Senior Business Analyst

The Senior Business Analyst role will work with business partners to develop requirements and specifications for new or enhanced systems. This role will have in-depth knowledge of current business analysis practices and tools including software development methodologies (SDLC). The business analyst will elicit, document and manage requirements in the course of these projects.

The business analyst will work closely with Project Managers, Business Partners, Quality Assurance and IT development staff to build or enhance software systems that meet the client's requirements.

- The Senior Business Analyst may lead facilitation sessions in a variety of settings in order to gather and validate business requirements. This role may lead and direct other business analysts.
- Lead facilitation sessions aimed at gathering and validating requirements
- Direct and lead teams of other business analysts
- Elicit business requirements from business partners and stakeholders through a variety of techniques including interviews, brainstorming sessions, focus groups, etc
- Document requirements that are clear, concise, traceable and testable
- Prepare various types of project artifacts including process diagrams, use cases, and functional designs documents that further refine and clarify business requirements
- Document and manage requirements traceability by linking requirements to system features throughout the project life cycle
- May work with business and technical teams to map data between two or more systems
- Work with Project Managers to develop project cost estimates, participate in detailed project planning, define project assumptions, constraints, and risks
- Work with Quality Assurance team members to develop, publish and implement test strategies, test plans, test cases, test scripts and related documentation
- Work with business partners to obtain sign-off on various project artifacts including requirements and functional designs
- May prepare and review training and user documentation
- Must adhere to pertinent laws, regulations, First Niagara's Compliance Policy and external compliance requirements.
- Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Business Administration or equivalent experience required
- Minimum four years' experience working as a Business Analyst
- Eight years' experience in the Financial Services industry with Retail and/or Commercial Banking experience preferred
- Solid organizational skills with proven ability to multi-task, handle multiple assignments simultaneously, and effectively bring discussion and issues to closure
- Highly motivated, energetic, personable, thorough, detail oriented, and ability to multi-task
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels in the organization including senior leaders
- Demonstrated ability to facilitate requirements sessions
- Demonstrated ability to lead other business analysts in larger project activities
- Knowledge of both waterfall and iterative development methodologies
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Six Sigma Greenbelt certification or greater a plus
- CCBA or CBAP certification a plus
- General Financial Institution Knowledge as well as heavy IT Background. Will be supporting Back Office functions as well as IT Projects.
- Highly prefer WNY Candidates