Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.
Missing levels within the leveling matrix can be added based on business need.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

IT Consulting

The IT Consultant serves as a strategic adviser to colleges, administrative units, and campuses by analyzing business needs, evaluating technology capabilities, and recommending technology solutions that support institutional objectives; applies extensive knowledge of information technology, business processes, systems integration, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for operational improvement, business transformation, and technology enablement; serves as a trusted partner between stakeholders and technical teams to ensure technology investments align with strategic priorities, governance requirements, and long-term organizational goals.

• Partner with leaders, stakeholders, and functional units to understand strategic objectives, operational challenges, business processes, and technology requirements
• Analyze current-state business processes, workflows, systems, and technology environments to identify opportunities for improvement, optimization, automation, and innovation
• Evaluate and recommend technology solutions that align with organizational goals, enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, and operational needs
• Lead business and technical requirements gathering efforts for complex technology initiatives, system implementations, and business transformation projects
• Conduct feasibility studies, business case analyses, cost-benefit assessments, and technology evaluations to support informed decision-making and investment planning
• Collaborate in the development of requests for information (RFIs), requests for proposals (RFPs), and vendor evaluation criteria; participate in vendor selection, contract review, and solution assessment activities
• Serve as a trusted adviser to stakeholders by providing guidance on technology capabilities, implementation approaches, risks, governance considerations, and best practices
• Facilitate collaboration among business stakeholders, project teams, vendors, and other technology professionals to ensure successful solution delivery
• Assess technology solutions for scalability, maintainability, security, accessibility, compliance, integration capabilities, and alignment with enterprise standards
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and market developments; recommend strategies for adoption, modernization, and continuous improvement
• Contribute to technology roadmaps, strategic plans, governance frameworks, standards, policies, and technology investment priorities
• Develop and maintain business, functional, technical, and process documentation to support technology initiatives and organizational knowledge management
• Advise stakeholders on organizational change impacts, process redesign opportunities, technology adoption strategies, and implementation planning
• Collaborate with cybersecurity, infrastructure, enterprise architecture, data, and application teams to ensure solutions meet institutional requirements and standards
• Analyze service performance metrics, operational data, and stakeholder feedback to identify opportunities for service enhancements and technology optimization
• Design and deliver stakeholder communications, workshops, presentations, and training programs to support adoption of complex technologies and business processes
• Recommend and contribute to the development of technology governance practices, procedures, standards, and operating models that improve organizational effectiveness
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Principal Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Displays mastery of defined skill areas/applications, principles, theories and practices. Evaluates and enhances existing practices. Recognizes emerging trends in area of expertise. Works independently on complex or strategic assignments. Directs and delegates appropriate tasks to others. Implements strategies to ensure achievement of initiatives. Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and deliver to broad audiences. Identifies and implements innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Indirect supervisor for other full–time employees
– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers, volunteers, or a full–time employee

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Validates and pays invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets and funding
– May plan and forecast budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters complex and novel problems
– Applies policies, practices, specialized knowledge, and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations, and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices as guidelines as well as working knowledge to determine specific work methods
– Carries out work activities independently, with supervisor available to resolve problems
– Reviews work of others to verify technical soundness

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and area leads across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $102,936.00
• MidPoint – $128,688.00
• Maximum – $154,452.00

• Customer Service
• Information governance
• Organizational training
• Process design
• Project Management
• System design
• Technical development
• Technical support
• Vendor management