Senior Business Analyst - Vancouver, Canada - The University of British Columbia

Description

Job Summary

The Senior Business Analyst analyzes business needs and develops overall strategies for how automated systems can be used to support the short and long term direction of the business.

The Senior Business Analyst assists with the formation and execution of a data governance framework, policies and standards for UBC. This role provides expertise and assists with the development and promotion of information governance policies to ensure good quality data through all business processes.

Organizational Status

This position works closely with data governance stakeholders, data stewards and the Enterprise Architecture team, to document standards and coordinate the resolution of data integrity gaps while supporting the implementation of systematic and procedural controls.

There will be extensive consultation and interactions with technical project team members; UBC IT Team members; the extended IT at UBC community; data stakeholders from across the UBC academic and administrative community.

Work Performed

Specific Duties:
- Work with faculties and central units, data governance stakeholders and the Enterprise Architecture team to identify and document critical data elements, including metadata, lineage and business rules for in-scope systems.
- Play a key role in the development, documentation, and implementation of data quality policies, procedures and standards to ensure a high level of asset-related data integrity.
- Create and disseminate information and policies to create awareness of data governance quality standards and monitoring requirements.
Participate in the development of policies and processes to manage incidents of poor data quality or data conflicts.
- Work with the Enterprise Architecture team members to ensure any identified data integrity gaps.
- Participate in the development of procedures to ensure data management incidents are appropriately escalated, logged and analyzed to determine root cause(s); work with business partners, data governance stakeholders and IT to implement timely remediation recommendations.
- Create and execute a communication plan that ensures data owners and data stewards are aware of and understand the development and rationale for an information governance strategy.
- Work closely with data owners and data stewards to help them comprehend their role and responsibilities in relation to the implementation of a new data governance framework and policies.
- Act as a resource and subject matter expert to business partners to ensure alignment between business unit-level procedures and data governance policies.
- Maintain positive relationships regarding data governance matters with relevant cross-functional business partners, providing input and feedback on emerging policy lines.
- Recommend enhancements to data collection processes to improve the accuracy of data repositories.
- Provide recommendations for measuring and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of data governance, operational control processes, and compliance activities.
- Develop and refine high quality monthly and quarterly reports demonstrating program activities.
- Assist with the development of enterprise data methodologies and techniques, including data standards and guidelines for enterprise wide use in systems development processes.
- Communicate the practical implications of data decisions, issues and plans to senior management.
- Identify and promote opportunities for cross-business sharing and re-use of data components, rationalization of data and integrated data.

Core Duties:

Analyzes business needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes).

Develops overall strategies and provides advice on options, risks and costs versus benefits.

Communicates with stakeholders of varying technical ability and subject matter expertise and explains services to clients of all management levels to ensure they have a clear understanding of IT roles, processes, and activities.

Manages liaison relationship with clients to ensure technical solutions meet user needs.

Conducts feasibility studies and drafts proposals for evaluation by appropriate users and managers.

Develops and assists in the presentation of business cases.

Leads short and long-term planning sessions to implement integrated business process improvements.

Identifies, elicits, and documents business requirements, defines business rules and communicates requirements for the implementation of business solutions.

Prepares functional, system and program specifications bridging multiple projects.

Reviews test plans and monitors the testing process to ensure that business results are adequately tested with minimal risk.

Procures technical assistance to help in problem resolution.

Provides technical leadership, coaching and mentoring to less-experienced individuals.

Maintains appropriate professional designations and up-to-date knowledge of current information technology techniques and tools.

Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

There will be significant consequences for Errors and/or Judgement.
UBC is undergoing the acquisition and renewal of several critical ERPs and Enterprise-level Integration capabilities will be an important part of enabling multiple programs to proceed in parallel. For example, this work will be critical in executing the replacement of UBC's Student Information System and its 200+ integration points.

Supervision Received
This position is expected to work work relatively independently with a large number of business and technical subject-matter-experts.

Supervision Given
Some supervision of other team members may be required. Technical recommendations and reviews of other team members' work may be required.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of eight years of related experience including at least two years of managerial experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Undergraduate degree with a concentration in Information Technology preferred
• A minimum of 8 years of experience and 2 years of managerial experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Extensive experience working on information management, data governance and/or records management programs required
• Significant experience writing policies and procedures required
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present ideas and suggestions clearly and effectively.
• Ability to educate and influence program stakeholders regarding program goals, objectives and approach.
• Superior follow-up skills; ability to organize applicable department timelines and follow up with internal and external customer needs.
• Superior organizational skills; ability to accomplish multiple tasks within the agreed upon time frames through effective prioritization of duties and functions in a fast paced environment.
• Strong track record of building and maintaining solid relationships with internal and external customers and vendors.
• Self-motivated; able to work independently to complete tasks and respond to department requests and to collaborate with others to utilize their resources and knowledge to identify high quality solutions.
• Ability to work with functional groups and different level of employees throughout the organization to effectively and professionally achieve results
• Demonstrated ability to relate business problem to the underlying data and link to solution to solve those business problems

Collaboration - Consistently fosters collaboration and respect among team members by addressing elements of the group process that impedes, or could impede, the group from reaching its goal. Engages the right people within and beyond organizational boundaries, by matching individual capabilities and skills to the team's goals. Works with a wide range of teams and readily shares lessons learned and credit for team accomplishments.

Communication for Results - Converses with, writes reports for, and creates/delivers presentations to all levels of colleagues and peer groups in ways that support problem solving and planning. Seeks a consensus with business partners. Debates opinions, tests understanding, and clarifies judgments. Brings conflict into the open empathetically. Explains the context of multiple interrelated situations, asks searching, probing questions, and solicits expert advice prior to taking action and making recommendations.

Problem Solving - Diagnoses problems using formal problem-solving tools and techniques from multiple angles and probes underlying issues to generate multiple potential solutions. Proactively anticipates and prevents problems. Devises, facilitates buy-in, makes recommendations, and guides implementation of corrective and/or preventive actions for complex issues that cross organizational boundaries and are unclear in nature. Identifies potential consequences and risk levels. Seeks support and buy-in for problem definition, methods of resolution, and accountability.

Analytical Thinking - Determines criteria for assessing issues and opportunities. Establishes clear goals and priorities needed to assess performance. Identifies relationships and linkages between different information sources. Anticipates issues that are not readily apparent on the surface. Identifies root causes and effects. Establishes clear goals and priorities. Anticipates potential problems and develops solutions needed to resolve them. Systemically analyzes relationships between apparently independent problems and issues. Reviews and cross-reviews reports. Identifies trends as well as isolated events. Translates analytical reports into management presentations, and provides guidance to resolve issues. Anticipates the possible outcome of potential solutions. Identifies areas of significant concern or opportunity. Probes and initiates research to identify critical problems.

Business Process Knowledge - Describes and documents critical cross-functional business process flows. Applies business process reengineering techniques and methods in analyzing process flow and accountability charts. Recommends and advocates substantive process enhancements and assesses both internal and external implications.

Initiative - Describes future scenarios and related opportunities. Plans potential responses involving resource holders, peers, processes, and technology. Leads a timely response, seeking internal/external advice and consultation, and sustains progress through uncharted territories.