Work Location: Waverly, Iowa
We are seeking an uncommon professional to join our team as a IT Business Analyst.
This position is a full time employment position located at our Heritage Way office in Waverly, Iowa, in our IT area that supports our Life & Health and Annuity systems area. The IT Business Analyst will work with a team of 4 other business analysts and 6 application developers handling corporate, product, or functional based projects. Gathering requirements for these projects is part of the role. Interfacing with stake holders and management is also part of the day-to-day duties. In addition to skills found in Business Analysis work the following would be preferable: strong mathematical aptitude due to nature of the products, prior application development experience, insurance/financial industry experience and product management experience.
Job Responsibilities
1. Work collaboratively with business resources and IT to define and document requirements for projects and operational functions. Elicit, analyze, document, validate, and prioritize business needs to support the development of requirements used to analyze feasibility of alternatives and identify solutions. This includes reviewing the current environment, identifying possible alternative solutions, providing technical information to the cost and benefit process to meet business needs, and making a recommendation of the best solution available. In addition to driving the initial investigation and analysis, work with steering committees, project teams, and team leaders to prioritize requests and estimate resources.
2. Effectively utilize the Requirements Management and System Development methodologies to deliver complete requirements which meet the business and project goals and objectives. Use technical concepts and techniques such as context diagrams and use cases to scope, communicate, and document requirements. Effectively use technology to support the process and achieve the expected results within the identified timeframe.
3. Understand established business rules governing the set-up of systems. Research system functionality and evaluate its use in support of projects requiring changes to products or processes or resolution to problems. Provide system set-up for rules, tables, and fields in support of product, process, or technology changes. Perform system maintenance in support of operational functions. Design, generate, and analyze system reports to meet business needs, and maintain documentation as defined by business process, system, and product owners. Maintain awareness of ongoing development and maintenance activities.
4. Serve as a liaison between business resources and IT to understand production problems and offer alternatives for short-term and long-term solutions. Identify process improvement opportunities to improve quality, enhance service, and eliminate non-essential tasks. Work with other business analysis and testing staff within the PMO environment in support of projects and business operations, and in coordination with the quality assurance phases of test planning, testing, defect resolution, and test tracking. Stay abreast of system changes implemented by other teams.
5. Assist in the development of training materials and maintenance of business system documentation. Help with the delivery of business system training.
Job Requirements
1. Bachelor s degree in Business Administration, Management Information Systems, or trade-off in related professional work experience.
2. 3 years of project-related work experience in business analysis, process design, quality assurance, or technology
development.
3. Demonstrated ability to effectively use and practice the Requirements Management methodology.
4. Demonstrated knowledge of the Project Management methodology.
5. Thorough knowledge of technical concepts, including knowledge of business systems and processes, product lines, and understanding of company operations, and ability to understand mathematical formulas and complex algorithms.
6. Demonstrated organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
7. Demonstrated planning skills and ability to multi-task and work independently.
8. Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills.
9. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and customer service skills, and ability to work with individuals from all areas and
levels of the company.
10.Ability to create alliances and establish and contribute to a high degree of teamwork and collaboration with diverse groups.
Skill/Experience Preferences
11. Exceptional mathematical ability preferred.
12. Understanding of Life & Annuity products is strong plus.
13. Prior application/software development experience is a plus.
14. Product Management experience preferred.
15. Finance or Insurance industry experience preferred.