IT Business Analyst

IT Business Analyst

Background to the role:

·         This position is an IT analyst role working with a team of analysts, developers, project managers, subject matter experts and product specialists.

The primary responsibilities of the role include:

·         Defining the business problem, scope the business solution and help formulate business cases for IT steering;

·         Identifying options to address the business problem and help the business critically assess those options, including, understanding the impact of a proposed change on business processes, on customers and on a commercial basis.

·         Developing good working relationships with all stakeholders, including senior business stakeholders, SME’s, development teams, project managers and relevant 3rd party suppliers.

Key responsibilities:

·         Design and deliver appropriate business solutions to meet business needs whilst ensuring current designs work with the approach within the product solutions

·         Work with business users, SME’s, senior business representatives, development team, project managers and relevant 3rd parties to scope, propose and record solutions to the problem statements

·         Question pre-conceived ideas on requirements to ensure the best possible solution and/or all gaps are identified

·         Drive out solutions and estimates for new initiatives, projects and products

·         Sit with SME’s and other business users to understand the current process, and document these in a clear, concise manner

·         Specifying/designing optimum business and software solutions

·         Completing impact assessments and gap analysis for project related requirements and change requests

·         Adhere to and support IT analysis standards and quality processes and best practice in business analysis

·         Facilitate requirements gathering meetings with the business to develop high quality requirements specifications as required within scheduled time-frame and budget

·         Initiate, request and co-ordinate the organisation of meetings and workshops as required

·         Work with SME’s, development team, test team to produce functional requirements, and ensure that these are agreed, with a focus on the impact on current processes and procedures

·         Work closely with technical team to ensure business needs and technical solutions are appropriately aligned

·         Support testing, including user acceptance testing, ensuring that there is a focus on both the original requirements and benefits

·         Identify, investigate and progress through to resolution any issues that arise

·         Provide support for systems integrations and implementations

·         Support analysis team members, provision of technical expertise and guidance – review and agree outputs of junior team members

·         Support project, programme and product management as required

Key Requirements:

·         At least 4-6 years IT experience and at least 3 years in a similar role

·         Experience of working with business customers and technical delivery resources

·         IT related 3rd level qualification (e.g. computer science degree or similar)

·         Broad knowledge and understanding of Life and Pensions industry processes and market development

·         Excellent analytical and problem solving skills

·         Experience in documenting Business Processes

·         Takes personal responsibility for accuracy and quality

·         Flexibility and experience of managing changing priorities effectively

·         Capable of working independently with minimal supervision, and providing supervision, direction and support to other members of the team

·         Ability to quickly learn new functional areas

·         Interest and curiosity in learning new systems and skills

·         Strong business acumen and customer focus

·         Thorough understanding of the software development life cycle, and different software development methodologies and frameworks

·         Excellent continuous improvement experience, including best principles

Skills / Knowledge:

·         An experienced analyst, who has worked in a variety of environments and can demonstrate an ability to develop an in-depth understanding of our overall applications

·         Highly motivated

·         Confident in hosting requirements gathering workshops with the business

·         Must have broad understanding of the full software development lifecycle

·         Ability to manage our clients expectations

·         Can demonstrate effective organisational skills

·         Very strong team player

·         Excellent business process mapping and notation skills – Experience in performing business modelling and the generation of AS-IS -> TO-BE operating scenarios

·         Self-starter and willing to take initiative in problem identification and solutions provision using a systematic and organised approach to their work

·         Display a “can do” attitude

·         Proficient in Visio

Desirable Requirements:

·         IT and/or project management qualification

·         A sound knowledge of financial services sector

·         Experience delivering to tight project timescales

·         Wire framing

·         ISEB qualification