Business Analytics

Business Analyst Job Description

Business analysts are responsible for translating processes and technologies into business values and driving change. They are usually described in terms of overall business strategy, or can otherwise be focused on specific functions, such as product management, quality assurance or product development. They are often responsible for analyzing business processes and practices to drive focus on the design and implementation of solutions that meet customer needs and business initiatives.

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A business analyst will generally have responsibility for covering a business area, developing a deep understanding of the economics of the solution and will work with commercial partners in developing solutions using data that provide value to the business through revenue and/or margin growth. They are often tasked with driving process changes and will be a change agent in the use of analytics to provide deeper insight into business performance and future operations.

A business analyst will be able to identify and implement cost-effective changes to existing systems and processes, as well as collaborating with stakeholders and other groups to deliver solutions. Because the position requires extensive interaction with others, a business analyst must possess above average interpersonal and communication skills.

There are various roles that are applied to the title of business analyst. In some companies, the business analyst is strictly focused on the financial reporting relating to the company, audits or product development. A business analyst may be engaged in the product management process to support the development of quantifiable use cases in driving product value decisions with the product manager. In other companies, a business analyst may be tasked with evaluating the quality assurance results. The job description below outlines an extended business analyst job description to help find and hire the person that matches your specific criteria. Select those areas that are applicable to the resource that you are looking for.

Business Analyst - Job Description and Ad Template

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Company Introduction

{{ Write a short and catchy paragraph about your company. Make sure to provide information about the company’s culture, perks, and benefits. Mention office hours, remote working possibilities, and everything else that you think makes your company interesting. }}

Job Description

We are looking for a Business Analyst with strong organizational and planning skills and proven ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment. We are seeking a high level of motivation and a self-starting attitude, and the ability to work with minimal direction and supervision. The ideal candidate will have a metrics/data-driven analytical mindset of constantly measuring success and driving continuous improvement in tools, content, and programs. They will be a change agent in the use of analytics to provide deeper insight into business performance and future operations. The role will also manage the direction and use of analytic technologies on an ongoing basis and develop key performance indicators (KPI’s) to measure operational performance and business efficiency.

Responsibilities

Data analysis – Creatively obtain and vet data, develop and execute quantitative analyses with (potentially incomplete) data, cross-check results to identify potential inconsistencies or limitations. Define detailed functional requirements, process flow diagrams, and business cases; including gap and impact analysis

Business insights – Understand business implications of observations, interviews, and analyses. Establish and support the rhythm of business activities related to reporting, including audit planning cycle and metrics

Leadership - Coordinate cross-functional teams to execute key value creation (top and bottom line) and manage transformation initiatives

Communication – Craft polished written communications and deliver oral communications of findings and recommendations in an effective and efficient manner

Influence – Collaborate positively with project stakeholders to secure support and implement recommendations in a fast-paced environment

Strategy – Develop business segment strategies, research markets & competitors, articulate value propositions, and identify growth opportunities

Problem structuring – Identify key issues, develop hypotheses and methodology to verify or refute them

Project management – Clearly scope and track projects, develop and assign workstreams, maintain a steady pace, and ensure reliable delivery; influence and negotiate high impact projects or high-cost expenditures and manage the execution of them

Other – Support other corporate strategy responsibilities as needed, including strategic planning, market research, mergers and acquisitions, and competitor benchmarking

Business Analyst Responsibilities in Support of Product Development

{{ Select from the skills and qualifications below for business analyst roles that include product-analysis or testing support }}

  • Drive discussions with product owner and/or business partners to understand the process, the problem, and then brainstorm solution scenarios
  • Actively engage product owner or business SME to translate solution needs into actionable user stories
  • Facilitate and support product backlog management
  • Partner with product owners/SMEs to define & refine acceptance criteria
  • Partner with developers on reviewing user stories for understanding and scoring
  • Negotiate with product owners/business experts on alternative solutions
  • Write test cases for user stories
  • Perform/coordinate user acceptance testing to ensure functionality meets business needs before each product release
  • Secure approval & change management activities with senior product manager or product owner before release

Skills and Qualifications

  • BA/BS Degree in Operations Research, Statistics, Industrial Engineering, Predictive Analytics, Business Analytics or the equivalent
  • Four-year degree in either Information Management or Business Administration or the equivalent
  • Experience in business optimization, problem-solving, or strategic solution roles with progressive responsibility, preferably within the {{ your industry }} industry
  • Experience gathering and consolidating requirements from cross-functional groups
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet constantly changing timelines
  • Strong attention to detail and excellent problem-solving skills
  • Excellent verbal/written communication and data presentation skills, including an ability to effectively communicate with both business and technical teams
  • Exceptional process and organizational skills with the ability to mobilize change
  • IIBA-CCBA certification preferred
  • {{ # }} years of statistical experience (creating attribution models, A/B tests or lift analysis)
  • Experience with a scripting/templating language {{ Python, JavaScript, JINJA }}
  • A minimum of {{ # }} years of business analysis or project management experience
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of {{ Tableau and Alteryx }} (or equivalent)
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of {{ SQL, Microsoft Excel, SAP Business Objects (BOBJ), Power Pivot }}
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of {{ TeamMate, SharePoint, PowerBI, and Dynamics Phoenix System Knowledge }}
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of {{ UML, Viso, Rational, SSADM, Visual Studio, .Net Framework, API usage }}
  • Intermediate to advanced knowledge of {{ Salesforce, Oracle CRM, Marketo, SAP CRM, Apttus }}
  • Experienced in both lean and agile methodologies, familiarity with {{ Jira, Kanban, Confluence, Aha }}
  • Familiar with version control tools such as {{ SVN }} and proper branching techniques
  • Experience working with data warehouses, {{ Cognos }}, data governance, payments and treasury or capital markets systems
  • Understanding of OKR Management methodology
See also:Toptal’s growing, community-driven list of essential Business Analytics interview questions

Recent Business Analytics Articles by Toptal Product Managers

Find the right Business Analytics interview questions

Read a list of great community-driven Business Analytics interview questions.
Read them, comment on them, or even contribute your own.

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