Software Engineer in Atchison, Kansas at Benedictine College

Department: Information Technology

Job Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Director of IT

Grade/Level:

Amount of Travel Required: None

Work Schedule: 8-5, M-F, occasional night or weekend

Positions Supervised: None

This position is NOT eligible for Remote Work

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Director of Information Technology, this role is responsible for managing, maintaining, and designing integrated campus databases and software systems. Key platforms include the Colleague Suite of Applications, Business Objects, Canvas, StarRez, Accruent’s EMS, Ad Astra, One Card, Touchnet, Office 365, Active Directory, Radix, Maxient, CampusLabs, and Akademos, among other related reporting tools.

The Software Engineer & Reporting Administrator serves as a technical liaison between IT and the various academic, student services, and business departments across campus. This role requires a proactive communicator who is comfortable leading meetings, gathering requirements, and translating complex business needs into effective software and reporting solutions. The engineers ability to communicate with customers in capturing new requirements based on changing business needs and new trends in technology is essential.

A defining expectation of this role is ownership. The engineer is responsible for the full lifecycle of the software they build — from initial design and development through deployment, maintenance, and long-term stewardship. This means taking accountability for the quality, reliability, and continued improvement of delivered solutions, and being the person colleagues can count on when critical work must be completed.

Beyond self-directed projects, a meaningful portion of this role is reactive by nature. The engineer is expected to respond to work order tickets, troubleshoot issues as they arise, and make improvements to existing systems when things aren’t working as intended. Balancing this day-to-day responsiveness with longer-term project work is a core part of the job, and strong customer service instincts are just as important as technical ability. The ideal candidate brings both technical depth and a collaborative spirit, and is eager to grow alongside an evolving technology environment. This position will also mentor any Computer Science interns that may work in the department.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Take end-to-end ownership of software built for the department — from requirements gathering and development through deployment, maintenance, and long-term stewardship. This role is accountable for the quality, reliability, and continued improvement of what it ships.
• Support, maintain, and enhance tools and integrations built on campus core platforms, including all systems listed above.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with campus departments to capture their needs and requirements.
• Design, develop, and deploy new software solutions and reporting systems that address operational needs across campus departments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for business users of core campus software, providing training, troubleshooting, and ongoing guidance.
• Administer and integrate core software applications, ensuring reliability, performance, and alignment with institutional goals.
• Partner with the Director of IT, the CFO, and department leads (Financial Aid, HR, Admissions, Student Life, Business Office) on special projects and cross-functional initiatives.
• Proactively monitor production systems to identify issues before they impact users, and refine solutions based on ongoing feedback.
• Develop and document policies, procedures, and workflows related to software usage and reporting practices.
• Write and maintain clear documentation for all software, systems, and integrations built or maintained in this role, ensuring continuity and ease of handoff.
• Test and debug software thoroughly before and after deployment, taking responsibility for identifying and resolving issues in a timely manner.
• Mentor Computer Science interns, providing technical guidance and professional development support.
• Take on additional responsibilities as organizational needs evolve — this role is expected to grow with the department.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a closely related field.

Technical Skills

Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in the following:

• Database & Query Languages: SQL, MySQL, SQL Server
• Programming Languages: Java, JavaScript, PHP
• Web Technologies: HTML/CSS; strong JavaScript skills are central to this role
• JavaScript Ecosystem: Proficiency with React for front-end development; working familiarity with Express.js is helpful, as it is used in select projects; Node.js is used as a runtime environment and package manager (npm), so general familiarity is expected rather than deep specialization
• REST APIs: Ability to both consume and build RESTful APIs is a firm requirement, as API development and integration appear across multiple projects in this role
• Server & Infrastructure: Comfort working in Windows and Linux environments; familiarity with Apache Web Server as it relates to application support and deployment is expected, though server administration is not a core responsibility of this role
• Version Control: Proficiency with Git and a platform such as GitHub is required; maintaining clean, organized, and well-documented code history is an expectation of the role
• Security Awareness: A general understanding of secure coding practices and data privacy is expected, given that this role handles sensitive student and institutional data across multiple systems

Experience

• 0–2 years of experience in an IT or software development role. Strong candidates who are recent graduates are encouraged to apply.

Competency Statement(s)

• Communication & Client Engagement: Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiences, facilitate productive meetings, and translate business requirements into actionable software solutions. Strong interpersonal skills are essential — this role works closely with colleagues across many departments with varying levels of technical literacy, and the ability to collaborate across those boundaries is key.
• Customer Service Orientation: A significant portion of this role is reactive. The engineer must be responsive, professional, and solution-focused when handling work order tickets, fielding requests, and supporting end users whose day-to-day work depends on the systems this role maintains.
• Time Management & Organization: Ability to prioritize and manage competing demands effectively — balancing incoming requests and tickets against ongoing and self-directed project work — without losing track of either.
• Independent Work Ethic: This role operates with a high degree of autonomy. The engineer is expected to manage their own workload, stay self-directed on projects, and make sound decisions without requiring close oversight on a day-to-day basis.
• Problem Solving: Approaches challenges proactively and methodically, with a track record of finding practical solutions under pressure.
• Adaptability & Willingness to Learn: Comfortable working in a dynamic environment, picking up new tools and frameworks quickly, taking ownership of tasks outside a formal job description as needed, and genuinely open to learning new programming languages or technologies as the role evolves.
• Accuracy & Attention to Detail: Produces work that is thorough, reliable, and well-documented.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Physical Abilities

Stand F

Walk F

Sit F

Handling / Fingering F

Reach Outward O

Reach Above Shoulder O

Climb O

Crawl

Squat or Kneel O

Bend O

Push / Pull

12 lbs or less F

13-25 lbs O

26-40 lbs O

41-100 lbs N

Lift /Carry

10 lbs or less F

11-20 lbs O

21-50 lbs O

51-100 lbs N

Over 100 lbs N

N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this occupation.

O (Occasionally) Occupation requires this activity up to 33% of the time (0 - 2.5+ hrs/day)

F (Frequently) Occupation requires this activity from 33% - 66% of the time (2.5 - 5.5+ hrs/day)

C (Constantly) Occupation requires this activity more than 66% of the time (5.5+ hrs/day)

EOE