Business Analyst - II or Senior

Southwest Power Pool • Little Rock, AR

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

SPP is seeking a Business Analyst, with opportunities for both a Business Analyst II and a Senior Business Analyst. This role is crucial for planning, analyzing, gathering, recording, and managing requirements throughout the project lifecycle. Requirements are a key deliverable for SPP's project management, encompassing functional and non-functional aspects that support business goals, technical architecture, system design/development, and testing. The Business Analyst will provide input to functional design, follow the design effort through system testing, and ensure the delivery satisfies requirements. Responsibilities include test planning, preparation, developing test cases and plans, defining test approaches, test execution, and driving test automation efforts. The role involves leading test stages like system integration, regression, non-functional, and user acceptance testing, along with overall test management, defect management, and reporting on testing status and metrics. Additional support may be provided for data mapping, scripting for testing, system integration testing, and documentation. The position requires extensive communication across all organizational levels, minimal supervision, and good judgment in managing tasks and priorities. Senior Business Analysts will also have elevated leadership expectations, including defining and improving requirements and test management processes, educating team members, providing team leadership, and assisting supervisors with task assignments, status tracking, and resource management. The role may involve supporting SPP member committees and representing SPP at NERC committees.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant/related job experience.
• 2 years of SDLC experience, including requirements and software testing experience (in excess of degree requirement above) and/or relevant/related experience (Business Analyst II).
• 6 years of SDLC experience, including requirements and/or software testing experience (in excess of degree requirement) and/or relevant/related experience (Senior Business Analyst).
• Working knowledge/experience in various requirements approaches and software testing methodologies.
• Thorough knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• Experience articulating requirements in a consumable manner.
• Logical and efficient, with attention to detail.
• Strong prioritization and organizational skills.
• Competent with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint).
• Proficient in both written and oral communication.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Effective negotiation skills.
• Understanding of and compliance with SPP Policies and Procedures.
• Demonstration of people leadership and process leadership (Senior Business Analyst).

Nice To Haves

• Competent with requirements/test management products.
• Applicable knowledge and experience with developing SQL queries, macros.
• Basic understanding of standard programming languages such as C, C++, Visual Basic, Java, etc.
• Experience with SDLC products/tools.
• Two (2) years of Wholesale Utility industry business knowledge (Business Analyst II).
• Five (5) years leading requirements/testing, software development, and/or system implementation efforts (Senior Business Analyst).
• Five (5) years of Wholesale Utility industry business knowledge (Senior Business Analyst).

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with stakeholders to gather requirements and establish test cases/test plans.
• Provide analysis of customer, business, and technical needs to articulate and develop business goals, functional requirements, non-functional requirements, etc., using SPP’s established requirements methodology.
• Present requirements in a manner that is appropriate to the project.
• Apply requirements approval, management, and traceability throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring scope change control.
• Ensure established requirements methodology and testing strategy are effective, understood, and followed by the team as well as stakeholders.
• Identify, recommend, and implement changes and enhancements to processes and documentation to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive understanding of the business and systems/applications of their assigned primary functional area.
• Possess and apply technical skills applicable to requirements and testing.
• Develop, document, and execute test cases/test plans, test approaches, test execution, defect management, test status, and test metrics using SPP’s established testing strategy and defect management process.
• Accountable for all aspects of system testing (e.g., resource planning, test approach documentation, test cases/test plans, test management, defect management, test status/metrics, test exit). Help drive test automation.
• Execute system integration testing, as well as executing tests for other test stages as applicable (e.g., site acceptance, functional integration/user acceptance, non-functional).
• Understand and utilize IT practices/methodologies.
• Exercise planning and problem-solving skills with ability to exercise mature judgment.
• Establish effective working relationships with stakeholders and team.
• Demonstrate ability to manage/prioritize multiple assignments/initiatives, while meeting delivery dates (Senior Business Analyst).
• Help drive test automation (as part of elevated leadership expectations) (Senior Business Analyst).
• Assist junior staff with planning and problem solving (Senior Business Analyst).
• Support complex projects/implementations that impact multiple systems, interfaces, and departments (Senior Business Analyst).
• Provide guidance, direction, feedback, and coaching to ensure team effectiveness (Senior Business Analyst).
• Assist supervisor of team with day-to-day task assignments, status tracking, and issue resolution (Senior Business Analyst).

Benefits

• Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities
• Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Relocation bonus (if applicable)
• Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible
• Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level