Strategic Business Analyst

The Strategic Business Analyst is accountable to the Business Analysis Director and Program Managers for managing the work effort of a team of business analysts on large strategic initiatives. They also use advanced and broad domain knowledge as well as business analysis expertise to:

Provide coaching for business analysts on other projects and/or programs as needed, and

Contribute to continuously improving the business analysis process

Typically, the Strategic Business Analyst is assigned the most challenging work assignments and provides the top business analysis leadership role on programs and large projects.

Essential Duties:

Manages business analysis process on assigned programs and large/complex projects

Oversees or conducts the following

Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring

Works w/program manager and sponsor to identify stakeholders and scope

Represents team of analyst on a program to provide input to the project approach and schedule, including identifying analysis activities and individuals required to be involved in those activities

Identifies appropriate corrective action for business analysis activities to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget and scope

Requirement Gathering and Analysis

Requirements Management and Communication

Solution Assessment and Validation

Productivity Program Support

Assists with framework development for the program and leads assigned productivity initiatives

Relationship management for key assigned line of business and/or functional area(s) 5%

Center of excellence support

Coaching business analysts as needed on other projects/programs

Provides recommendations for and may lead efforts for continuous process improvements of the business analysis process

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in related field or equivalent experience.

Proficient in MS Office products such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Visio

Knowledge of defect tracking processes and tools

Ability to work in a highly collaborative environment and consult effectively with employees at all levels

General knowledge of business and IT systems

Strong attention to detail, motivation, and initiative

Interviewing skills, to talk with individuals and groups about their needs and ask the right questions to surface essential requirements information

Listening, observation, and oral communication skills, to understand what people say and to detect what they might be hesitant to say

Minimum of 8 years of business analysis experience working in a development environment Experience with financial systems preferred

Experience in developing user based applications, GUI, and web based applications

Knowledge of product management concepts and how enterprise software products are positioned and developed

Understands project management methodologies

Experience working with 3rd party and vendor relationships

Experience with both structured and Object Oriented analysis techniques

Proven experience in operational business process improvement

Knowledge of Six Sigma methodologies and other tools supporting fact based decisions

Previous experience leading a group of 2-3 business analysts

Leads a team of business analysts on complex projects or acts as a

Analytical skills, to critically evaluate the information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, decompose high-level information into details, abstract up from low-level information to a more general understanding, distinguish solution ideas from requirements, and to distinguish user requests from underlying needs

Facilitation skills, to lead requirements elicitation workshops

Organizational skills, to work with the vast array of information gathered during elicitation and analysis and to manage rapidly changing information

Excellent writing skills, to communicate information effectively to all levels of internal customers and technical staff as well as to external vendors

Interpersonal skills, to help negotiate priorities and to resolve conflicts among project stakeholders

Modeling skills, to represent requirements information in graphical forms that augment textual representations

Time management skills, to manage multiple tasks and responsibilities mentor by providing guidance and instruction to other business analysts.

Preferred Qualification:

Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)

Financial services or accounting industry experience