Systems Analyst

The Company
We're a housing association that provides more than 60,000 people in Sunderland with a place they can call home. We're a values-driven organisation, with a clear vision, a social purpose and a commitment to investing in people, place and property. We believe everyone has the right to live in a good quality home they can afford and invest millions of pounds every year in keeping our existing homes safe, secure, and compliant.
We're also playing our part in addressing the UK housing crisis locally, by building hundreds of new, modern and contemporary homes for rent in Sunderland - homes that meet the needs of local people. Not only do we provide vital housing - we support our tenants, residents and communities by investing in services that help people live their best possible life.
This includes helping people to work, victims of domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour, young people to live independently, as well as a wellbeing service that supports our elderly tenants and residents.
About the role:
Gentoo is a values-led, charitable organisation that provides more than 60,000 people in Sunderland with a place they can call home. We have a clear vision and a social purpose. We believe that everyone has the right to live in a good quality home that they can afford.
We have an opportunity for a Systems Analyst to join the Transformation and Technology team, based in our head office in Doxford Park, Sunderland. The role is offered on a hybrid working basis; therefore we are looking for candidates who can commute to our offices on a daily basis if required.
This is an exciting and rewarding role within a forward-thinking team who are always looking at innovative ways of delivering fantastic solutions within the business and evolving the sector at large. Reporting to the Systems Support & Implementation Manager, the Systems Analyst will work alongside System Owners and Systems Support Analysts. Working within the Solution Delivery team the Systems Analyst is responsible for analysing, designing, and implementing information systems to meet the needs of the organisation. This role involves collaborating with System Owners and Business Analysts to understand requirements, evaluating existing systems, and proposing solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
The role is subject to a basic DBS paid for by Gentoo.
Key responsibilities will include the following, a full job description is available to view at www.gentoogroup.com/careers
• System Management:
o Manage the day-to-day operation of key IT systems, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance.
o Support and maintain implementations of system monitoring tools to proactively identify and address issues before they impact users.
o Coordinate with vendors and internal teams to install, configure, and upgrade software and hardware components as needed.
• System Design and Development:
o Assist System Owners in designing system solutions and integrations that meet business requirements, considering factors such as scalability, performance, and security.
o Develop system models, diagrams, and prototypes to illustrate proposed solutions and facilitate stakeholder understanding and feedback.
o Deliver system change requests whether that be through configuration, low-code, collaborating with third parties or development teams to implement changes and enhancements, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Testing and Quality Assurance:
o Develop and execute test plans to validate system functionality and ensure that solutions meet business requirements.
o Conduct system integration testing to identify and address any issues or discrepancies between different components.
o Work closely with quality assurance teams to perform comprehensive testing and ensure the reliability and accuracy of system implementations.
• Implementation and Deployment:
o Assist the Product owner to plan, coordinate and upskill for the deployment of new systems, system updates and integrations ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
o Provide training and support to end-users to facilitate the adoption of new systems and processes.
o Monitor system performance post-implementation and address any issues or concerns that arise.
• System Maintenance and Support:
o Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting for existing systems, including diagnosing and resolving technical issues.
o Perform proactive regular system maintenance activities, such as software updates, patches, and configuration changes.
o Document system configurations, processes, and procedures to facilitate knowledge transfer and ensure operational continuity including knowledge articles and training sessions for 1st, 2nd and 3rd line support.
o Lead incident response efforts to quickly resolve system outages, functionality failures and minimise downtime. Keeping relevant stakeholders updated at the appropriate level.
What we are looking for:
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a equivalent experience.
• Experience with ITIL or other IT service management frameworks is preferred.
• Proven experience as a Systems Analyst or similar role, with a strong understanding of system development life cycle (SDLC) methodologies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically and propose innovative solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience with business process modelling tools and techniques (e.g., BPMN, UML).
• Knowledge of software development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall) and project management principles.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases, SQL queries, and data analysis tools.
Some of our great benefits include:

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme