package review the Faculty Academic Staff & Limited Appointees or University Staff Please see this link for total compensation information: Universities of Wisconsin Health & Retirement Contributions Estimator to provide you with total compensation information.

The Universities of Wisconsin provides statistics on campus crime in its Annual Security Report. For more information on university campus statistics see is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin age pregnancy disability status as a protected veteran or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds perspectives and skills and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.