Definition:  Under general supervision of the Project Management Office (PMO) Manager, provides analysis and testing coordination for IT projects within the COMPANY tribal government.  The Senior Business Analyst provides project management leadership with small to medium IT projects and handles higher-level analysis functions such as risk assessments and process reengineering.  Conducts business systems modeling, establishes solutions requirements, conducts analysis and coordinates testing for IT projects.  This job class is treated as FLSA Exempt.

Essential Functions:  Essential functions may vary among positions and may include the following tasks and other characteristics.  This list of tasks is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not intended to be comprehensive list of tasks performed by all positions in this classification.

Tasks:

1. Requirements Definition: Utilizes established departmental methods to conduct requirement assessments and develop associated documentation.

• Understanding business process management and business requirements of the customers and translating them to specific software requirements.
• Making sure that the solution recommended can be supported and maintained easily by COMPANY IT Staff.
• Documenting and analyzing the required information and data.
• Understanding the technical designs as well as the specifications.
• Evaluating the information gathered through workshops and surveys, business process description and task analysis.
• Effectively communicating with internal teams and external clients to deliver functional requirements like GUI, screen and interface designs.
• Very strong technical skills coupled with business intelligence and a deep understanding of customer’s needs so that they can be transformed into application and operational requirements.
• Acting as an interface between business units, technology teams and support teams.
• Developing requirements traceability to test cases.

1. IT Project Documentation:  Completes IT project  documentation including requirements documentation, test plan documentation, User’s Software Guides, As-Is and To-Be Process documentation, gap analysis, User Acceptance Test Cases and other related documentation.

1. Process Re-engineering:  Completes business modeling and process re-design including customer meetings and documentation.

1. Project Management:  Manages implementation of internally developed and third party application projects.  Manages small to medium IT projects utilizing COMPANY project methodology.  This includes scheduling, resource planning and management, budget management and contractor management.

1. Product Selection:  Completes the requirements gathering process and documents customer requirements to determine the applicable solution.  Works with the purchasing department to conduct the necessary RFPs to ensure compliance with the purchasing policy.

1. End-User Training:  Assists and/or instructs end-user training for IT projects.  This includes, but is not limited to, developing training plans and creating training material.

1. Research:  Conducts product analysis, cost-benefit analysis and product selection to ensure software application purchases are compatible with the COMPANY computing environment, meets user requirements and meets the long-range needs of the Community.

1. Testing:  Works with the Testing team to assist with the preparation of test plans and the testing of solutions to COMPANY guidelines and standards.

• Assists in the preparation of test plans and test scripts.
• Ensures high quality and accuracy is maintained through to software release.
• Prepares and maintains test plans for use on automated testing tools.
• Prepares a test plan and test scripts to test each software component and demonstrate the business condition under test and the expected results.
• Provides feedback to the development team and ensure the work is carried out in accordance with the schedule and the quality requirements.
• Provides estimates and feedback to the Development Manager for project scheduling purposes.

1. Communication:  Communicates and works with multiple levels within the government.

1. Mentors Customers: Mentors customers who are developing training materials and testing.

1. Mentors IT Staff:  Mentors and assists IT staff, including Development and Test Managers, with creating and using Use Cases as well as the development of UAT Test cases and Business Analyst I and II positions that are developing requirements and conducting testing for IT projects.

1. Problem Solving:  Identifies critical issues with ease.  Exhibits confidence and an extensive knowledge of emerging industry practices when solving business problems.  Pushes creative thinking beyond the boundaries of existing industry practices and client mindsets.

1. Leadership:  Provides leadership and promotes shared responsibility among the team.
   • Assumes the primary role of business analysis leadership.
   • Leads the effort in the development and enhancement of standards and procedures related to requirements definition, testing, process reengineering and training.
   • Continually seeks to further group empowerment and conflict resolution.
   • Functions as a unit team leader to assist in coordinating work and developing functional and technical team leads.  Organizes and manages interdepartmental activities to maintain project status and schedule.
   • Personifies leadership and promotes shared responsibility amongst teams.
   • Resolves problems, manages the consultant selection and management process, reviews preliminary design reports and prepares project status reports for project sponsors, management and Tribal Government Administration.
   • Listens and communicates effectively with a diverse group of people.
   • Evaluates overall and individual work performance to determine effectiveness in providing quality products within time and cost restraints.
   • Champions continuous improvement efforts within the PMO division, Information Technology department, and the Community.

1. Miscellaneous:  Performs other IT related tasks as assigned by the Program Management Office Manager and IT Director.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics:

• Knowledge of OOAD (Object Oriented Analysis & Design).
• Knowledge of structured test methods and processes.  Proven experience with testing complex user interfaces.
• Detailed knowledge of both Manual and Automated Testing.
• Experience creating training plans for applications with a large number of end users (1000+).
• Knowledge of conducting User Acceptance testing.
• Experience developing, executing and coordination testing and management and resolution of test issues.
• Knowledge of business and software modeling.
• Knowledge of the technical documentation process.
• Knowledge of project management including design, implementation planning and documentation.
• Knowledge of performing user needs assessment and evaluation as well as selection of third party software applications to meet user expectations.
• Knowledge of the development and management of technical training programs.
• Knowledge of SOX and /or SAS Controls.
• Experience creating use cases.

• Skill managing small to medium, complex IT projects.
• Skill teaching computer usage in one-on-one and classroom environments.
• Skill with verbal and written communication.
• Skill eliciting requirements from customers and end-users.
• Skill documenting requirements in the form of use cases, work-flows and other specification documents.
• Ability to effectively handle change management and requirements gathering.
• Ability to interact with computer users at all levels of staff and to work one-on-one and in a classroom environment.
• Ability to design and conduct testing to ensure compliance with SOX and/or SAS.
• Ability to defend test results and proof of test results.
• Ability to facilitate team and client meetings.
• Ability to deliver informative, well-organized presentations.
• Ability to tactfully communicate difficult and sensitive information.
• Ability to understand user issues and discover root-causes.
• Ability to use Microsoft Project 2010.
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2010.
• Ability to use Microsoft SharePoint 2007/2010.

Qualifications:

• Education:  A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Information Systems, Management of Information Systems, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Business Analysis or related discipline.

• Experience:  Seven (7) years of experience in business analysis.

• Seven (7) years’ experience performing business analysis in a business or academic environment.
• Seven (7) years’ experience creating and conducting solution testing (including user acceptance testing).

• Seven (7) of demonstrated expertise performing two of the following four tasks:

1. User End Training
2. Use Case Development
3. Process Analysis
4. Project Management
5. Product Selection, during the RFP Process (includes requirement gathering, evaluation, demo of solutions, etc.)

• Certification in business analysis (CBAP) preferred.

• Equivalency:  Any equivalent combination of education and experience that will allow the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the job may be considered.