Business Analyst bei State of Michigan, MI

About the Department

Under the direction of the Director of the Senate Business Office and Senate Information Services (SIS) Director and supervised by the Application Development Manager, the Business Analyst (BA) manages IT-related business processes for the Michigan Senate. The BA recommends business process improvements, performs detailed requirements analysis, documents processes, and performs cursory user acceptance testing to facilitate the Scrum Team’s project completion. The BA serves as the liaison between the end user and the Scrum Team to coordinate the development, testing, and implementation processes of the Scrum Team’s products. The BA participates in workgroups, documents process, translates data into system requirements, tracks and reports defects and enhancement requests, writes technical and user documentation as necessary, and develops and facilitates user education. The BA works collaboratively with the Product Owner, the Scrum Team, and all stakeholders. The BA represents the Product Owner when necessary. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS  

• Evaluates business processes, anticipates requirements, uncovers areas for improvement, and develops and implements technological solutions for legislative software systems
• Gathers detailed requirements and translates business needs to the Product Owner and the Scrum Team, offering input and constructive feedback to software developers with application interface design
• Identifies and adapts quality assurance methods and deliverables appropriate to scale of project, user needs, project manager direction, and developer requests 
• Participates in customer focus groups to identify and document current and future user requirements, business rules, and processes to support application development and quality assurance processes
• Translates customer focus group discussions and abstract ideas into a series of comprehensive, logical use scenarios for use in documentation and quality assurance testing
• Develops requirement documentation to implement or revise systems and applications 
• Researches and analyzes supporting data, workflows, and documentation as inputs into deliverables including requirements, testing, and system documentation
• Creates MiLENIA training materials and facilitates user education and in-services to ensure optimal utilization, as appropriate
• Works on multiple long-term projects demonstrating support for change and long-term enterprise objectives
• Promotes positive individual and team interactions with Legislative staff, developers, project managers, and user community 
• Provides customer support and problem resolution and participates in on-site late-night session support as needed

SECONDARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serves as the liaison between the Product Owner and the customer/user concerning technology requests, standards, expectations, and other matters related to the Scrum Team as necessary. 
• Performs other duties, as requested by the Application Development Manager

Position Duties

• At least three years of relevant Legislative experience
• At least three years of relevant Business Analyst experience preferred
• One or more years working on a Scrum team preferred
• Other combinations of education and experience evaluated on an individual basis

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience with Michigan’s legislative process and workflow structure
• Knowledge of Agile philosophy and Scrum practice
• Knowledge of information technologies concepts and information systems software
• Knowledge of the business functions and operation of the Senate and processes necessary to identify and recommend pertinent business process improvements compatible with an integrated computing environment
• Demonstrated understanding of Scrum implementation, project management, and quality assurance concepts
• Intermediate skill level in Microsoft Office professional and project management software tools
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with ability to build consensus, facilitate working sessions, and negotiate solutions and alternatives to maintain a positive professional work environment and favorable relations with coworkers, users and other stakeholders
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to research, analyze, and document complex business processes and data.
• Ability to apply technical knowledge, use creativity and resourcefulness, and exercise independent judgment to make sound decisions, articulate questions, expose assumptions, suggest improvements, and draw logical conclusions
• Ability to create and maintain technical and user system documentation and training materials. 
• Ability to provide user education to ensure optimal system utilization 
• Strong initiative and ability to be a self-starter to work on multiple application features with limited management oversight and changing priorities
• Ability to handle sensitive data and maintain confidentiality 
• Demonstrated commitment to customer service and professionalism with a goal of exceeding customer expectations
• Ability to stay up to date on the latest processes and IT advancements to automate and modernize systems as it relates to the BA role

Other Qualifications

This job description is not intended as a comprehensive list of all of the duties required of this position. Additional duties may be assigned from time to time, and the listed duties are subject to change at any time, with or without notice.

STATUS: Salaried, with a standard benefit package
SALARY: $70,000 - $95,000
GOVERNING CAUCUS: Nonpartisan

This is a non-civil service, at-will position.

Interested applicants, please submit a cover letter and resume with your application. Applicants who are selected for an interview will be asked to complete a skills assessment. 

The Michigan Senate considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, height, weight, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. If you are a person with a qualified disability, you may request any needed reasonable accommodation to participate in the application, testing, and/or interview process by contacting the Senate ADA Coordinator at 517-373-1675.