Business Analyst - Finance

The Business Analyst serves as the primary liaison between business units and Information Technology Services, translating operational needs into clear, actionable system requirements for the institution's enterprise applications. Working under the direction of the Director of Information Technology Portfolio and Transformation and in close partnership with the Director of Enterprise Applications and Platform Services, the Business Analyst will partner with functional owners, project managers, developers, and vendors. This role gathers and documents requirements, configures and tests application functionality, builds reports, supports release management, supports system integrations, and helps ensure that business applications are reliable, secure, and aligned with institutional goals. The Business Analyst also plays a key role in identifying opportunities to redesign business processes and leverage technology to advance institutional strategy. Finally, the Business Analyst provides ongoing support, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement for assigned applications throughout their lifecycle. About The University of New England UNE is Maine's largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study-abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible online offerings. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to positively impact a world full of challenges. We are the state's top provider of health professionals and home to Maine's only medical and dental colleges, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care programs, and nationally recognized programs in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and the arts. Benefits Overview Multiple health and dental plan options, plus vision coverage. Up to 8% retirement plan match. Generous leave time, including vacation, sick, and personal time, and 12+ holidays per year. Educational benefits : UNE tuition waiver for employees, spouses, and domestic partners For more information about our outstanding benefits, please visit: UNE Benefits Overview Responsibilities Requirements Analysis and Solution Design Partner with functional stakeholders to elicit, analyze, and document business requirements, process flows, and use cases for new and existing applications. Translate business needs into functional specifications, configuration requirements, and clear acceptance criteria that development, configuration, and vendor teams can act on. Evaluate current business processes and recommend application-based improvements that increase efficiency, accuracy, and user satisfaction. Conduct fit-gap analysis between business requirements and application capabilities, identifying configuration, customization, or integration options. Maintain requirements traceability and supporting documentation throughout the project and application lifecycle. Identify opportunities to standardize, optimize, or transform business processes through technology-enabled solutions aligned with institutional priorities Application Configuration, Testing, and Support Configure application settings, workflows, forms, reports, and security roles to meet documented business requirements and institutional standards. Develop and execute test plans, test cases, and test scripts; coordinate unit, system, integration, and user acceptance testing and track defects to resolution. Provide tier-two functional support for assigned applications, diagnosing issues, identifying root causes, and coordinating fixes with technical teams or vendors. Support release management activities, including reviewing patches and upgrades, validating changes in non-production environments, and confirming readiness for production deployment. Create and maintain end-user documentation, job aids, and knowledge base articles for supported applications. Data, Reporting, and Integrations Analyze application data to support reporting, reconciliation, and decision making, and assist users with report and dashboard requests. Support data integrity efforts, including data validation, cleanup, mapping, and migration activities for assigned applications. Assist with the design, testing, and monitoring of integrations and data exchanges between business applications and other institutional systems. Document data definitions, business rules, and integration specifications to support consistency and maintainability. Project and Vendor Collaboration Participate in application implementation, upgrade, and enhancement projects as a functional subject matter expert, contributing to planning, requirements, testing, and go-live readiness. Coordinate with application vendors on configuration questions, defects, enhancement requests, and support cases, tracking issues through resolution. Collaborate with project managers, developers, and functional owners to ensure deliverables meet requirements, timelines, and quality expectations. Communicate status, risks, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Continuous Improvement and Professional Development Stay current on supported application features, releases, and industry best practices, and recommend opportunities to better leverage application capabilities. Contribute to the development and refinement of analysis, configuration, testing, and documentation standards. Participate in retrospectives and lessons learned to improve service delivery and application support practices. Evaluate opportunities to leverage automation, analytics, and emerging technologies (including AI tools) to improve business processes and user experience. All other duties as assigned Qualifications Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in business, information systems, information technology, computer science, or a related field. Experience as a business analyst supporting financial systems or related applications, such as general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, procurement, budgeting, grants, or financial reporting systems. Experience supporting enterprise applications such as an ERP, SIS, CRM, or HR or finance system in higher education or another complex organization. Three to five years of experience in business analysis, application support, system configuration, or a related role in a professional environment. Demonstrated ability to gather and document business requirements and translate them into functional specifications and test cases. Working knowledge of the software development and application lifecycle, including configuration, testing, release management, and support practices. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and the ability to work through complex business and system issues. Proficiency with common collaboration and productivity tools (Microsoft 365, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and the ability to learn new applications quickly. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document requirements and explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences. Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including functional users, technical teams, and external vendors, in a collaborative service-oriented environment. Commitment to confidentiality, data privacy, information security practices, and adherence to institutional policies. Preferred Qualifications Experience with reporting and data analysis tools, basic SQL, or query and dashboard tools. Experience supporting application integrations, APIs, or data exchanges between systems. Familiarity with business analysis or related frameworks and certifications (for example, ECBA, CCBA, or CBAP). Experience in higher education or another complex mission-driven organization. EEO Statement Summary Consistent with federal and state law and University policy, the University of New England is committed to the fundamental concept of equal opportunity for all of the members of the University community. The University prohibits, and will not tolerate, discrimination in employment, the provision of academic services or in any other area of University life based on race, color, sex, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, ethnicity, genetic information, HIV status, or status as a veteran. Prohibited bias factors should not motivate decisions regarding students, employees, applicants for admission, applicants for employment, contractors, volunteers or participants in and/or users of institutional programs, services, and activities. Vaccination Statement (PLEASE NOTE) Employees in clinical settings must meet the State of Maine's immunization requirements for clinical activity. Additional Note This position is not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship.