At McMaster University, our people are our most valuable asset. We strive to attract, develop, and retain talented faculty and staff, and to foster inclusive excellence which values the strengths, perspectives, and contributions of each individual. McMaster’s profile and stature has evolved to one of the top 80 universities in the world and we are recognized as Canada’s Most Research Intensive University. McMaster is also recognized as one of the top employers in the Hamilton/Niagara region and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Diversity employers for 2019-2022.
Data Systems is a part of the Enterprise Applications and Data Systems branch within University Technology Services (UTS) department.
Our goal is to provide the institution with tools, and services to collect, store, process, analyze, and report on data. By doing so, the Data Systems team supports the University's IT Strategic Vision of a connected community, delivering a seamless foundation of core and transformative information technologies and services, accelerating the institution’s teaching, learning and research mission.
The Senior Business Systems Analyst (Level III) holds a prominent role within our team and exhibits the following interpersonal qualities:
- Demonstrates robust analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Possesses a detail-oriented mindset and excels in critical thinking.
- Displays excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Approaches tasks with enthusiasm and proactivity, demonstrating a strong willingness to learn.
- Embraces collaboration, maintains a positive attitude, and fosters teamwork.
- Exhibits emotional intelligence, allowing for the development of productive working relationships.
Key Responsibilities: The Business Systems Analyst III should have substantial experience in the following areas:
- Proficiently gathering and documenting business and systems requirements to identify potential solutions.
- Contributing to Software Development Lifecycle, including both Waterfall and DevOps methodologies.
- Developing, analyzing, and thoroughly documenting SQL queries.
- Understanding data modeling concepts and systems design principles essential for defining the scope and functionality of new systems or enhancements to existing ones.
- Leading efforts in Business Process Management.
- Conducting thorough reviews of data integrity and quality.
- Participating in or leading Agile Project Management.
- Conducting technology evaluations and providing recommendations for technology adoption or integration.
- Performing data analysis to identify trends, patterns, and insights crucial for informing strategic business decisions.
- Taking a leadership role and contributing actively to continuous process improvement
Summary:
The Business Systems Analyst (III) acts as a technical and consulting resource for complex issues related to various University departments and units with respect to the implementation and maintenance of information technology systems. Supports the University's academic and administration departments by acting in a functional capacity in all phases of the Project Life Cycle for small to medium projects and components of large projects, including post-production support and ongoing maintenance. Continuously gains an understanding of the University's operations and processes and how systems are used in support of those operations. Works under general direction within a clear framework of accountability and exercises substantial personal responsibility and accountability to deliver results.
Purpose and Key Functions:
- Facilitate large group business development planning sessions.
- Develop success criteria and risk assessments for small to medium size projects and changes.
- Collaborate with developers and subject matter experts to establish the technical vision and analyze tradeoffs between usability and performance needs.
- Critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources, reconcile conflicts, decompose high-level information into details, abstract up from low-level information to a general understanding, and distinguish user requests from the underlying true needs.
- Conduct gap analyses.
- Ensure that projects meet specified functionality requirements.
- Maintain information technology process flow, methodology, and control documentation.
- Perform advanced levels of analysis, problem solving and research skills to formulate solutions to complex business needs.
- Work with project stakeholders to understand project scope and create test documents.
- Manage all phases of testing including, but not limited to, system, integration, acceptance, regression, and performance.
- Document system functionality, particularly related to new enhancements.
- Develop and maintain information technology process flow, methodology, and control documentation.
- Elicit requirements using interviews, document analysis, requirement workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, business analysis, and task and workflow analysis.
- Analyze information needs and functional requirements and deliver artifacts such as functional requirements, business process models, use cases, screen and interface designs, test plans and test cases.
- Work with the development team to determine technical approaches and technical risks for project testing.
- Develop requirement specifications according to standard templates, using natural language.
- Work closely with testing team members to ensure that requirements are testable.
- Review systems, processes, and information and provide recommendations to supervisor.
- Serve as the conduit between the Project Management Office and development teams through which requirements flow.
- Liaise between the technology and support teams.
- Communicate project, issue, and system status to the Lead and Project Manager.
- Communicate testing results to other stakeholders.
- Facilitate effective dialog between technical staff.
- Interact with and exchange information with colleagues.
- Follow a test script and document defects.
- Prepare and review recommendations and other project initiation documents.
- Prepare and review end user and operations documentation, training materials, and timelines.
- Work with the Lead and Project Manager to prioritize and schedule issues resolution.
- Plan, schedule, and monitor own work within short time horizons.
- Organize individual time, work and resources to accomplish objectives in the most effective and efficient way.
- Understand and use appropriate methods, tools, and applications to complete work tasks.
- Demonstrate a rational and organized approach to work and identify development opportunities.
- Absorb technical information when it is presented systematically and apply it effectively.
- Use measurement methods to monitor progress toward goal attainment, tenaciously working to meet or exceed those goals, while deriving satisfaction from the process of goal achievement and continuous improvement.
- Ensure that the internal and external customer perspective is a driving force behind decisions and activities.
- Follow service practices that meet customers’ and University needs.
- Interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the University.
- Work collaboratively with others to achieve departmental and institutional goals. Actively participate as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.
- Perform a range of varied work activities in a variety of structured environments.
- Successfully engage in multiple initiatives simultaneously.
- Apply and enforce department change control policies and procedures.
- Acquire and maintain a basic understanding of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing principles.
- Read and understand complex Business Process Diagrams and develop basic (Level II) models.
- Read and understand a complex project plan and develop simple project plans.
- Remain current with relevant development and project methodologies.
- Remain current with security policies and procedures and work with System Administrators to implement security changes.
- Ensure appropriate business participation in information technology projects.
- Utilize the appropriate control tools to coordinate small and medium size projects according to Project Management Office methodologies.
- Develop, implement, and document best practices to align with departmental and University strategies and processes.
- Work independently with users to define concepts.
- Drive and challenge business units on their assumptions of how they will successfully execute their plans.
- Assist with the development of project proposals and estimates.
- Perform the functional analysis for production support activities and advise business users in the analysis of less complex issues.
- Take ownership of functional issues by identifying underlying problems, analyzing potential solutions and implementing system resolutions, including workarounds.
- Provide Level III post implementation support to users regarding functional issues.
- Prepare and assist other testers with the creation of test cases.
- Identify and manage defects identified during all phases of a project.
- Review test cases created by testing team members to ensure that the test cases adequately define the business processes.
- Resolve problems in the test, production implementation, and post-implementation phases in coordination with other technical and business groups.
- Develop simple queries using basic Business Intelligence tools.
- Remain current with the different levels of testing and develop simple use cases and test scripts
Assets:
- Working experience with ETL/ELT development (Oracle Data Integrator (ODI) or Azure Data Factory (ADF))
- Working experience with data cataloguing tools
- Working experience with data warehouse design and development
- Experience with Azure Data Platform
- Knowledge of data modelling (relational & dimensional)
- Experience with relational database design/modeling including conceptual, logical and physical structures, data normalization, star and snowflake schemas
- Process Improvement qualifications, such as Lean Six Sigma certification
- Advanced Structured Query Language (SQL) programming experience
- Working knowledge of PeopleSoft Query
- Working experience with Microsoft Power BI
- Knowledge of PeopleSoft architecture, PeopleTools, and PeopleSoft applications (Human Capital Management, Financials and Supply Chain Management, Campus Solutions)
- Knowledge of Microsoft Power Platform
Supervision:
- Provide direction to others in how to carry out work tasks.
