Business Analyst

Business Analyst - Dealer Management Systems (Contractor)
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Business Analyst (Contractor) to join our Product team and serve as a key subject matter expert in dealership operations and Dealer Management Systems (DMS).
This role will work directly with Product Management, dealers, and an external software development partner to evaluate proposed solutions, validate business requirements, review user experiences, and approve project deliverables. Unlike a traditional Business Analyst role focused on creating requirements and user stories, this position is responsible for reviewing, challenging, refining, and approving vendor-produced deliverables to ensure they align with business goals, dealership workflows, and user expectations.
The ideal candidate combines deep dealership operational knowledge with strong critical thinking skills and the ability to challenge assumptions, identify gaps, and drive high-quality business solutions.
This is a full-time,U.S.-based contract position reporting directly to the Manager of Retail Systems Products.
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Key Responsibilities
Business Analysis & Requirements Validation
Collaborate with Product Management, dealers, internal stakeholders, and external development partners to validate business needs and proposed solutions.
Review and approve business requirements, process flows, user stories, acceptance criteria, and related project artifacts created by vendor Business Analysts.
Evaluate proposed functionality to ensure alignment with dealership business processes and operational objectives.
Identify gaps, risks, inconsistencies, and overlooked scenarios before development begins.
Challenge assumptions and ensure solutions address the root business need rather than symptoms.
Ensure requirements are complete, testable, and deliver the desired business outcomes.
Participate in dealer discovery sessions, product reviews, demonstrations, and feedback meetings. Serve as the voice of the dealer throughout the product development lifecycle.
Build consensus among stakeholders with varying priorities and perspectives.
Vendor Collaboration
Work daily with an external software development partner, including scheduled overlap during early Eastern Time business hours.
Participate in solution brainstorming and design discussions.
Review and evaluate Figma designs, workflows, and user experiences created by the vendor.
Assess usability, efficiency, and alignment with dealership workflows.
Hold vendor teams accountable for producing high-quality business analysis and design artifacts.
Provide business validation and signoff throughout the development lifecycle.
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Required Qualifications
Industry Experience (Non-Negotiable)
Minimum 5 years of experience working with a Dealer Management System (DMS).
Direct experience with powersports or automotive dealerships.
Strong understanding of dealership operations and business processes.
Experience working with one or more DMS platforms such as:
CDK
Reynolds & Reynolds
Dealertrack
DX1
Client Project
Other dealership management systems
Functional Knowledge
Strong working knowledge across multiple dealership departments, including:
Sales
Finance & Insurance (F&I)
Service
Parts
Inventory Management
CRM and customer lifecycle processes
Accounting processes and dealership operational reporting
Business Analysis Skills
Requirements analysis and validation
Business process analysis
Stakeholder management
Workshop facilitation
Problem solving and root cause analysis
Risk identification and mitigation
Solution assessment and evaluation
Decision making under ambiguity
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Agile Experience
Experience working within Agile software development environments
Understanding of Epics, Features, User Stories, Acceptance Criteria, and Sprint processes
Experience reviewing and validating development deliverables
Tools
Experience with:
Microsoft Office Suite
Confluence
Jira
Azure DevOps
Figma
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Preferred Qualifications
Powersports dealership experience
Marine, RV, agriculture, heavy equipment, or other dealership industry experience
Experience working with outsourced or offshore development teams
Experience participating in software modernization initiatives
Experience with SaaS products and cloud-based applications
Familiarity with APIs and third-party integrations
Understanding of relational databases and data structures
Experience supporting data conversion or migration initiatives
Familiarity with AI-powered productivity tools and prompt engineering techniques
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Key Competencies
Critical Thinking (Most Important)
Ability to challenge assumptions, identify gaps, evaluate alternatives, and make sound business decisions.
Attention to Detail
Ability to identify inconsistencies, edge cases, missing requirements, and workflow gaps before development begins.
Decision Making
Confidently provide direction, approvals, and recommendations while balancing business needs, user experience, and technical constraints.
Influencing Without Authority
Ability to partner effectively with vendors, stakeholders, and dealership representatives to achieve desired outcomes.
Business Acumen
Deep understanding of dealership operations and the practical realities faced by dealership personnel.
Communication
Ability to communicate effectively with both business and technical audiences.
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Work Environment
This role is remote, but if the person is local in the Ohio area there is the option to be hybrid
Eastern Time Zone strongly preferred-- if not East Coast based, candidate will need to be able to commit to working EST based hours for the duration of the role.
Daily collaboration with external development teams beginning as early as 7:00 AM Eastern Time
Less than 10% travel
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EEO:


"Mindlance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of - Minority/Gender/Disability/Religion/LGBTQI/Age/Veterans."