Business Analyst 3 - - Organization Strategy/Business Process/Business

Perform all analytical tasks related to a project, including requirements definition, validation, management and supporting documentation (i.e. process flows, user stories, use cases) and related testing; assist corporate management with implementation activities that contribute to system, process, and/or business improvements. Collaborate with subject matter experts to establish the technical vision and analyze potential tradeoffs between usability and performance needs; work with appropriate corporate manager / personnel to reconcile and determine acceptable “tradeoffs”.

Job Title: Business Analyst 3 - Organization Strategy/Business Process/Business Transformation
Job Number: 12076
Location: Vancouver, WA
Onsite: 5 days per week

Overtime: 10%
Travel: Up to 10% occasional overnight travel to a second control center
Length: Up to 5 years 

MUST be US Citizen to be eligible to apply for Federal Background Check
 
Requires Real ID and or Valid Passport to interview 

SUMMARY
 
This contract Business Analyst 3 position is located in the corporate Operational Technology (OT) Application Services organization and will provide Business Analysis support for projects under the OT Application Services Program. The position will guide business stakeholders and facilitate gathering and analyzing information using standard tools and approaches to help clarify business operations, functions, perform gap analysis, document/map the current and future states, identify solution alternatives, evaluate the alternatives, and define processes.  In addition, this position concentrates on collecting and analyzing data, analyzing workflow, and developing process analysis and decision support information and documents. This position will also assist the Application Services Manager and Supervisors in overall OT organizational analysis, strategy, and development
 
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Facilitate large teams in problem solving and improvement opportunities using industry methodologies (i.e. Agile, Scrum, Kanban, GE Workout or like tools/models).
• Perform organizational maturity analysis, assess gaps, and draft maturity roadmaps based on corporate management goals and objectives (examples; ITIL, P3M3, CMMI).
• Provide analysis and support in the development / draft and recommendation of tools for organizational alignment, strategic content, alignment of capabilities and work, and a roadmap for success. 
• Research background and interview end-users, stakeholders and other interested internal parties (customers) to gather and understand customer / end-user requirements, which may include software solutions and/or business process, procedure or workflow development; present solution recommendations for corporate management, executive, stakeholder consideration and approval.

• Collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), other analysts, specialists and teams to perform root cause analysis and lessons learned, as part of identifying opportunities to apply business or process improvement strategies.

• Support the structure for, facilitate the planning of, and provide assistance with development / draft, recommendation and implementation of corporate management approved initiatives, studies, analyses, and projects supporting business and process analysis and continuous improvement efforts.
• Evaluate and assess business process change impacts and recommend appropriate change mitigation activities.
• Plan, facilitate and conduct working sessions to analyze and document/map current state processes and value streams, and future state processes and value streams.
• Evaluate and assess business process change impacts and recommend appropriate change mitigation activities.
• Perform all analytical tasks related to a project, including requirements definition, validation, management and supporting documentation (i.e. process flows, user stories, use cases) and related testing; assist corporate management with implementation activities that contribute to system, process, and/or business improvements.
• Provide background information, technical input, options and recommendations that facilitate decision-making and that will enable key requirements of improvement projects, project milestones and/or implemented solutions to be met. As requested, perform appropriate testing of recommended and/or management-approved solutions, which may include creating / drafting and recommending new analytical tools or components, new or revised workflows, processes, standards, business-case criteria, and/or mitigation measures.
• Facilitate the definition and documentation of business and functional requirements. Conduct user/stakeholder interviews and facilitate joint requirements sessions.
• Create requirements documentation, review with user representatives, recommend priorities and obtain user signoff. Monitor the requirements documentation created and map it to specific delivery releases and schedules.
• Create use cases, process models and activity diagrams to support a project, coordinate efforts with business process activities when needed. Verify with user representatives that use cases and process models accurately portray specific business processes.
• Work with staff and user representatives to verify that all user requirements are accommodated. Participate in user/stakeholder review of program/project artifacts and obtain signoff.
• Trace acceptance criteria to business and functional requirements and support the development of test plans.
• Provide input to program/project managers on schedules and program/project plans with particular emphasis on analysis-related activities.
• Collect and develop detailed descriptions and specifications of user needs, business rules, functionality and steps required to develop or modify business solutions.
• Develop and maintain effective client and stakeholder relationships. Work with clients and stakeholders to understand and facilitate requirement changes including changes in scope.
• Translate business requirements into definitions and solutions.   Identify problems, research alternatives, prepare presentations, recommend and assist corporate management with implementing solutions.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to establish the technical vision and analyze potential tradeoffs between usability and performance needs; work with appropriate corporate manager / personnel to reconcile and determine acceptable “tradeoffs”.
• Draft and recommend key project deliverable documents including: requirements, process diagrams, workflow maps, project plans, and change management plans.
• Develop /draft approximate documentation to validate repeatability of processes, to facilitate training of new analytical tools and to support business continuity and knowledge transfer.
• Work with appropriate corporate manager / personnel to facilitate resolution of conflicting priorities and requirements, as well as conflicting team positions in order to build consensus among stakeholders and project team members.
• Develop reports, for corporate management, supporting organizational goals monitoring and metrics development and tracking.
• Provide technical writing, coordination, and interpretation, on documents supporting organizational goals and mission.

Information Quality Control and Stewardship

• Inventory and evaluate the information needs of the division's business programs and functions.  Evaluate business processes for gaps in maintaining information quality control and quality assurance.  Recommend cost effective changes in processes and procedures to address such gaps.
• Design and maintain performance metrics on the quality of key business information.  Create, maintain and periodically present executive dashboards of those performance metrics to management.
• Provide briefings, as requested, to staff and managers on information quality to raise awareness, transfer knowledge on information quality fundamentals and/or best practices. 

Data Call and Survey Coordination

• Provide support to the division’s organizations and personnel dealing with data calls and industry surveys.  This entails review and analysis of existing documentation, evaluation of any new/changing requirements, enlistment of appropriate subject matter expert input, and drafting the Control Center responses.
• Organize, monitor, analyze, evaluate and report on performance towards data call artifacts collection and processes
• Keep process artifacts up-to-date and of adequate quality (reliable, consistent, and useful); provides secondary back-up to program roles when primary and back-up staff is unavailable.

Asset Strategy Support

• Provide support for the Transmission Technology Asset Strategy program for the division’s organizations as needed.  This requires familiarity with Transmission’s Asset Strategy program goals, objectives, and measures.  Verifies information used is reliable, consistent and useful.  May be required to review, analyze, evaluate, and organize program information 

Education & Corresponding Experience 

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Accounting, Computer Science, Engineering or a directly-related technical field is preferred. 
• With an applicable Associate’s Degree, 10 years directly related experience is required. 
• With an applicable Bachelor’s Degree, 8 years directly related experience is required.
• Without a degree, 12+ years of directly related experience is required.
• Experience should be consistent with the specific requirements of business analysis and progressively more technical in nature 

Required Skills & Experience  

• Intermediate proficiency in Visio (flowcharts), MS Project, Access, and SharePoint 

Preferred Skills & Experience  

• Demonstrated experience with project and change management approaches, tools and phases of the project lifecycle
• Experience in the software development or electric utility industry
• Technical interviewing skills:
• Possess functional/process interviewing skills in the business environment
• Possess ability to facilitate groups through process design and requirements gathering sessions
• Possess analytical skills to analyze data, identify quality assurance/quality control issues, and identify failure or maintenance trends.
• Strong technical writing skills and the ability to present information in various forms such as textual, graphical and statistical
• Self-directed and assertive in pursuit of root cause analysis, missing information and data requirements
• Demonstrated expertise with logical process modeling concepts sufficient to aid in the documentation and development of business and system requirements
• Ability to distinguish key interactions and connectives among technical solutions involving hardware, networks, telecommunications, controls, security and applications
• Experience with large-scale organizational change efforts
• Experience with the Prosci methodology for Change Management is a plus
• Experience with project management, tools and phases of the project lifecycle
• Understanding of how people go through a change and the change process; including familiarity with change management toolkits.
• Skilled in the definition and development of operational governance models to enable programmatic change
• Strong analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision making abilities 

Additional Requirements: 

• Valid U.S. Driver’s License is required 

 
Pre-Employment Requirement
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of our pre-employment screening that may include drug testing, background/criminal check, and if applicable, must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
 
APR Staffing is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
 
About APR Staffing
APR Staffing was born from the merger of two well-respected technical staffing firms in Portland. ieSolutions and Data Resource Group. Both companies have recently been award winners for the Portland Business Journal's Fastest-Growing Private Companies. The two firms, now as APR Staffing, make for one of the fastest-growing and most-respected professional and technical staffing companies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
 
Collaborating with our customers, we augment their workforce with technical and administrative professionals. We provide only high-caliber, professional-grade resources throughout the Pacific Northwest.