IT Business Analyst II

Overview:
Summary of Responsibilities:

Collaborates with stakeholders to identify and articulate business and stakeholder requirements, as well as identify the solutions that will maximize the value delivered.  This includes interviewing stakeholders, eliciting, analyzing, specifying and validating business, stakeholder, solution and transition requirements, and communicating those requirements to solution/development teams through the software development life cycle (Agile, Waterfall, Iterative).

Applies proven communication, modeling, analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, negotiation, influence and leadership skills to ensure stakeholder expectations are met.  Produces requirements on medium-to-large, semi‑complex Enterprise projects that require planning, elicitation, documentation, analysis and management of business.  Acts as a liaison between the business customer and InformationTechnology (IT) project team(s) by building cooperative, constructive, effective working relationships with internal and external customers.  Ensures IT understands the business and stakeholder requirements and resolves any gaps in understanding.  Guides and advises less-experienced BAs.  Responsible to make an established range of decisions, escalating to management when necessary and updating Manager on a regular basis. 

Responsibilities:
Position Responsibilities:

·         Responsible for planning and monitoring activities for business analysis activities.  Chooses a business analysis approach that is appropriate for the change.  Performs a stakeholder analysis to determine potential types and areas of impact associated with the change.  Builds a strong relationship with the project manager to ensure a common understanding of the goals, objectives and scope of a change initiative.

·         Responsible for elicitation of business requirements and related activities.  Uses a variety of elicitation techniques to identify the characteristics of the change.  Confirms and communicates what the stakeholders’ needs are.  Identifies and cultivates relationships with key stakeholders; forms and asks probing questions and actively listens to responses.

·         Responsible for activities related to business requirements management and communication.  Translates business concerns, questions and desires into clear stakeholder requirements through use cases, process diagrams, functional requirements and others.  Defines relationships between various types of requirements. Traces requirements to business objectives, test cases and solutions.  Assesses the value, urgency and risk associated with each individual requirement.  Evaluates new and changing requirements for impact to projects. Works with stakeholders to reach approval and agreement on requirements.  Acts as a liaison between the stakeholder and project team(s) to ensure understanding of the requirements will result in an effective solution.

·         Responsible for requirements analysis and design definition.  Analyzes the needs in order to recommend a solution or a range of solutions.  Analyzes and quantifies the potential value of the solution options.  Models and/or tailors requirements so they are understandable and usable by each stakeholder group.

·         Coordinates and facilitates meetings with representatives from all levels of the organization, vendors and regulatory agencies as required to support planning, validation/acceptance and final deployment processes.

·         Provides support, mentoring and guidance to project teams and incumbents.

Performs other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications:
Selection Criteria:

Minimum of seven years of business analysis experience in IT or a business environment.

Proven ability to do a stakeholder analysis, select a project approach and estimate BA effort.

Demonstrated experience writing requirements documents. Requirements are well formed, cohesive, complete, consistent, feasible, modifiable, unambiguous and testable. 

Proven understanding of the distinction between requirements: business, stakeholder, solution (functional and non-functional) and transition.

Demonstrated ability to lead requirements gathering/definition workshops, focus groups and/or process diagramming workshops involving both business stakeholders and delivery teams.

Proven ability to construct business process models.

Demonstrated ability to understands and utilizes decision analysis techniques.

Demonstrated ability to manage requirements in Waterfall, Agile and/or Iterative Software Development Methodologies.

·         Proven ability to problem solve by defining basic steps and/or providing examples where techniques were used.

·         Demonstrated ability to grasp technology concepts such as database, table driven code, testing tools, security, and/or computer programming concepts. 

Proven ability to assist in conducting research on software and hardware products to meet agreed upon requirements and to support purchasing efforts.

Demonstrated ability to assist with the interpretation of requirements into feasible options, considering technical and business constraints, and communicates options to the stakeholders.

Proven ability to effectively present solution options and recommendations to stakeholders.

Demonstrated ability to construct specifications, models, diagrams, and charts to communicate needs to solution designers, developers and testers.

Proven ability to maintain and reconcile forward and backward traceability of requirements.

·         Demonstrated experience with requirements analysis/management tools.

·         Proven ability to assess/perform peer review of requirements done by others.

·         Demonstrated ability to engage, elicit, validate and present findings to senior leadership.

·         Proven strong verbal and written communication skills with proven ability to convey information to clients, internal and external stakeholders, in a clear and concise manner.

·         Demonstrated ability to reduce uncertainty and to manage ambiguity. Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions.

·         Demonstrated experience setting goals and successfully implementing and achieving goals.

·         Demonstrated adaptability to adjust to multiple demands/deadlines, shifting priorities, ambiguity and rapid change.

·         Demonstrated experience creating and working in a team culture that is committed to collaborative cross-functional relationships and service excellence.

·         Proven strong attention to detail with excellent organization skills.

·         Demonstrated strong awareness and business understanding in regards to the domains that they work in/ with.

·         Demonstrated knowledge and experience of various insurance industry systems, insurance and annuity products and/or the product development process, is not required, but helpful.

·         Proven ability to mentor and coach less-experienced BAs.

·         Demonstrated ability to participate in recruiting and interviewing candidates for BA positions.

Work Setting:

Works in an office setting and remains in a stationary position for long periods of time while working at a desk, on a computer or with other standard office equipment, or while in meetings.

Performs frequent keyboarding work requiring the ability to make repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

Occasionally moves about to accomplish tasks, particularly moves from one workstation to another.

Educational Requirements:

·         Bachelor degree in Business, Finance or IT preferred, or commensurate experience.

·         If no degree, minimum of three years of professional business and/or IT experience is required.

Computer Skills and Knowledge of Hardware & Software Required:

·         Proven skills in documentation, spreadsheet and database applications.

·         Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, Word, Visio and PowerPoint).

·         MS SharePoint and Access experience is helpful.

Certifications & Licenses (i.e., Series 6 & 63, CPA, etc.):

·         PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®, IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) or IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA®) designation preferred, not required.

·         An insurance-related certification (e.g., FLMI, CLU or related industry designation) is not required, but helpful.

Position Demands:

·         Extended hours required during peak workloads or special projects.

 

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