Senior Business Systems Analyst

Department Description/Departement Beskrywing

Information Technology

Senior Business Systems Analyst (Post Level 8)

(Stellenbosch Campus)

Ref. IT/382/0926

The IT Division is Stellenbosch University's (SU) strategic partner on the digital transformation journey. We provide exceptional digitally-enhanced experiences for our stakeholders in partnership with our internal and external stakeholders by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities and campus facilities, enhancing the transformative student experience, enriching teaching-learning-assessment and promoting student success, advancing research activities and processes by supporting the research journey and enabling social impact initiatives.

The Senior Business Systems Analyst serves as a liaison between the SU Product Owners (PO) and the software vendor team to identify, define and translate development requirements to support the business processes. The incumbent will play a key role in bridging the gap between business needs and technical solutions. Working closely with product owners, developers, and testing teams, the Senior Business Systems Analyst will analyse complex systems, define requirements, and support the design and implementation of user-focused solutions. In addition, the Senior Business Systems Analyst will aid in the development cycle of new or changed business requirements after go-live, including enhancements and change requests.

The role will involve working on multiple capabilities in an Agile team environment. The Senior Business Systems Analyst will be required to apply an advanced level of creativity, flexibility and adaptability in the methods and techniques used to complete work.

Duties/Pligte

Requirements analysis and documentation;

• Translating business needs and requirements into user stories with acceptance criteria and detailed system specifications.

• Communicating these needs clearly and effectively to both business and technical stakeholders.

• Refining a steady backlog of requirements that are ready to go into sprints for the Scrum team, in collaboration with the PO.

• Collaborating with cross-functional Agile teams to refine requirements during sprints.

• Assessing impacts of new requirements or changes on existing systems and workflows.

System design and solution alignment

• Working with developers to design technical solutions that align with business goals.

• Supporting testing teams in defining test cases and acceptance criteria.

• Assisting the testers and POs in system functional testing and facilitating the user acceptance testing.

• Ensuring that proposed solutions are feasible, scalable, and compliant with industry standards.

• Developing and maintaining system diagrams, data flow models, and interface documentation.

• Applying a high degree of initiative and creativity.

Collaboration and Agile support

• Acting as a liaison between business stakeholders and development teams.

• Participating in Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives.

• Assisting in backlog refinement and prioritisation with product owners and developers.

• Supporting the day-to-day needs of Scrum teams in understanding customer and business requirements.

• Working independently with minimal supervision while contributing effectively in a cross-functional Agile team.

Strategy and planning

• Assisting with the planning, designing, and development of new applications and enhancements to existing applications.

• Meeting with decision makers, systems owners, and end users to define business requirements and systems goals, and identifying and resolving business systems issues.

• Aligning actions, designs, specifications and initiatives to the Institutional Strategy and IT action plans.

• Reviewing and analysing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems and developing strategies for improving or further leveraging these systems.

Digital transformation

• Identifying opportunities for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of institutional software solutions.

• Implementing best practices and innovative solutions to enhance system performance and user satisfaction.

• Staying abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure the University's IT solutions remain current and competitive.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes

• NQF 7 qualification (e.g. bachelor's degree) in computer science, information systems, or a related discipline with at least five years' experience in the field of business systems analysis, OR

• NQF 6 qualification (e.g. diploma) in computer science or related discipline with at least eight years' experience in the field of business systems analysis.

• Experience of working as part of a Scrum team following Agile software development methods.

• Experience in systems implementation and support function in higher education.

• Must be self-starter that can take agency and pick up roles within an Agile team.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• The ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Proficient organisational and critical thinking skills.

• Strong understanding of business analysis.

• Experience of working in Agile / Scrum environments.

• Knowledge of the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

• The ability to develop and deliver presentations.

• Teamwork and interpersonal skills.

• Skills in fact-finding, data collection and data analysis.

• Business process and technical / data modelling.

• The ability to lead and facilitate meetings and workshops.

• Proficiency in service management tools such as JIRA or similar.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

• The ability to work independently while contributing effectively in a team environment.

• Sufficiently skilled at conflict resolution.

Recommendation/Aanbeveling

• Certification in professional business analysis.

• Understanding business process modelling and Agile principles will be advantageous.

• Experience with API integrations and working with cloud-based systems.

Working Location

Hybrid - it is expected of the incumbent to be able to work hybrid from a reliable internet connection. There is an expectation that meetings will be scheduled in-person, in Stellenbosch, when required. The schedule and frequency of face-to-face engagements are defined by the line manager and approved by the line management structure.