Application Systems Analyst

COMPANY

Cottonwood Financial, headquartered in Las Colinas, Texas, is a privately held financial services company that is a leader in the retail consumer finance industry. We currently provide multiple loan products, including Payday Advances, Auto Equity loans, and Secured/Unsecured Installment loans, available at over 200 company owned locations. We are continuing to expand our product and service offerings.  We are also actively engaged in a high-volume, rapid retail rollout of new locations to significantly increase the footprint of our company throughout the United States in both existing and new markets. 

 

KEY COMPANY FACTS

·  Named to Dallas Business Journal’s “Top 100 Fastest Growing Businesses” for five consecutive years.

·  Revenues have doubled since 2004

·  Profitable every year since inception 

·  Company is privately held and has no debt - growth funded through internal capital

·  Over 200 locations in 8 states with plans to expand to 1,000 locations by the end of 2013

·  Locations are company owned – no franchises

·  Existing management founded the company in August 1996 - first store was opened in January 1997

·  Approximately 100 employees in Corporate Office and 430 employees in the field 

·  Corporate Office has 38,000 square feet

 

BENEFITS

Include medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, 401(k) with company match, and a business casual work environment

 

KEY COMPETITORS

QC Financial Advance America Check ‘n Go   Check Into Cash Inc.

 

INDUSTRY

The consumer loan industry’s Payday Advance segment emerged in the early 1990’s and has grown as a result of robust consumer demand and changing conditions in the financial services marketplace.  Payday Advances are typically small, unsecured, short-term cash advance until payday.  Customers choose a Payday Advance as a low cost alternative to costly bounced-check fees, late payment penalties, and other less desirable short-term credit options.  Today industry analysts estimate that more than 22,000 payday advance locations across America extend about $40 billion in short-term credit to millions of middle class households experiencing cash-flow shortfalls between paydays. To learn more about the industry, please visit the Community Financial Services Association of America website at  http://www.cfsa.net/about_payday_advance.html.

 

POSITION

As a result of our explosive growth plans, we are adding an Application Systems Analyst position. This position, reporting to our Director of Information Systems and Technology, will be responsible for analysis and data corrections on our primary POS systems.  Inquiries originate from the field (front office), in the accounting and operations management groups (back office), and in the various automated processes and software systems used by the company.  Data corrections are electronically or verbally communicated.  Entering and tracking the status of the corrections in the data tracking systems is integral to success.  

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

·  Primary duties include determine root cause of errors submitted or otherwise discovered

·  Provide remedial efforts of correcting employee and/or application errors

·  Perform research related to correction requests and determine current status of transactions and balances on accounts

·  Assist in the creation of automated and electronic processes for repetitive fixes

·  Utilize various tools, scripts, queries to track potential problems and determine the extent of their occurrences

·  Work to improve processes and procedures

·  Assist with the rollout of new applications and products

·  Offer suggestions for improvement in processes, and system setup, to provide a higher quality of service to our stakeholders

·  Application maintenance and modification using VB.NET programming language

·  Assist in the optimization of our software configuration (includes settings, table structure, products, reporting, issues, bugs, and other defect repair and alternative processes if required)

·  Develop and document testing scenarios for the Development/Testing group and assist with testing as needed

·  Provide ongoing reporting and metrics related to departmental goals and objectives

·  Understand, and explain procedures in writing or verbally

·  Develop documentation of systems, policies, procedures 

·  Manage tasks related to software deployment

·  Utilize skills to Troubleshoot, and/or solve problems creatively  

 

REQUIREMENTS

·  Degree in computer science or related field

·  Experience in SQL (T-SQL) Scripts, and/or Programming

·  Experience in programming using VB.NET

·  Must be able to understand and explain procedures in writing or verbally

·  Ability to work in a team environment

·  Ability to communicate with all levels within the organization 

·  Based in DFW area (no relocation)

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

·  Application systems analysis experience in a Retail and/or Financial Services environment

·  SQL scripting and reporting

·  Creative problem solver

·  Willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends



 

COMPENSATION

Salary will be commensurate with experience; up to $48,700.