Individuals working as a Business Analyst III are responsible for serving as a liaison between the business community and the IT organization to translate business needs into IT requirements. They are involved as a project team member or lead in all phases of the design, development and implementation of technology solutions throughout the business case and development life cycle processes supporting one or more business functions and one or more highly complex business processes requiring design or integration of technical solutions that may cross multiple functions of the business.

Based on breadth and depth of understanding of business needs and processes, they collaborate with other IT professionals to determine if solutions currently exist (internally or externally) or whether new solutions are feasible. They take a broad perspective to determine how such solutions will impact existing work processes and systems, and how to manage the integration. They also research and make recommendations for buy vs. build decisions.

Business Analysis professionals are innovative, identifying and proposing technology-based business solutions. Through adaptable communication skills and the ability to translate between technical and business language, they work collaboratively, negotiating requirements across multiple groups.

Business Analysts must have a solid understanding of the client’s existing business processes, the key drivers and measures of success for the business, and the short- and long-term direction of the business and related technologies. They must have a working knowledge of the business area that they support and should be equally aligned with the IT department. Strong analytical, interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills are also required.

Responsibilities or duties

Planning:

• Conducts data gathering and analysis to understand business strategy and direction.
• Participates in short- and long-term planning sessions with clients to improve business processes.
• Develops business cases.

Liaison:

• Serves as the link between the business, third party vendors and the IT technical team.

Business Requirements:

• Assesses client needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes) to prioritize immediate business needs and recommends options, risks and cost vs. benefits.
• Develops, writes, and communicates business requirements and functional specifications for the design and implementation of business solutions.
• Analyzes customer’s operations to understand their strengths and weaknesses to determine opportunities for improvements.

Business Process:

• Analyzes and recommends improvements to business processes and models.
• Assists with prioritizing business process improvements.
• Documents current business processes and models.

Feasibility:

• Provides factual content to feasibility study for standard development projects and enhancements.
• Assists with drafting of proposals for evaluation by appropriate users and managers.
• Develops and assists in the presentation of business cases.

Testing:

• Reviews test plans and monitors testing process to ensure that business results are adequately tested with minimal risk.
• Develops user test cases and validates test results during user acceptance testing.

Qualifications or requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or another related field. Or equivalent work experience.
• Requires in-depth knowledge of business operations and systems requirements processes.
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English

Experience needed

• 3-6 years of relevant technical and business work experience.

• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally, as necessary.

• Conducts data gathering and analysis to understand business strategy and direction.
• Participates in short- and long-term planning sessions with clients to improve business processes.
• Develops business cases.
• Serves as the link between the business, third party vendors and the IT technical team.
• Assesses client needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes) to prioritize immediate business needs and recommends options, risks and cost vs. benefits.
• Develops, writes, and communicates business requirements and functional specifications for the design and implementation of business solutions.
• Analyzes customer’s operations to understand their strengths and weaknesses to determine opportunities for improvements.
• Analyzes and recommends improvements to business processes and models.
• Assists with prioritizing business process improvements.
• Documents current business processes and models.
• Provides factual content to feasibility study for standard development projects and enhancements.
• Assists with drafting of proposals for evaluation by appropriate users and managers.
• Develops and assists in the presentation of business cases.
• Reviews test plans and monitors testing process to ensure that business results are adequately tested with minimal risk.
• Develops user test cases and validates test results during user acceptance testing.

• Requirements gathering
• Business process mapping
• Data analytics
• Systems implementation
• Analytical skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Negotiation skills
• Communication skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or another related field. Or equivalent work experience.
• In-depth knowledge of business operations and systems requirements processes.
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English