DSHS FTAA IT Business Analyst - Journey

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Finance, Technology, & Analytics Administration (FTAA) is looking for an IT Business Analyst to join the Division of Information Technology (DIT) Business Services team. This role is crucial for delivering software requirement specification artifacts, translating complex program policies into clear business, user, functional, and non-functional requirements. The analyst will provide tier-3 support, quality assurance, troubleshooting, and problem resolution for the Automated Client Eligibility System (ACES) and its connected applications (eJAS, Washington Connection, Benefit Verification System, Eligibility Service). Leveraging knowledge of ACES, business analysis frameworks, SDLC, and IT project management, the position ensures platforms align with State and Federal statutes for public assistance programs. The role also involves guiding automated solution development for complex business needs and managing large-scale IT projects from inception to completion. A hybrid telework schedule may be considered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in IT or related field. Additional qualifying experience can be substituted for this requirement at the rate of one year experience for one year of education.
Four years of IT experience such as consulting, analyzing, designing, programming installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecoms, or network infrastructure equipment, directing projects, providing customer or technical support in IT.
OR Eight years of professional/practical IT experience such as consulting, analyzing, designing, programming installing and/or maintaining computer software applications, hardware, telecoms, or network infrastructure equipment, directing projects, providing customer or technical support in IT.
Experience should include consulting with others on the use of ACES and Barcode, analyzing ACES and Barcode functionality issues, or providing support to other users of the software.
OR Four years of professional experience using ACES and Barcode to determine and maintain eligibility for public assistance programs. The experience should include consulting with others on the use of ACES and Barcode, analyzing ACES and Barcode functionality issues, or providing support to other users of the software.
A maximum of two years of hands-on experience utilizing eJAS may substitute year for year for the ACES experience, OR Four years of experience working as a Business Analyst or Program Manager using ACES and Barcode. The experience should include consulting with others on the use of ACES and Barcode, analyzing ACES and Barcode functionality issues, or providing support to other users of the software.
A maximum of two years of hands-on experience utilizing eJAS may substitute year for year for the ACES experience; OR One year experience working as a Quality Assurance Analyst or Application Support Analyst using ACES, Barcode, or eJAS. The experience should include consulting with others on the use of ACES, Barcode, or eJAS, analyzing ACES, Barcode, and eJAS functionality issues, or providing support to other users of the software.
AND One year experience managing and completing projects successfully using industry standard project management principles and practices.

Nice To Haves

Deep understanding of public assistance programs administered by DSHS.
Subject Matter Expert (SME) level knowledge of ACES, eJAS, Barcode, and Washington Connection platforms, including their respective screens, batch functions, and reporting configurations.
Proven experience utilizing Business Process Modeling (BPM) techniques to map "as-is" and "to-be" workflows, bridge gaps, and design system workarounds.
Experience applying change management, automated coordination practices, and risk mitigation strategies across complex, multi-agency software development lifecycles (SDLC).
Superior interpersonal and facilitation skills with a demonstrated ability to resolve conflicting needs among diverse stakeholders, executive management, and inter-agency work teams.

Responsibilities

Plan, analyze, and develop software requirement specification artifacts, transforming complex policy changes into precise business, user, functional, and non-functional system requirements.
Support and troubleshoot the Automated Client Eligibility System (ACES) and its vital connected applications, including eJAS, Washington Connection, and the Benefit Verification System.
Gather and extract critical details regarding core business processes, necessary system data, underlying business rules, and the external entities interfacing with DIT applications.
Analyze system functionality to accurately evaluate the current state operational environment against requested technology changes and stated business objectives.
Develop alternative solutions and make high-level recommendations to facilitate automated software resolutions for complex business needs and problems.
Facilitate the approval process for system requirements and architectural designs with programming, testing, security, and business partner teams.
Support, maintain, and enhance existing organization-wide, high-risk, and high-impact mission-critical applications that deliver essential public assistance program services.
Lead and direct business meetings and collaborative work sessions with end-users, programmers, system architects, and support staff to solve complex technical problems.
Act as a liaison to other state, federal, and Tribal offices on behalf of DIT, representing technical needs and concerns regarding cash, food, and medical policy automation.
Apply project management skills and journey-level leadership to manage project scopes, maintain production schedules, and mitigate risks for large-scale IT initiatives.
Act as a liaison to other organizational offices on behalf of Division of Information Technology (DIT); represents the needs and concerns, on behalf of DIT in such areas as cash, food and medical program policy, automation, and planning.