Business Analyst, IT (Limited Term)

Description

Schedule

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with a minimum of three (3) days in-office based out of our West Sacramento office and two (2) days working remotely.

This is a full-time limited-term position for approximately a two-year term offering full benefits.

Summary

Under the general direction of the Chief Technology Officer, the Business Analyst supports significant technology programs for the California School Boards Association (CSBA) and its members. This position contributes to the delivery of technical solutions to business needs by defining, analyzing, prioritizing, and documenting business requirements, while clearly communicating recommendations and outcomes to leadership, vendors, and staff. This position researches and analyzes issues related to program subject matter with a complex understanding of data analysis, software development and lifecycles, business analysis, requirements management, and strategic planning for the organization. The Business Analyst engages cross-functional project teams and prioritizes tasks to ensure delivery of high-quality, robust solutions on time and within scope. This position performs related work as required.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Business Analysis & Requirements Management

• Systematically elicit, document, analyze, and prioritize stakeholder business needs to inform technology solutions, process improvement, and data-driven insights.
• Dissect complex problems, identify pain points, and translate into actionable specifications.
• Lead interviews, workshops, surveys, and research to ensure comprehensive understanding of business needs.
• Create functional specifications, user stories, system workflows, and documentation to guide solution development and implementation.
• Represent the voice of the stakeholder in technology solutions, advocating for quality outcomes and mutual success.

Data Analysis & Process Improvement

• Utilize analytical tools and techniques to interpret complex datasets to uncover patterns, trends, and opportunities.
• Create reports, dashboards, and visualizations to communicate findings effectively.
• Map and evaluate existing business processes to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, redundancies, and areas for optimization.
• Develop strategies and solutions to streamline workflows, enhance operational efficiency, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrate measurable improvements in efficiency and productivity resulting from implemented solutions.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build trust and strengthen collaboration between Information Technology and stakeholders through active engagement and clear communication.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to design, document, and deliver solutions aligned with business needs.
• Model clear, consistent, and effective communication to ensure alignment on goals, requirements, timelines, and deliverables.
• Enhance department reputation with stakeholders through demonstrated value.

Project Support & Solution Delivery

• Partner with project management resources to support project processes (scoping, planning, implementation, post-launch support, resource allocation, constraint management).
• Allocate and effectively manage human, financial, information, and physical resources to optimize project performance.
• Contribute to timely delivery of successful project outcomes within defined constraints.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, and proactively address issues to mitigate potential delays or setbacks.
• Guide teams through transitions involving new technology, process changes, or organizational shifts.
• Facilitate testing and validation of solutions to ensure they meet business requirements and quality standards.
• Collaborate with testing teams to develop test cases, execute testing procedures, and validate results.

Strategic & Organizational Support

• Contribute to association and departmental strategic plans and objectives through subject matter expertise.
• Maintain awareness of trends, innovations, regulations, legislative issues, and education policy impacting CSBA.
• Uphold and model CSBA's vision, mission, values, policies, and practices.

Other Responsibilities

• Occasional overnight travel required.
• Limited vacation during peak periods.
• Work occasionally on evenings and weekends may be required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Any combination of training and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree or higher with major coursework in education leadership, business administration, computer science or related field or equivalent education and/or experience and three (3) to five (5) years of experience in business analysis, information technology, education policy research and analysis, and project management.

Knowledge of

• Principles and best practices of large-scale technology-based business analysis, requirements management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Software development lifecycle methodologies, including Agile and Waterfall.
• Software tools supporting large-scale software development initiatives, including requirements management, DevOps, and project tracking.
• Qualitative and quantitative research, analytical, and statistical methods.
• Administrative principles and practices, including goal setting, program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• School board, School District, and County Office of Education organization and operations.
• California's Education System and overall Education Policy.
• Federal, state, and local government organizations and operations.

Ability to

• Elicit, analyze, and synthesize complex ideas and concepts into structured specifications of business needs.
• Manage scope and priority, capturing all ideas but ensuring the most critical are addressed first.
• Prioritize multiple projects and meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Work independently and collaboratively in a hybrid work environment to achieve individual and team goals.
• Successfully and creatively address conflict, keeping all parties engaged and invested in the outcome.
• Facilitate and engage large teams consisting of various roles and skill sets.
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate effective meetings and stakeholder engagement, encouraging open discussion and mutual understanding.
• Represent the voice of the customer in a technology solution, demanding quality business outcomes and ensuring mutual success.
• Communicate and document task status and key decisions clearly to appropriate stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Research, analyze, and write clear, high-quality reports.
• Maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professionalism, sound judgment, initiative, tact, respect, and integrity in all interactions.
• Utilize Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Competent English grammar, usage, spelling, punctuation and style.
• Promote CSBA's values of integrity, collaboration, excellence, accountability, innovation and respect.

Environmental Elements & Physical Demands

• Occasional work in the evenings and weekends may be required.
• Must be able to lift, carry and move materials up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to sit at a computer for extended periods and stay engaged in presentations.
• Employees are personally responsible for following health and safety guidelines, instructions and policies.

Why Join CSBA?

• Play a key role in leading large-scale technology initiatives that support CSBA's mission and enhance services for California's TK-12 education system.
• Work in a collaborative and mission-driven environment dedicated to advancing public education.
• Receive a competitive salary and benefits package.

If you are an experienced technology project management professional looking for an opportunity to lead meaningful, high-impact initiatives, we encourage you to apply!

Benefits

At CSBA, we proudly offer competitive compensation and benefits, including medical, dental and vision coverage for employees and dependent children, insurances and California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), and more:

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans:
  • Medical through Kaiser (Platinum HMO plan) and Blue Shield (Platinum HMO, Silver PPO, and HDHP with HSA).
  • Dental - Delta Dental
  • Vision - VSP
• CSBA offers a hybrid work schedule, with a minimum of three (3) days in-office based out of our West Sacramento office and two (2) days working remotely.
• Paid Time Off:
  • Vacation: Accrues 10 days annually for hourly employees and 15 days annually for salary employees. The rate at which you accrue will increase annually with years of service.
  • Floating holidays: 32 hours annually accrue date of hire.
  • Separate sick leave accrual: 8 hours accrued monthly.
  • Holiday: 10 CSBA recognized holidays annually
  • December Office Closure: During the latter part of December each year CSBA closes its office. During this time, employees are paid for 6 days in addition to the December 25 and January 1 holiday.
  • Sabbatical Program: Employees with at least seven (7) years of continuous full-time employment in their current period of service are eligible for up to four (4) weeks of paid leave.
• Membership in the CalPERS retirement system:
  • Classic membership tier (2% @ 55; 7% employee contribution and 11.54% employer contribution)
  • PEPRA membership tier (2% @ 62; 8.25% employee contribution and 8.27% employer contribution)
• Employer-paid Life insurance 1.5 times the annual salary
• Employer-paid AD&D insurance
• Employer-paid Short- and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Optional supplemental 457 retirement savings available
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Medical and Dependent Care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Perks at Work savings program
• Learning and Development
• Social Events: All-Staff luncheon events, Coffee & Learn
• Travel Reimbursement

CSBA's operation hours are 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. CSBA currently offers a hybrid work schedule for eligible positions. CSBA is headquartered in West Sacramento.

About CSBA

The California School Boards Association is a nonprofit education association representing the governing boards who oversee public school districts and county offices of education. With a membership of nearly 1,000 educational agencies statewide, CSBA brings together school governing boards to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state's more than 6 million school-age children. CSBA provides policy resources and training to members and represents the statewide interests of public education through legal, political, legislative, community and media advocacy.

CSBA employees are highly skilled, with a desire to excel and help strengthen school board governance and maximize student achievement. They are strategic in their trade, embrace challenges, and offer new and innovative ideas. CSBA creates a supportive, dynamic environment for its employees to grow and succeed. Our core values of integrity, collaboration, accountability, respect, excellence, service and innovation guide the way to achieving the Association's goals.

Apply Today
If you are ready to take the next step in your career and contribute to meaningful work, apply today! We are excited to hear how your expertise can further our mission and advance the education and well-being of the state's more than 6 million school-age children in public education in California.

Equal Opportunity Employer
CSBA is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on any characteristic protected by state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer/employee relationship.

CSBA prohibits any CSBA employee, consultant, and any CSBA agent, including unpaid interns and volunteers, Board members, independent contractors or any other agent from discriminating against any other employee or job applicant on the basis of the person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, reproductive health decision making or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

E-Verify

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment.

Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

E-Verify Works for Everyone

888-897-7781 dhs.gov/e-verify