Lead Business Systems Analyst

Join the FHLBC team!

At the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, employees come first - that's why we offer a highly competitive compensation and bonus package, and access to a comprehensive benefits program designed to meet the needs of our employees.

• Retirement program (401k and Pension)

• Medical, dental and vision insurance

• Lifestyle Spending Account

• Generous PTO plan

• 11 paid holidays per year

• Hybrid working model

Who we are:

FHLBank Chicago partners with our members in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment in the Bank, and support for their community investment activities. We are one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks created by Congress in 1932 as a government sponsored enterprise to support mortgage lending and community investment. We are member owned and member focused. Our members include banks, credit unions, insurance companies and CDFIs.

What it's like to work here:

At FHLBank Chicago, we bring people together. Our regular All-Staff meetings keep employees informed and our values drive the work that we do. Our Buddy Program pairs new hires with tenured employees to guide their onboarding. Through our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), we host signature and employee-led events to celebrate our differences and learn from each other and identify volunteer opportunities to strengthen our communities; and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and culture teams create connections around shared interests and experiences. We offer live and on-demand professional development opportunities to grow your skillset and your career.

What you'll do:

In this role you will Act as liaison between Bank business units and Information Technology to ensure quality of requirements definition, systems design, documentation, testing processes, and training. You'll help propose ways to further bridge the gap between business needs and technology solutions, leveraging an Agile delivery process. You will also assist in building and maturing BSA practice as well as providing guidance and mentorship to BSA team members.

How you'll make an impact:

• Help shape the BSA practice for the Bank. Working to establish a methodology, clear role expectations, process design and deliverables in order to consistently and effectively gather requirements as a part of the software development lifecycle.
• Serve as a BSA on some of the Bank's critical financial applications. Partnering with the Product Owners and business stakeholders to ensure the delivery team is building software as needed to support business objectives.
• Serve as a mentor to more junior BSA staff members, guiding them in their development in the field of Business System Analysis and Software Delivery.

What you can expect:

• Provide the linkage between the business units and software delivery teams through relationship management. Facilitate communication and act as the liaison between the business units and delivery teams.
• Provide guidance and mentorship of BSA team members through formal and informal instruction.
• Expected to set standard for story writing, requirements gathering, feature to story decomposition, management of Agile boards.
• Expected to assist in leading Agile delivery team ceremonies.
• Assist BSA team in building a BSA practice, defining methodology, key artifacts, processes, role expectations and key relationships with other technical and business staff.
• Assist business in evaluating, defining, and justifying technology initiatives, and required budget.
• Assist product owners on work prioritization and road mapping.
• Identify and help prioritize/plan all maintenance related activities for the delivery team(s)
• Consult on new software selection, vendor negotiations, establishing SLAs, and ensuring compatibility and cost effectiveness.
• Leads and facilitates the process of defining requirements by working closely in a liaison role with business end users and technical development/support teams.
• Partner with solution architects, lead developers and and quality assurance to ensure technical solutions align with business needs and promote an understanding of business process and business requirements.
• Document current and to-be process flows, process pain points, system gaps, system controls, etc.
• Document data mapping for system integrations, which includes documenting payload specifications for APIs.
• Responsible for managing project scope alongside product owners.
• Develop and coordinate end-user training on IT projects.
• Transfer application knowledge to technical staff to ensure a continuity of support for end-users.
• Suggests and implements improvements to requirements gathering process.
• Expected to quickly become subject matter expert on applications, systems, and data.
• Will be expected to mentor, lead, and coach less experiences team members.
• Consult and assist on revamping of current Software Development Lifecycle Methodology

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Finance or related subject area required. Advanced degree desirable
• 7+ years of experience as a Business Systems Analyst, previous experience as a BSA lead is preferred.
• Proven experience in business systems analysis with strong understanding of both business processes and technical capabilities.
• Demonstrate sound understanding of software development process using a formal software development life cycle (SDLC) methodology. (Agile/Scrum)
• Have demonstrated aptitude in leading a development team during requirements gathering and refinements sessions using leveraging strong analytical skills.
• Experience with automated project management and documentation tools (e.g. flowcharting, data modeling, Excel, UI design, Visio, Lucid Charts).
• Technical documentation experience (e.g., data mapping, process & data flow diagrams, detailed functional requirements, technical specifications).
• 5+ years experience in Finance, Banking, Treasury Operations, Capital Markets or Financial Services
• Experience with Azure DevOps a plus.
• Experience with Money Market, Derivative and Fixed Income instruments a plus.
• Experience with loan underwriting processes a plus.
• Ability to work independently.
• Must have excellent communication (verbal, written, and listening) skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Requires ability to break down ideas/issues into solutions.
• Ability to conduct research on trends and solutions to common issues.
• Has mechanisms to stay up-to-date on trends in the BSA field, Agile development methodologies and requirements gathering techniques.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Must possess good leadership skills.
• Ability to mentor/coach others.

The perks:

At FHLBank Chicago, we believe in rewarding our high performing workforce. We offer a highly competitive compensation and bonus package, and access to a comprehensive benefits program designed to meet the needs of our employees. Our retirement program includes a 401(k) and pension plan. Our wellbeing program supports employees at work and in their personal lives: Our generous PTO plan provides five weeks of vacation for new employees and 11 paid holidays per year; our Lifestyle Spending Account provides an annual stipend for employees to support wellbeing activities; and our central downtown location at the Old Post Office provides easy access to public transportation and breathtaking views from our award-winning rooftop. Step into a brighter future with us. #LI-Hybrid