Accela Business Systems Analyst

Job Description
We are looking for an experienced Strategic Business Analyst with strong Accela Platform expertise for a contract role in Lawrenceville, GA. The Strategic Business Analyst will be responsible for reviewing business processes to gain an understanding of current procedures and identify improvements. Knowledge of Accela permitting, workflows and the ability to document the current state of business processes as well as the desired future state. The Strategic Business Analyst will be responsible for transferring knowledge of business implications to the application/database developers, testers and project managers.

Responsibilities:
• Collaborate with stakeholders and cross-functional teams to gather, analyze, and document business requirements related to Accela modules (e.g., Permitting, Licensing, Code Enforcement, Workflows). Conduct feasibility analysis, scope projects, and collaborate with applications management and Project Manager to prioritize deliverables and negotiate functionalities.
• Conduct gap analysis and identify process improvements to streamline workflows within the Accela platform.
• Create detailed Business Requirement Documents (BRDs) and translate them into functional specifications.
• Partner with development and analytic teams to provide reporting on software solutions.
• Lead the enhancement of Accela solutions, proactively engaging users to identify potential issues and ensure timely resolution.
• Coordinate and perform quality assurance testing to validate system functionality and ensure solutions meet business and technical requirements.
• Coordinate data extraction and analysis to support reporting and software solutions alongside development and analytics teams.
• Gather IT business requirements through research and interviews, translating them into technical project specifications fit for Accela cloud platform.
• Analyze and organize information to reconcile conflicts, elicit requirements, and align solutions with business needs.
• Serve as liaison for customer service and support requests, ensuring requirements gathering, estimation, approval, execution, testing, and delivery.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and develop business process models and documentation. Assist business Change Management activities and communicate business and IT information effectively according to standards.
• Facilitate communication between technical and business teams.
• Maintain documentation including business processes, user stories, and technical manuals.
• Stay informed about industry trends, tools, and best practices related to Accela software.
• Support project management tasks such as status reporting and risk management.

Skills:
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or IT.
• 5+ years of experience working as a Functional, Data or Business Analyst.
• Proven experience as a Business Analyst in government technology projects using Accela Platform and related products.
• Strong understanding of Accela permitting, licensing, workflows, inspections and code enforcement processes.
• Advanced skills in MS Tools- Excel, Power Point, Project, Visio, Teams, SharePoint and Outlook.
• 5+ years of customer interfacing experience - project oversight, customer presentation.
• 5+ years' work experience in full systems development.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• An overall general understanding of large IT operating environments, SDLC, Change Control, Desktop Support, Service Desks, Application Development, Release Management, Networks, Storage, Data Centers.
• Excellent organizational and stakeholder management skills. Strong understanding of how to manage change.
• Energetic, action-oriented, positive approach to problem solving and ability to balance multiple projects concurrently.
• Expert skills in process mapping, requirements definition, design documentation and system implementation including using JIRA, Visio, SharePoint, Teams, Power BI and Adobe.
• Highly skilled in development and management of Features, EPICS, User Stories, Sprint Planning, Sprint Demo's for Agile development projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in Agile and Scrum frameworks, including practices such as Kanban, Waterfall, backlog management, and participation in Agile ceremonies.
• Experience facilitating user testing and conducting QA validation.
• Facilitate system demonstrations, presentations, and training sessions to effectively communicate updates, features, and best practices to end users and stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:
• Certification in Business Analysis (CBAP, PMI-PBA).
• Accela Certifications.
• Agile/Scrum Certifications.
• Familiarity with integrations, GIS, and other government technology systems.
• Understanding of regulatory compliance and municipal workflows.