IT Business Analyst

City of Charlotte • Charlotte, NC

1d • $89,552 - $111,940 • Onsite

About The Position

The IT Business Analyst serves as system steward and technical application liaison for assigned enterprise and operational technology systems at the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). The role translates operational needs into system requirements and supports application configuration, databases, interfaces, testing, and issue resolution. Primary systems include Vontas OnRoute, GIRO HASTUS, Vontas Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs), and MDT integration with Genfare fareboxes.

Working under general direction, the analyst exercises independent professional judgment and coordinates with Information Technology, Transportation Operations, Maintenance, Dispatch, and vendors to maintain reliable systems and accurate transit data. The position includes hands-on support aboard buses, deployment coordination, user support, and continuous improvement.

The role is currently a City of Charlotte position. Employees hired will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and are scheduled to transition to Metropolitan Public Transit Authority employment on January 1, 2027. Core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities are expected to remain consistent through the transition. City compensation and benefits provisions apply through 2026, with MPTA provisions applying in 2027; if the transition is delayed, City employment and provisions remain in place until it occurs.

Work takes place in offices, bus maintenance facilities, fleet locations, and onboard buses. Direct onboard work is required; responsibilities cannot be performed solely from an office. The role requires frequent computer use and collaboration with operational and technical staff, and the employee must be able to board and exit buses and access onboard application equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field; alternatively, an associate degree in one of these fields with at least ten years of relevant work experience.
• Seven years of progressive experience in business systems analysis, technical application support, or operational technology, including hands-on support of business-critical systems.
• Experience supporting transit applications, including Vontas OnRoute and GIRO HASTUS configuration, troubleshooting, upgrades, testing, or system interfaces.
• Hands-on experience supporting onboard bus applications and performing or coordinating software deployments in fleet or field environments.
• Experience with application database management and SQL, application incidents, vendor escalations, change control, and release documentation.
• Knowledge of business systems analysis, workflow design, requirements development, and acceptance criteria.
• Knowledge of transit CAD, planning, scheduling, and operational applications, including Vontas OnRoute and GIRO HASTUS.
• Knowledge of relational databases, SQL, tables, views, stored procedures, and relationships among application data.
• Knowledge of Windows environments, application servers, logs, networking concepts, and hardware dependencies affecting connectivity and integration.
• Knowledge of application configuration, interfaces, data governance, access security, and backup and recovery concepts.
• Knowledge of functional, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing; incident management, change control, and deployment practices.
• Skill in analyzing operational processes and developing functional and technical specifications.
• Skill in configuring and troubleshooting transit applications, MDT hardware, and connected system interfaces.
• Skill in using SQL queries, logs, and operational data to validate information and diagnose problems.
• Skill in planning and conducting tests, documenting defects, and verifying corrective actions.
• Skill in coordinating vendors, deployments, service requests, and stakeholder communications.
• Skill in developing procedures, configuration records, release documentation, knowledge articles, and user training.
• Ability to exercise independent professional judgment within assigned authority and established standards.
• Ability to translate complex operational needs into practical solutions and assess the impacts of system changes.
• Ability to prioritize concurrent support needs and coordinate changes around transit service requirements.
• Ability to perform hands-on troubleshooting aboard buses and communicate effectively with operators, maintenance staff, technical teams, and vendors.
• Ability to maintain accurate documentation and data, support user adoption, and share knowledge with IT staff.
• Must be able to board and exit buses and access onboard application equipment to complete upgrades, troubleshooting, testing, and support activities.
• Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. Candidates may be asked to take a skills test and/or participate in other assessments.
• Final candidates are subject to background checks, which may include reference, identity, education, criminal conviction, credit history if applicable, sex offender registry, and motor vehicle records checks.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with transit planning, scheduling, and operations, including the relationship between scheduling systems and onboard computer-aided dispatch (CAD) applications.
• Familiarity with Vontas MDT hardware, Genfare farebox integration, IVLU platforms, APC systems such as IRMA 6 and IRMA Matrix, Cradlepoint communications, and real-time passenger information systems.
• Relevant training or certifications in business analysis, IT service management, application administration, or transit technology.

Responsibilities

• Serve as functional owner for assigned business systems, including Vontas OnRoute and GIRO HASTUS; administer applications and maintain configurations aligned with operational needs.
• Manage workflows, permissions, application data structures, and configuration records within assigned authority and organizational standards.
• Coordinate application access, security, server and network dependencies, backups, and recovery with responsible IT teams and vendors.
• Document workflows, analyze system gaps, identify improvement opportunities, and develop functional and technical requirements with operational and business users.
• Assess system dependencies and proposed changes, identify risks, define acceptance criteria, and verify delivered solutions against documented requirements.
• Query and validate application data using SQL and relational database structures; investigate database issues and monitor performance and data integrity.
• Support data imports, exports, and exchanges among OnRoute, HASTUS, and connected transit systems; maintain mappings and validate data accuracy and completeness.
• Coordinate database upgrades, backups, recovery, and performance improvements with database administrators and vendors; follow change control and vendor support requirements and support reporting accuracy, audit records, and data governance.
• Board buses to perform or coordinate approved software upgrades, application configuration, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and deployment validation.
• Support Vontas MDT hardware configuration, diagnostics, troubleshooting, and coordination of repairs or replacement.
• Troubleshoot MDT integration with Genfare fareboxes, including connectivity and data exchange; coordinate corrective actions and perform onboard integration testing.
• Assess application issues involving IVLUs, APC sensors, Cradlepoint routers, and passenger information systems, coordinating with responsible technical teams.
• Plan application upgrades and deployments with operational and technical teams, coordinating bus availability, maintenance access, pilot testing, schedules, rollback procedures, and post-deployment support.
• Conduct functional, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing; document results and track defects through resolution.
• Validate application and onboard system operation after hardware or software changes; maintain release documentation, test evidence, and bus software version records.
• Manage application incidents and service requests, prioritize concurrent needs, communicate operational impacts, and escalate issues affecting transit service.
• Analyze application logs, connectivity, operational data, and interfaces to identify root causes; coordinate corrective action with vendors and technical teams.
• Coordinate vendor support, track issues and enhancements, and confirm delivered changes resolve problems and meet operational requirements.
• Act as liaison between business users and technology teams; explain system capabilities, changes, and best practices.
• Provide user training, onboarding, and adoption support; mentor IT staff in application troubleshooting and business systems analysis.
• Maintain support procedures, operational documentation, knowledge articles, and lessons learned.
• Evaluate application reliability, performance, usability, and data quality; recommend improvements that support operational efficiency.
• Identify opportunities for automation, workflow optimization, and process standardization; support approved enhancements and organizational innovation.
• Follow vehicle and facility safety procedures during hands-on field work.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees; City benefits provisions apply through 2026, with MPTA provisions scheduled to apply in 2027 after the anticipated transition.

What This Job Offers

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