Business Analyst 2

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Note: All official drafts, documents, and recommendations, as listed below, must be reviewed, finalized, and approved / accepted by appropriate BPA manager or other federal personnel with the authority to do so.

This position will provide project management and change control associated with several NERC compliance and cybersecurity initiatives: Firmware tracking, Vulnerability assessments and password management; as well as providing detailed analysis of the Cascade and BES (Bulk Electric System) data to determine where equipment is located and how much of a risk BPA has for non-compliance with NERC and BPA requirements and standards. To successfully advance the work, the BA in this position will perform the following:

Program Effectiveness:

Coordinate activities for BPA manager-assigned projects that enable goals or objectives to be accomplished within the prescribed time frame and funding parameters. Escalate concerns to appropriate BPA manager/federal personnel. Activities include:

Propose and monitor tasks and deadlines associated with new regulatory requirements, compliance violations, and process changes.

Build project sites, workflows, and document libraries in SharePoint.

Schedule meetings, prepare agendas, take, and distribute minutes, and track action items.

Compliance Analysis:

Monitor new and modified equipment to verify that configurations comply with CIP requirements.

Prepare plans to verify that compliance requirements are defined and documented, compliance plans are formally approved, and milestones are accomplished.

Interview Field personnel to identify what equipment is installed in the field, update system information as appropriate.

Design, draft, and recommend forms, reports, and/or tools to track progress and verify completion of mitigation activities for compliance violations.

Perform research in asset and maintenance databases to gather and organize information (i.e., recent maintenance, missing data, and trouble reports).

Assemble data from multiple sources and utilize advanced Excel, Power BI, or reporting applications to analyze data for potential violations, and to present data in a user-friendly format for evidence reviews.

Assist appropriate BPA manager / personnel with analysis of "problem equipment" data and verify whether there is enough information to formulate solution plans.

Develop, draft, and recommend records management procedures and schedules for filing, protection, and retrieval of records associated with equipment in the Field related to NERC.

Mark documents and maintain filing system(s), files, emails, and records in accordance with compliance requirements. Share and disperse documents only to appropriate personnel (those with a Lawful Government Purpose (LGP) to know). Mark and maintain all official records in accordance with the Information Security (INFOSEC) and Information Governance & Lifecycle Management (IGLM) standards and procedures. Validate official records are accurately maintained for auditing purposes.

Monitor and track versions and revisions of specialized software and firmware, verifying that updates are authenticated and processed in a timely manner.

Prepare for and support BPA during external and internal audits. Duties Include:

Searching databases,

Running reports,

Compiling evidence into electronic packets to be sent to auditors in advance of audits,

Compiling physical notebooks for auditors that contain evidence of who visited a substation,

Attending audit interviews, taking notes, and pulling reports.

Process Improvement, Project Management Support:

Create and improve processes used by immediate team for efficiency, consistency, and quality management.

Study existing procedures and processes; document findings and prepare recommendations for new systems or procedures to facilitate compliance with NERC requirements; assist BPA personnel with implementation of management-approved recommendations.

Collaborate and work closely with project sponsor(s), BPA manager, Project Managers, project teams and stakeholders to remove obstacles impacting timely project completion and to facilitate successful implementation(s).

Support other BPA North American Electric Reliability Corporation - Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERCCIP) teams to gain understanding on:

Current NERC-PRC (Protection and Control), NERC CIP, and Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requirements.

The need for a new BPA process or revision to existing BPA procedure(s).

New forms or revisions to existing forms that may be needed related to new BPA processes.

As new or revised solutions are proposed and adopted for NERC CIP related work:

Gather and document requirements.

Develop tools, such as spreadsheets, Access databases, Power BI, and SharePoint sites to support implementation. of BPA management-approved solutions, plans, and efforts.

Assist with drafting new or revising existing processes and procedures as requested.

Monitor project schedules to track completed tasks and forecast additional work that may be required.

Investigate, gather data, evaluate, and analyze whether BPA has successfully implemented solutions and/or mitigated risks initially identified; provide findings and any additional solution recommendations as noted or requested.

Review, research, and study existing processes and propose changes if necessary to achieve alignment between TT, TE, and TF (technology, engineering, and Field) organizations, present findings, and recommendations.

Requirements Gathering and Analysis:

Arrange, coordinate, and facilitate requirements elicitation workshops and present findings to appropriate BPA manager / personnel.

Analyze, facilitate, model, and organize information to elicit requirements; work with appropriate parties to facilitate resolution of conflicting team positions; and distinguish solution ideas from business needs.

Decompose high-level information into details and abstract up from low-level information to assist with resolution of solution vs. requirements conflicts.

Import data from various sources such as databases, SharePoint lists, and technical drawings; manipulate the data into automated or manually repeatable reports to be used for evidence reviews.

Facilitate resolution of project priorities and requirement conflicts among various stakeholders and project team members.

Complete documentation for project development efforts (including use cases, requirements, test plans, process maps, and desk procedures).

Compile, review, and analyze information in collaboration with BPA team members to, create/draft technical documentation for support system requirements, system design, system security, and operational manuals for a wide variety of software applications.

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Corresponding Experience (required on matrix)

A degree in Business Management, Business Administration, Computer Science, Cyber Security, Engineering, Organizational Development, or a closely related field is preferred.

5 years of experience is required with an applicable bachelor's degree.

7 years of experience is required with an applicable associate degree.

9 years of experience is required without a degree or applicable degree.

Experience should be consistent with the specific requirements of business analysis and progressively more technical in nature.

Required Technical Skills & Experience (required on matrix)

5 years of work experience in Information Technology business analysis or Cyber-Security business analysis.

Advanced computer skills and knowledge of automated data systems.

Preferred Skills & Experience (optional on matrix)

Experience in preparing for or participating in external audits.

Experience organizing cross functional meetings.

SharePoint experience.

Visio experience.

Familiarity or experience with NERC CIP standards.