Information Technology Business Analyst III

General Description GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Support the Project Management Office (PMO) and the PMO Manager in effectively facilitating the management of projects through the various project management phases and stages within the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) to include initiation, planning, execution, and monitoring and controlling and closing projects.This role involves managing project management teams, coordinating project activities, managing resources, and ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget. Collaborates with cross-functional teams to achieve project objectives while adhering to established TABC standards for project management within the PMO. May assign and supervise the work of others. Works under minimal supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.Essential Job Functions % of Time ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (EJFs)30%Creates and/or coordinates the creation of project plans, defining scope, objectives, deliverables, and timelines using project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, etc.). Effectively leads cross-functional project teams, assign tasks, monitor progress, and provide guidance to ensure deliverables are completed on time and within scope. Acts as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, managing expectations, providing detailed status updates, and resolving conflicts or issues to maintain project alignment. Identify potential project risks or obstacles and propose solutions or escalate to senior staff for guidance.Project Planning and Scheduling: Develop project schedules with assigned resources, review with internal and external stakeholders and manage the schedules to ensure projects remain within scope, timeline, and budget.Provides weekly status reports and updated project schedules to project manager.Team Leadership and Coordination: Document and coordinate project tasks with key stakeholders to ensure timelines are met on time and within scope.Mentor and provide guidance to junior Business Analysts (BA I/II); review their work, conduct training sessions, and support knowledge sharing within the team.Ensures documentation is managed and organized to their correct document repository, to include the project team members.Stakeholder Communication: Facilitates meetings and discussions with internal and external stakeholders to document statements of work project charters, business and functional requirements, procedures and workflows, user stories, acceptance criteria, test plans, and risk assessment plans for all assigned projects in accordance with project schedules.Prepare and deliver high-impact reports, dashboards, and presentations for executive audiences, translating technical details into business insights.Serve as a bridge between business and technical teams; negotiate scope, resolve conflicts, and ensure alignment on solutions.Risk Identification and Mitigation: Regularly reviews the risk log with internal stakeholders and external vendors to effectively quantify and manage and identify projects risks and difficulties in accordance with the strategies documented and update the risk log with new risks or changes.Designs strategies to mitigate or avoid them.Conduct advanced process modeling, gap analysis, and root cause investigations to identify operational, financial, or technological risks and recommend optimization strategies.30%Translate complex business requirements into detailed functional and non-functional specifications, user stories, use cases, BPMN process flows, and data models while leading end-to-end service request lifecycle management — including customer response coordination, technical artifact reviews, and oversight of system integration and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to guarantee alignment and successful delivery.Quality Assurance & Testing GovernanceLead Quality Assurance (QA) efforts by developing and maintaining comprehensive test plans and documentation for sprint validation, defect triage, regression testing, acceptance approval, migration stability, and production support.Define and mature QA and defect management processes, including detailed protocols for smoke testing, regression testing, integration testing, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).Design, review, and validate test cases while overseeing change request processing, project scope control, acceptance, installation, and deployment activities.Requirements Validation & ApprovalEnsure all user stories and acceptance criteria for approved requirements are thoroughly documented, reviewed by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and formally approved by business divisions prior to development.Project Governance, Risk & Issue ManagementProactively identify, analyze, and escalate project risks and issues to the PMO Manager with supporting documentation, multiple resolution options (including pros and cons), and a recommended course of action.Facilitate stage-gate reviews at the end of each major project phase, ensuring decisions, signoffs, and approvals are formally documented; assess go/no-go readiness; and lead lessons learned/retrospectives.Conduct post-project failure analysis to identify root causes and recommend improvements for future initiatives.Prepare and deliver regular status reports, metrics, and executive summaries to the PMO Manager.30%Supports the workflow processes for change management with the PMOmanager. Facilitates discussions among cross functional teams of internal and external stakeholders. Identifies areas of opportunity in the Project Management process and throughout the agency to ensure a culture of continuous improvement.Change Management: Ensures change requests for new or added requirements comply with the Change Advisory Board (CAB) and/or the CAB governance procedures, and the required documentation is provided in a timely manner for CAB Administration.Coordinate all new change requests with PMO Manager to ensure they are entered correctly and are prioritized accordingly.Collaborate with IT, development, and testing teams to support system design, integration, user acceptance testing (UAT), and change management.Support organizational change by developing training materials, user guides, and adoption strategies.Continuous Improvement:Facilitates business process workarounds for functions that are postponed or descoped and ensure these are well documented and accepted by the divisions impacted.Identifies opportunities for improving business processes through automation and assists in the preparation of proposals to develop new systems.Conduct lessons learned and continuous improvement reviews.Ensures all required integration points with external service vendors and other state agencies are part of the project plan and timely communication with these service providers as well as scheduled testing is in place.5%Develops training curriculum and conducts formal training sessions covering assigned systems module and ensures that a migration plan is in place for deployment to production and includes processes to support the maintenance Service level Agreement.5%Performs other duties as assigned.MQs, KSA, License/CertificationsMinimum QualificationsEducation: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in businessadministration, computer science, management information systems, or a related field.Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of full-time work experience in business and/or system analysis work.Applicable Substitutions: Experience and education may be substituted for one another.Preferred Qualifications5+ Years in Project Management5+ Years in a Business Analyst or Advanced System Administrator Position5+ Years Eliciting Requirements5+ Years in User Acceptance testing and Implementation5+ Years in Process Workflow AnalyticsLean Six Sigma Green BeltProject Management Professional (PMP)Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)Registration, Certification Or LicensurePossess a valid Texas driver’s license, if applicableCriminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security awareness trainingAdditional certifications may be required to be registered, certified, or licensed in a specialty area.Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Knowledge Knowledge of software development life cycle and systems development life cycle concepts; business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership techniques, production methods, and coordination of people and resources; and project management principles and practices. Skills Skill in business analysis methodologies; in analyzing and evaluating complex information technology programs, policies, and issues; and in developing creative and workable solutions to complex problems and issues. Abilities Ability to analyze and interpret technical information including regulations, policies, and automation system documentation/specifications; to communicate in writing; to translate user/business needs into a technical style; to communicate technical instructions to system users; to analyze, evaluate, and integrate business rules into system requirements; to exercise sound judgment in making critical decisions; to communicate effectively, and to assign and/or supervise the work of others. Physical Requirements/Supplemental Information PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR WORKING CONDITIONS: This position functions in a standard office environment. Must be able to move around the office to access filing cabinets, office equipment and move up to 20 pounds. Must be able to communicate and exchange information via phone, computer, in person and via electronic media. Must be able to perform repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. Must be able to work with overlapping deadlines.This position is expected to work in the office but may be eligible for situational or hybrid telework schedule upon completion of an initial probationary period. For teleworking, must have a secure, dedicated workspace with internet service, ability to maintain a reliable consistent work schedule and be available for meetings and group collaboration via Microsoft Teams or other platforms/applications during regular business hours.Military Occupational Specialist (mos) CodeVeterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with an MOS or additional duties pertaining to the minimum experience requirements may meet the minimum qualifications for this position and are highly encouraged to apply:For more information see the Texas State Auditor’s Military Crosswalk athttps://hr.sao.texas.gov/CompensationSystem/JobDescriptions Supplemental Information The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission reserves the right to adjust compensation based upon legislative mandates in regard to TABC's and/or an employee's contribution to the Employees Retirement System. In compliance with Senate Bill 321 , agencies that hire a person who has retired from the Employees Retirement System (ERS) or the Law Enforcement and Custodial Officers Supplemental Fund (LECOS) on or after September 1, 2009, are required to remit a surcharge each month the return-to-work retiree is employed. Candidates meeting these requirements will be offered a lower base salary to cover the surcharge. The Commission will conduct a criminal history and driver record check with the Texas Department of Public Safety in accordance with applicable standards on all finalists for this position. More than one position may be filled from this posting. Applicants should clearly describe on their applications how they meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Qualifications may be verified through testing. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the completed application. Incomplete applications may not be considered. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires all new employees to present proof of eligibility to work in the United States within three (3) days of being hired. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization; For more information, see: https://www.e-verify.gov/about-e-verify/what-is-e-verify Males between the ages of 18 and 25 years, inclusive, may be required to furnish proof of either selective service registration or exemption there from as a condition of state employment. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission adheres to the Veteran's Preference granted in Chapter 657 of the Texas Government Code and the Former Foster Children Preference granted in Chapter 672 of Section 1, Subtitle B, and Title 6 of the Texas Government Code