Senior Business Analyst

About Calamos
Calamos is a diversified, global asset and wealth management firm offering a wide range of innovative investment strategies. As one of the top liquid alternative asset managers in the world, Calamos maintains dedicated investment teams across all asset classes, with global research capabilities and access to specialized private and public markets. Calamos offers investment strategies and personal wealth management solutions through separately managed portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, private funds, and UCITS funds. Clients include major corporations, pension funds, endowments, foundations, and individuals, as well as the financial advisors and consultants who serve them. Headquartered in the Chicago metropolitan area (with offices in both Naperville and Fulton Market in Chicago), the firm also maintains offices in New York, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Portland, and the Miami area.
Summary of the Role
As Senior Business Analyst in Investment Systems, you'll be the critical bridge between our investment operations teams and technology—the person who translates complex trading workflows into system solutions that move billions in assets seamlessly through our platforms every day. This is where deep Charles River expertise meets real business impact.You're not just documenting requirements—you're the trusted advisor who Portfolio Managers, Traders, and Operations teams turn to when they need systems that work flawlessly under pressure. Think of yourself as part detective, part architect, part problem-solver: you'll dig into trading lifecycle nuances, design elegant solutions within Charles River's powerful framework, and ensure every configuration change enhances rather than disrupts our investment operations.This isn't a role for someone who just writes user stories. You'll be hands-on with Charles River configuration—building imports and extracts, crafting compliance rules, designing manager workbench layouts that make complex data instantly actionable. When production issues surface during your support rotation, you'll be the one who can quickly diagnose whether it's a data problem, a configuration issue, or a workflow gap—and know exactly how to fix it.We're seeking someone who combines Charles River mastery with genuine curiosity about investment management. You're someone who gets energized by understanding how a compliance rule prevents a regulatory violation, how a well-designed extract streamlines settlement workflows, or how the right result set can save portfolio managers hours of manual analysis. If you thrive at the intersection of financial operations and technology, and you're ready to make investment systems work better every single day, this is your opportunity.
Primary Responsibilities

• Configure and enhance Charles River systems including imports, extracts, Manager Workbench, layouts, result sets, reports, and compliance rules to meet evolving business needs.
• Translate business challenges into technical solutions by analyzing trading lifecycle workflows, operational processes, and system integrations across the investment management stack.
• Lead requirements gathering and documentation using Agile/Scrum methodologies, creating user stories that development teams can execute with confidence.
• Design and execute comprehensive test plans throughout the software development lifecycle, ensuring solutions meet both functional requirements and real-world trading scenarios.
• Serve as the go-to technical consultant for Trade Settlement, Operations, Compliance, Trading, and Portfolio Management teams—solving problems, optimizing workflows, and identifying enhancement opportunities.
• Monitor production platforms during support rotations, quickly diagnosing and resolving issues to maintain seamless operations.
• Leverage SQL expertise to conduct independent data analysis, validate system behavior, and uncover insights that drive better business decisions.
• Collaborate across IT and business teams on projects ranging from system upgrades to new functionality implementation, balancing business analyst, testing, and project coordination responsibilities.
• Stay current with Charles River capabilities and investment management best practices to continuously improve our technology solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, computer science, or related field required.
• 3+ years of hands-on Charles River configuration experience including imports, extracts, Manager Workbench, layouts, result sets, and reports.
• 1+ years of Charles River Compliance experience, including rule writing and regulatory workflow configuration.
• 6-8 years in investment management systems supporting operations, trading, and portfolio management functions.
• 6-8 years in business analysis including requirements gathering, functional specifications, test planning, and execution.
• 3-5 years managing projects through the full application development lifecycle from concept to production.
• Strong SQL skills with ability to independently query databases, analyze data, and validate system behavior.
• Deep understanding of trading lifecycle, settlement workflows, and investment operations.
• Solid grasp of Agile/Scrum methodologies with experience writing effective user stories.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities combined with meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills with ability to translate technical concepts for business audiences and business needs for technical teams.
• Proven ability to thrive in high-demand, fast-paced environments while managing multiple priorities.
• Quick learner who adapts rapidly to new technologies and evolving business processes.

Compensation Disclosure
The compensation for this role takes into account various factors, including work location, individual skill set, relevant experience, and other business needs. The estimated base salary range for this position is $140,000 - $160,000. Additionally, this position is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus.Please note that this is the current estimate of the base salary range intended for this role at the time of posting. The base salary range may be adjusted in the future.
Benefits
Calamos offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and employer-paid short and long-term disability), as well as retirement benefits (401(k) and profit sharing), paid time off, paid parental leave, and other wellness benefits.Equal Opportunity Employer

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