Technical Business Analyst

University of Chicago

University of Chicago

IT, Sales & Business Development
Chicago, IL, USA
Posted on Thursday, October 19, 2023

Department

BSD CTD - GDC Project Management


About the Department

The Center for Translational Data Science (CTDS) at the University of Chicago is a research center whose mission is to develop the discipline of translational data science to impactful problems in biology, medicine, healthcare, and the environment. We envision a world in which researchers have ready access to the data needed and the tools required to make data driven discoveries that increase our scientific knowledge and improve the quality of life. We architect ecosystems of large-scale commons of research data, computing resources, applications, tools, and services for the broader research community to use data at scale to pursue scientific inquiry and accelerate discovery. Learn more at https://gdc.cancer.gov/ , https://gen3.org/ , https://stats.gen3.org/ , and https://ctds.uchicago.edu/.

This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.


Job Summary

The Technical Business Analyst will be responsible for understanding and meeting organizational and contractual expectations regarding business solution delivery standards, work scope management, solution quality, and client satisfaction. You will lead from a business analyst perspective from the ground up, as a communicator, liaison, and information source for the team. You will be a critical advisor for the agile development team, collaborating to deliver innovative solutions to support the research community. This position will be specific to the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) Project (https://gdc.cancer.gov/; https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/). The GDC Project lies at the intersection of cutting-edge research and production systems, both in terms of the bioinformatics and computer science principles being utilized. Deep technical understanding of the system and software architecture will be critical to success in this role. Additionally, you will be required to gain a working knowledge of cancer genomics to understand the use cases and requirements for the GDC. You will be empowered, decisive, communicative, business-savvy, and highly available to the team, leadership, and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Work with all stakeholders to define and document the use cases and product requirements that will determine the success of the solution.

  • Translate product requirements and user stories into detailed functional and/or technical specifications.

  • Develop and write clear technical tasks and acceptance criteria in JIRA.

  • Provide other documentation as needed such as API specifications, process diagrams, and other models to clarify the desired solutions.

  • Work with the team leads, collaboratively using JIRA, to help prioritize stories, tasks, and their dependencies to ensure a smooth agile process.

  • Provide input in test plans and participate in writing test cases, test execution and defect reporting to ensure that solutions implemented meet requirements and are both of high quality and operationally sustainable.

  • Identify opportunities and drive solutions for improving current business and technical processes.

  • Facilitate communication and coordination across business and technical units.

  • Timely escalation of any concerns, risks and issues pertaining to business analysis.

  • Support Agile project management processes as needed.

  • Participate in project meetings and provide insight as appropriate.

  • Documenting and reporting to project leadership and senior management.

  • Has a deep understanding of business process analyses, needs assessments, and preliminary cost/benefit analyses. Solves complex problems relating to computer equipment capacity, limitations, and operation time.

  • Utilizes thorough understanding of business systems and industry requirements to translate business and user needs into system requirement specifications.

  • Recommends process improvements in existing applications and revises existing system logic difficulties as necessary. Designs, develops, and implements new applications, systems architecture, network systems, and applications infrastructures.

  • Communicates and presents on system enhancements and/or alternatives to colleagues in IT management.

  • Performs other related work as needed.


Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

  • 5+ years of experience in progressive technical business analysis or relevant role.

  • Experience with Agile methodology and the Software Development Life Cycle.

  • Experience translating high-level requirements and user stories into functional specifications.

  • Experience with writing technical specifications, with a focus on full stack architecture, including REST APIs, SQL and noSQL data solutions and distributed infrastructure.

  • Experience with business analysis and quality assurance professional standards, business processes, workflows, methodologies and leading practices.

  • Experience leading business analysis activities while ensuring the traceability and optimum coverage of business requirements defined.

  • Experience managing a backlog of requirements in an Agile workflow.

  • Experience with programming languages and web technologies strongly preferred.

  • Experience working in a Linux command line environment strongly preferred.

  • Experience as scrum master strongly preferred.

  • Experience in Change Management, Release Management, Incident, Project Management and working on Business Intelligence strongly preferred.

  • Experience with HIPAA and/or FISMA security regulations strongly preferred.

  • Experience with cancer or human genomics strongly preferred.

  • Experience with bioinformatics strongly preferred.

  • Experience with JIRA project tracking software strongly preferred.

Preferred Competencies

  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with technical staff, non-technical staff, all levels of management, and clients.

  • Detail-oriented and highly organized with outstanding problem-solving skills.

  • Work effectively in a fast-paced, changing environment.

  • Perform business process re-engineering and transformations.

  • Understand disparate functionalities arising from various business units from a technical point of view.

  • Familiarity with full stack architecture, specifically SQL databases, APIs, and web development.

  • Ability to generate wire-frames and flowcharts to accompany user stories or as a brainstorming aid.

Working Conditions

  • Office environment.

Application Documents

  • Resume (required)

  • Cover Letter (preferred)


When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.


Job Family

Information Technology


Role Impact

Individual Contributor


FLSA Status

Exempt


Pay Frequency

Monthly


Scheduled Weekly Hours

40


Benefits Eligible

Yes


Drug Test Required

No


Health Screen Required

No


Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No


Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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