IT Business Analyst - Journey

Full Job Description

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) promotes public trust by supervising state and local elections, collecting and preserving archival and historical records, registering corporations and charities, administering the Washington State Libraries, the Address Confidentiality Program, the Combined Fund Drive, and the Productivity Board.

The Division of Information Technology (IT) is a support arm of the entire organization--touching every program, every division, all staff members, and operations.

These teams include Applications Development, ServiceDesk Support, IT Project Management, System Administration and Architecture.

This position is supervised by the IT Project Management Office (PMO) Manager.

The primary objective of the IT Business Analyst is to facilitate the alignment of technology solutions with business strategies by eliciting requirements, analyzing processes, recommending improvements, and supporting IT project implementation while working independently and collaboratively across departments. These projects are performed in partnership with many internal stakeholders, partner agencies such as the Office of Financial Management (OFM), Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech), and external vendors. The systems include our elections systems, digital archive systems, corporations and charities systems, our internal enterprise systems, technology infrastructure and many more. This OSOS IT Business Analyst participates in the agency of the OCIO teams related to IT projects that fall under Quality Assurance (QA) oversight and may be funded by the state’s IT Investment Pool. This IT Business Analyst provides IT business analysis functions, working with business units to translate business requirements into IT system requirements. This position works closely with the IT Leadership team to improve processes related to all IT projects.

Requirements

Duty: The IT Business Analyst (Journey level) performs requirements gathering, process modeling, stakeholder interviews, solution assessments, creation of output documents and communications that reflect a blend of analytical, technical, and communication responsibilities, performed with a consistent level of collaboration and partnership.
Tasks include:

• Gathers, analyzes, and documents business and technical requirements from stakeholders.
• Translates business needs into clear, actionable specifications for developers or technical teams.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to elicit, analyze, and document business, functionality, and system requirements.
• Uses tools such as user stories, use cases, process flows, and wireframes to define needs clearly.

Business Process Improvement

• Evaluates existing processes and systems to identify areas for improvement.
• Recommends IT solutions that enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Analyzes current business processes and workflows to identify inefficiencies.
• Recommends IT-enabled solutions to improve productivity, reduce costs, or enhance delivery service.

Stakeholder Communication

• Acts as the bridge between business users and IT, ensuring both sides understand project goals, constraints, and deliverables.
• Facilitates meetings, conducts interviews, and runs workshops to gather insights.
• Serves as the primary point of contact between business units and technical teams.
• Ensures mutual understanding of requirements, constraints, and objectives.

Solution Design Support

• Assists in the design and validation of new systems or modifications.
• Works with system architects and developers to ensure the solution meets business expectations.
• Participates in evaluating software solutions, systems, or tools against requirements.
• Supports testing efforts including test planning, execution, defect tracking, and user acceptance testing (UAT).

Project Support and Implementation

• Supports the testing, training, and deployment of IT solutions.
• May participate in user acceptance testing (UAT), documentation, and change management activities.
• Assists project managers and product owners with planning, prioritizing features, and maintaining project documentation.
• Monitors and reports on project progress as it relates to business requirements.

Data and Reporting Analysis

• Analyzes data trends and provides recommendations based on insights.
• May be involved in building dashboards or reports that help track KPIs or system performance.
• Analyzes business data to support decision-making or uncover trends/issues.
• Designs or contributes to reports, dashboards, or analytics tools for business stakeholders.

Compliance and Standards

• Ensures that solutions meet organizational policies, IT governance, security, and regulatory requirements.
• Identifies potential risks and suggests mitigation strategies during project or process assessments.
• Assists in the development and execution of training materials, user guides, and communication plans for business users.
• Supports users during and after system rollouts to ensure smooth adoption.

Duty: Application Project Management
Tasks include:

• Assists with application of projects, development of sprints and regular system release efforts in the absence of an assigned project manager.
• Manages project scope, gathers and develops high-level requirements, estimating required resources and preparing project proposal documents at the direction of the Project Manager.
• Manages technical plans, work breakdown structures (WBS) and deliverables at the direction of the Project Manager.
• Monitors assigned developers and their tasks to ensure that they are completed and meet business requirements.
• Monitors and reports project risks and issues to the project manager, shareholders, and agency leadership.

Duty: IT Business Analysis and Project Management Documents and Templates. Creates artifacts for software development or technology infrastructure IT projects.
Tasks include:

• Creation of project plans by analyzing the overall work and individual tasks required for IT software development and infrastructure projects so that project scope is clearly articulated to all stakeholders at the outset of the project.
• Creates communication plans that include multiple audiences including users, implementers, and management so all impacted stakeholders are aware of the project progress and risks.

Duty: Keeps Current with Technology/Training – Stays current with IT project management, quality assurance, and service best practices. Works with IT staff, system users, and agency management when needed.
Tasks include:

• Keeping current with industry standards and practices for project management by attending classes, seminars, webinars, and reading industry publications.
• Attend training, conferences and other events to maintain or develop skills.

Duty: Miscellaneous
Tasks include:

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Total of four years of experience in at least two IT disciplines (such as business analysis, project management, information analysis/data management, or application development).
  • Experience may be concurrent.
• Technical Experience– Productivity programs, such as Microsoft Project, SQL, etc.
• Ability to efficiently use a personal computer and applicable software to successfully perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in Azure Dev Ops and MSTFS environment or other Ticketing System.
• Experience working directly with stakeholders of applications.
• Experience documenting business processes and workflows.
• Understanding of data processing, network, and technology capabilities.
• Experience writing technical requirements and performance requirements.

Additional Information

Working Conditions
In this position, the incumbent works primarily in an office setting, which will require the ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time. The standard work hours are Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm; however, work can be required outside of standard hours to include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Occasional travel to local offices is required. The incumbent in this position must be able to represent the Office of the Secretary of State in a competent, confident, and professional manner, including professional dress, and be able to clearly and effectively communicate ideas and information both verbally and in writing, and work successfully with a wide variety of people in a team environment. The incumbent in this position must have the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and coordinate with other operational areas to resolve complaints or conflicts.

Special Requirements

• This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, The Office of the Secretary of State, and the WFSE.
  
• Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position.

How to Apply

• To be considered for this position you must attach the following:
  • Current Resume
  • Letter of Interest
  • Three Professional references. Personal references will not be considered.

You must complete the supplemental questions at the end of this application. Incomplete responses such as "see resume" will not be considered.

In addition, if the employer you identify in the additional information section is not included on your resume or work experience profile and/or you do not identify an employer, you will not receive credit.

• All veterans must include a copy of your DD214 to receive preference in the hiring process. You must black out your social security number before attaching it to your application.

The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, age, sex, marital status, color, creed, national origin, political affiliation, military status, sexual orientation, or any real or perceived sensory, mental or physical ability. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. Persons of disability needing assistance in the application process, or those needing the announcement in alternative format, should call (360) 999-9483.