Program Associate I - Integration Specialist, ESE Systems & Analytics

The Program Associate I - Integration Specialist supports the ESE Systems & Analytics team within the Student Data & Accountability division by building and maintaining the data pipelines and system integrations that connect PowerSchool Special Programs (PSSP) to the district’s broader data infrastructure. The team is responsible for the administration, integration, reporting, and end-user support of PSSP, which is the district’s primary platform for special education data management, and serves as the data quality and systems bridge between the ESE division and the Student Information Services team.

The Integration Specialist builds and maintains the connections between PSSP and other district systems, automates manual data movement, and develops PSSP-native operational reports. As the district works toward building MTSS infrastructure, this role will support the data connections needed to track pre-referral interventions alongside special education records. This role works in close coordination with the Program Supervisor and the Senior Director and operates as the team’s primary technical resource for data extraction, pipeline development, and platform-to-platform integration. Success in this role requires strong technical skills in data integration, a demonstrated ability to work across systems with different architectures, and a willingness to develop working knowledge of special education data requirements on the job., * Build and maintain data pipelines between PSSP and other district systems, including the SIS, data warehouse, and ancillary platforms, using API-based, flat-file, or ETL-based approaches

• Negotiate and implement scheduled data exports from PSSP to the district’s data environment, ensuring that data flows reliably and on the cadence required for reporting and compliance monitoring
• Develop and maintain automated data feeds that replace manual processes ¿ including contractor onboarding data, service delivery records, and other recurring data exchanges between systems
• Build and maintain data connections that support pre-referral intervention tracking alongside special education records ¿ exploring approaches within PSSP and other existing systems as the district works toward a consistent MTSS framework.
• Coordinate with the Student Information Services team and other technical partners to ensure that changes on either side of a system integration are managed without breaking downstream data flows
• Troubleshoot integration failures, data mismatches, and synchronization issues, documenting root causes and implementing fixes that prevent recurrence
• Support the Program Supervisor on PSSP backend configuration tasks that require an understanding of the platform’s data structure, particularly where configuration changes affect data extraction or reporting
• Build and maintain operational reports inside PSSP, including single-level and multi-level reports, that surface data needed for compliance monitoring, count preparation, ESE partner team operations, and MTSS monitoring prior to determinations for special education eligibility.
• Validate reports against known cases and expected outputs before they are used for decision-making; document report logic and data definitions so that outputs can be interpreted accurately by non-technical users
• Maintain technical documentation for all integrations, pipelines, and automated processes, including data dictionaries, source-to-target mappings, and process logs
• Identify manual data processes that could be automated and propose integration solutions that reduce operational burden across ESE partner teams
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Director, ESE Systems & Analytics

Security Clearance:

Internal Applicants, Successful candidates are required to submit official transcript(s) at point of offer to hire. Teaching service outside of the Detroit Public Schools Community District must be verified by the applicant’s prior employer(s) prior to hire. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all documentation (including copies) as requested.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a focus in computer science, information systems, data engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of two to three (3) years of experience in data integration, systems administration, or a closely related technical role
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining data pipelines between systems, including API-based, flat-file, or ETL-based approaches
• Proficiency in SQL and at least one scripting or development language (e.g., Python, JavaScript) for data extraction, transformation, and automation
• Ability to work with large-scale data systems and troubleshoot integration failures, data mismatches, and synchronization issues
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose technical root causes and propose effective solutions
• Ability to communicate technical processes and findings clearly to non-technical partners
• Experience with PowerSchool products: PowerSchool SIS, PowerSchool Special Programs, or equivalent student information or case management platforms (preferred)
• Familiarity with special education data workflows, compliance timelines, or IEP-related processes (preferred)
• Experience with report development inside a student information or case management platform (preferred)
• Knowledge of Michigan state reporting requirements, including CEPI data submissions and pupil accounting processes (preferred)
• Familiarity with data warehouse environments and dashboard tools such as Power BI (preferred)
• Familiarity with MTSS frameworks and tiered intervention data systems (preferred)

Salary: $75,048 - $98,163