Business Systems Analyst

Department: Forex Product House - Forex IT

Position: Business Systems Analyst – Industry Specialist

Purpose of the role

The systems analyst is responsible for converting business initiatives into world-class IT Solutions. The systems analysis and design efforts will extend to both existing and/or new systems and databases.

The systems analyst is responsible for researching problems, planning solutions, recommending solutions, and coordinating development to meet the needs of business/other external stakeholders.

The System Analyst will interact with product owners, business analysts, solution strategists (when outsourced to business), and the QA Team. The Systems Analyst will also be required to interact with other project team members like vendors (for COTS systems), project managers, project sponsors, product managers, and project stakeholders.

The role will require several specialty domains as enumerated below. Each individual project may require one or more of the undermentioned functions to be performed, and the analyst may specialize in all or several of these functions.

Business Systems Analyst Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the analysis and design of new systems, major enhancements to existing systems, and general maintenance of systems.
• Leading and facilitating requirements gathering sessions across both the business and technological domain to produce functional and system specifications. Ensure that functional/system requirements represent a common view among end-users.
• Participate in system design sessions to arrive at an optimal solution. Assist with the identification of risks and issues within the project(s) and mitigation strategies.
• In conjunction with the Systems Architect or Developer, analyze and design:
  • integration files or messages (e.g., web service definitions, XML schemas, business functions, flat file or delimited files, APIs, etc.)
  • help design and update system configurations (outside of the production environment)
  • write SQL queries (not embedded in code), interrogate database tables for analysis purposes, and assist in designing database structures
  • analyze and participate in systems functional design sessions for ‘run the bank’ enhancements and upgrades or migrations which require functional expertise/analysis
  • participate in systems functional design sessions for ‘change the bank’ and ‘grow the bank’ initiatives as well as brand new products or capabilities
• Examine and analyze current process flows and recommend solutions for improving and restructuring processes required to meet business objectives, and to address industry changes and/or opportunities.
• Guide suggestions for appropriate solutions taking into account cost, risk, delivery, and feasibility.
• Model system designs to meet business objectives. These will include behavioral and structural UML diagrams (like use case diagrams, activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, timing and state machine diagrams, component diagrams, as well as ERD diagrams and interface diagrams when needed). Ensure that requirements models and analyses are done per internationally accepted best practices (Use Case modeling and UML 2.5).
• Model and design screens for usability, documenting screen flows and designs.
• Where business requirements or user stories have already been provided, interpret and provide system solutions to meet the requirement, along with the functional and system documentation.
• Where business requirements or user stories are not available, must be able to work and co-create with the business stakeholders and to run with a project end-to-end by applying sound payments industry knowledge and research into the industry and engaging subject matter experts that can provide answers.
• Assist with problem analysis and resolution.
• Interfacing across all teams involved in the project as needed, e.g., all applicable stakeholders external, internal, and product heads (e.g., Subject Matter Experts, QA, Architecture, Process Engineering, external project teams, change management teams).
• Assist QA team by reviewing test cases and scenarios, and assist the QA teams in identifying final system tests to validate that requirements have been met.

May be required to perform sanity/acceptance tests to ensure the requirement, as documented, has been met, as needed.

• Attend and actively contribute towards the SA Forum/Community of Practice.
• Will ideally have exposure to working within a disciplined agile or other agile environment where project deliverables are put into production at least monthly or more often.

Cross Border Payments Industry Experience:

• Must have a solid understanding of traditional and emerging cross-border payment rails, like Swift.
• Should ideally have a solid understanding of the ISO20022 payments message standards (i.e., PAIN, PACS, and CAMPT messages) as well as the equivalent Swift MT100, 200, and 900 series messages.
• Exposure to SAMOS and cross-border local market infrastructure RTGS payments will also be beneficial.
• Understands and keeps abreast of the payments modernization industry changes.
• Understanding and facilitating requirements sessions that include financial payment flows and postings to internal financial accounts.

Other

• Drive business profitability in the context of cost management through Information technology solutions.
• Articulate and document functional and systems requirements in a manner which is understood by all stakeholders and which is at the appropriate level of detail.
• Ensure that all requirements are documented within agreed deadlines, signed off by stakeholders timeously, and always up to date on the Wiki.
• Ensure all artefacts delivered are peer and stakeholder reviewed regularly.
• Ensure that all work is of high standard.
• Ensure that all deadlines are met for any work committed to.
• Ensure that all work done meets customer (business) expectations.
• Actively participate in daily stand-up meetings.

Qualifications

Degree or Diploma and/or CBAP Certification.

Experience

7 to 10 years relevant systems analysis experience, as enumerated above.

4 to 5 years Payments and Forex industry domain experience.

Strong working knowledge of Use Cases and UML.

Exposure to the system or applications being developed would be an added advantage.

All elements that make up the Forex IT infrastructure.

Development and Production Incident Management.

Scope Change Management.