Business Analyst

Business AnalystSoftware Guidance & Assistance, Inc., (SGA), is searching for a Business Analyst for a contract assignment with one of our premier regulatory clients in Rockville, MD, Tysons, VA or Washington D.C. The Business Analyst conducts moderate-to-high complexity analysis of automated surveillance systems that detect potential violations of regulatory rules. This role is responsible for understanding, validating, enhancing, and supporting surveillance patterns across multiple asset classes and regulatory domains. The analyst serves as the bridge between regulatory requirements and the technical implementation of surveillance logic, ensuring patterns produce accurate, complete, and defensible results. The analyst is expected to actively leverage generative AI tools to accelerate analysis, documentation, and automation — serving as the domain expert who directs AI capabilities while ensuring regulatory accuracy and completeness of all outputs.ResponsibilitiesReverse-engineers surveillance pattern source code to build comprehensive knowledge documentation covering data pipelines, business rules, exception logic, and output schemasMaintains a knowledge base of surveillance patterns across multiple regulatory domainsPerforms requirements-vs-code gap analysis to identify discrepancies between documented business requirements and implemented logic, flagging risks to surveillance coverageValidates new surveillance pattern releases by comparing production vs. UAT outputs, analyzing exception counts, volumes, and firm-level impactsBuilds local testing environments to execute query scripts against sample data, enabling independent verification of pattern logic before production deploymentDesigns multi-scenario test cases covering edge cases to ensure comprehensive test coveragePackages release artifacts (scripts, QC results, requirements documentation) following standardized release structuresWrites complex queries to support analyst investigations into surveillance exceptionsPerforms firm-level statistical analysis and produces reports for management reviewMaintains reference data sets used by downstream surveillance patternsAssesses data incident impacts by cross-referencing affected data sources against the surveillance pattern dependency mapDevelops automation tools for ticket management, release documentation, and workflow optimizationBuilds local testing frameworks that replicate production environments for rapid pattern testing and iterationCreates data visualization and comparison reports with interactive views, summary statistics, and color-coded differentialsLeverages AI coding assistants as a force multiplier — directing AI agents to reverse-engineer source code, build knowledge documentation, generate test frameworks, and produce data comparison reportsDesigns structured AI workflows including pattern study pipelines, workflow assistants, and automated documentation generationMaintains a curated AI project workspace with standing instructions, conventions, and context files that enable consistent, high-quality AI-assisted outputCoordinates multi-step analytical tasks through AI — from reading source code and drafting requirements, to generating test harnesses and producing comparison reports — reducing turnaround from days to hoursEvaluates and validates AI-generated outputs for regulatory accuracy before use in production workflowsManages work across project tracking boards, tracking enhancement tickets, bug fixes, and new pattern developmentDrafts and updates Business Requirements Documents (BRDs) for surveillance pattern enhancementsCoordinates release activities including documentation, QC, and UAT sign-off trackingParticipates on special projects as assigned. Serves as a mentor for less experienced analysts. Keeps management updated on notable trends in industry practices, regulatory changes, and emerging technology capabilities (including AI tooling). Champions adoption of AI-assisted workflows within the team.Required SkillsBachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience in financial regulatory technology, surveillance systems, or capital markets data analysisProficiency in SQL for large-scale data analysis on distributed platformsProficiency in at least one scripting/programming language for data analysis, automation, and tool developmentExperience reading and interpreting complex data processing pipelines and business logic in source codeStrong analytical skills with the ability to independently investigate data discrepancies and validate system outputsExcellent documentation skills — ability to translate complex technical implementations into clear business-facing knowledge documentsAdvanced proficiency in spreadsheet tools for business and operational analysisPreferred SkillsMajor in Business Administration, Finance, Computer Science, or related field; advanced degree preferredKnowledge of SEC/FINRA regulatory rules and reporting requirementsExperience with distributed query engines and big data platformsExperience with project management and documentation tools and their APIsFamiliarity with surveillance pattern architectures (exception generation, scoring, aggregation, reconciliation)Experience with source code management and release branch workflowsExperience leveraging generative AI tools (LLMs, AI coding assistants) to accelerate data analysis, code comprehension, documentation, and automation workflowsAbility to design effective AI prompts and structured project contexts that produce reliable, domain-accurate outputs in a regulated environment