Want to know if this job is worth applying to?
Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Onsite
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 OBE's 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 OBE's technology systems, reporting capabilities, and business processes remain reliable, secure, and responsive while supporting continuous improvement and effective service delivery.
Data Assets, Service Delivery & Stewardship
Ensures OBE's internal and external data assets remain trusted, secure, accessible, and effectively used to support operations, decisions, partnerships, and customer-facing services.
Talent Development & Organizational Enablement
Builds the expertise, leadership capacity, and shared knowledge needed to maximize the value of OBE's systems, data assets, and business intelligence resources.
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. We’re Wisconsin’s 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 $90,000 - $100,000 commensurate with the candidate’s education, related experience, and qualifications.
Bachelor's 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 kristina.williston@wisconsin.edu.
If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request by contacting uwshr@wisconsin.edu.
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 https://www.wisconsin.edu/compliance/clery/.
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.