Johannesburg Stock Exchange: Senior Business Analyst

The Business analyst must analyse and synthesize information provided by a large number of people who interact with the business, such as customers, staff, IT professionals, and executives. The business analyst is responsible for eliciting the actual needs of stakeholders, not simply their expressed desires. In many cases, the business analyst will also work to facilitate communication between organisational units. In particular, business analysts often play a central role in aligning the needs of business units with the capabilities delivered by information technology, and may serve as a “translator” between those groups.
. The business analyst is the subject matter expert gathering business and information requirements and transforming these into specifications for information systems..
The Business Analyst will report into the Lead Business Analyst in the JSE Information Technology Division.

Responsibilities / Outputs

Under the Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Knowledge Area, a competent business analyst must demonstrate the following capabilities:
Identify all stakeholders and
Determine stakeholder influence and relationship needs – two important activities of change management and key tasks for conducting stakeholder analysis.
Builds and manages stakeholder relationships including communicating and managing stakeholders’ expectations in the change.
Under the Elicitation Knowledge Area, a competent business analyst must also ensure that a stakeholder’s actual underlying needs are understood and change is well defined. The BA must:
Ensure appropriate stakeholders are involved in elicitation activities
Obtain needed information from stakeholders to form requirements
Validate requirements with the stakeholder

Under the Requirements Management and Communication Knowledge Area, business analysts are expected to demonstrate competencies in stakeholder management which means having an understanding of the stakeholders’ expectations and interests, level of resistance and communication needs.

Here the BA must:
• Confirm that stakeholders have a shared understanding of requirements
• Manage conflicts and issues to resolution
• Obtain the needed approval on solution requirements
• Use appropriate communication methods based on the stakeholder

Under the Enterprise Analysis Knowledge Area, the business analyst defines the change, the first step in change management. The BA must demonstrate an ability to understand and define change in a broader context.

The BA must:
• Identify and define business needs – articulate the essence of the stakeholder vision
• Identify opportunities for improvements – help stakeholders see areas of opportunity and facilitate exploration
• Understand organizational culture, structure and impacts of work efforts

Under the Requirements Analysis Knowledge Area, the BA continues to facilitate change by elaborating stakeholder and solution requirements
• Organize and synthesize large amounts of information provided by
stakeholders – this helps define the “what’ of change.
• Ensure that all requirements support the delivery of business value, fulfil
goals and objectives, and meet a stakeholder need – this helps define
the “why” of the change.

And finally under the Solution Assessment and Validation Knowledge area, the business analyst continues to facilitate change by Assessing the organizational readiness for the solution, an important step in stakeholder analysis where the BA accurately assesses stakeholder beliefs, attitudes, and willingness to adapt to the new solution.
o Creation/revision of the following analysis artefacts and deliverables:
o Business Case Documents
o Business Requirements Specifications
o Functional Requirements Specifications
o Non-Functional Requirements Specification
o Small Work Requests
o Process Maps
o Various Business Analysis templates
o Provide input into Requests for Quotes (RFQ), Request for Information (RFI)
and Request for Proposal (RFP)
o Evaluate solution alternatives, draw up business cases including cost/benefit
analysis and provide initial project estimates

Experience
• Degree or diploma in a numerical/analytical subject e.g. Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering from an accredited school would be preferred
• 4 to 5 years solid business analysis experience in a complex and heterogeneous IT environment using a formal methodology
• Good understanding of technologies and systems
• Experience in investment banking or financial markets industry preferred
• Good understanding of BPM, change management and project management
• Proficient in VISIO data modelling tool
• Good working knowledge of project management practices and principles
• Traditional SDLC related methodology like Waterfall as well as AGILE
• Understanding of IT principles and environments
• Expert experience with MS Office Products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Understanding of the JSE business and its architecture would be advantageous
Skills
• Demonstrated analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills. Must be able to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization, external business partners and vendors.
• Demonstrated leadership and effective people skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think in terms of business outcomes / results.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, prioritise, coordinate and manage multiple, and often conflicting initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.
• Must be customer-focused and excel in coordination of problem resolution.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Strong facilitation, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Flexibility to work in a changing, fast-paced environment.
Personality Traits
• Possess a strong work ethic and sense of urgency
• Committed and delivery oriented
• Possess a high level of energy and enthusiasm
• Team player
• Self-starter
• Risk aware

Click here to apply online