Business Specialist

WoodmenLife is looking for a Business Specialist II or III to join our team! 
 

 We are currently searching for a Business Specialist II or III to join our team. The Business Specialist leads and guides the collection/analysis, authoring and communication of requirements in order to meet or exceed the client's needs on divisional and corporate wide key initiatives. WoodmenLife is one of the best places to work in Omaha and has been in business for 130 years. As a member of the WoodmenLife family, you’re joining others who share your commitment to family, community and country. Through WoodmenLife, you’ll have opportunities to connect with others, give back locally, and honor those who make an impact. As a not-for-profit life insurance company, we’ve been helping to protect the financial future of families, making a difference in hometowns across America since 1890. We are passionate about our members, servicing others, being open minded, providing an environment of inclusion and collaborative spirit. We also provide world class benefits to our associates. Is this the type of company you could work for?

This position can be hybrid.
    

We are looking for someone for the Business Specialist role to:

Business Specialist II:

• Builds and is accountable for test cases and testing plans utilizing a traceability matrix.  Coordinates and oversees User Acceptance Testing. 
• Reviews and analyzes workflow continuously to provide efficient service and meet service level goals.  Identifies client organization's strengths and opportunities for improvement and makes recommendations for changes that enhance the process and improve customer service.  Identifies and measures cost savings initiatives, ensuring justification by utilizing all available data points
• Elicits requirements using interviews, documents analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, business analysis and task and workflow analysis.  Documents requirements, clearly, concisely, and completely via user stories/use cases, requirements, and current state process flows, utilizing enterprise wide methodology.  Articulates business needs and business problems to technical audience and articulates development challenges and risks in business terms with an eye toward business impacts
• Negotiates scope, priority, commitments and schedule related to business related requests.  Ensures issues are identified, tracked, reported on and resolved in a timely manner.  Drives and challenges business units in their assumptions on how they will successfully execute their plans
• Participates in change management within projects by ensuring that changes to business requirements are effectively managed.  Assists in enforcing project deadlines and schedules.  Drives toward on-time, quality deliverables while actively managing stakeholder expectations

Business Specilaist III:

• Builds and is accountable for comprehensive test cases and testing plans utilizing a traceability matrix.  Coordinates and oversees User Acceptance Testing which reaches across several departments/divisions
• Identifies, recommends, and implements process improvements, enhancements, and product improvements.  Identifies client organization's strengths and opportunities for improvement and makes recommendations for changes that enhance the process and improve customer service.  Identifies and measures cost savings initiatives, ensuring justification by utilizing all available data points
• Elicits requirements using interviews, documents analysis, requirements workshops, surveys, site visits, business process descriptions, use cases, business analysis and task and workflow analysis.  Documents requirements, clearly, concisely, and completely via user stories/use cases, requirements, and current state process flows, utilizing enterprise wide methodology.  Articulates business needs and business problems to technical audience and articulates development challenges and risks in business terms with an eye toward business impacts.  Engages in prioritization and problem solving with technical resources in order to deliver robust solutions as quickly as possible.  Represents business interests and ensures that all technical designs meet or exceed business needs.  Collaborates with developers and subject matter experts to establish the technical vision and analyzes tradeoffs between usability and performance needs
• Performs basic configurations in the product.  Sets and adapts administrative rules for product usage; monitors and reports on product usage, performance, and productivity.  Sets up users and assigns rights to users in product.  Creates user level and administrative level workflows in product.  Assesses product usefulness, explains product functionality to users, and performs administrative task levels.  Assists with incident service request resolution and work orders related to assigned system
• Negotiates scope, priority, commitments and schedule related to business related requests.  Ensures issues are identified, tracked, reported on and resolved in a timely manner.   Drives and challenges business units in their assumptions on how they will successfully execute their plans.  Identifies dependencies and risk/mitigation plans
• Participates in effective change management within large size projects in terms of ensuring that changes to business requirements are effectively managed.  Assists in enforcement of project deadlines and schedules.  Drives toward on-time, quality deliverables in a highly complex and dynamic business environment, while actively managing stakeholder expectations.  Works with client personnel to identify required changes communicating needed changes to the development team.  Manages the process of innovative change
• Trains and leads new Business Analysts effectively in the scope of their projects

We need someone who has:

Business Specialist II:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience with one year related work experience preferred
• Understands requirements management and best practices and ensures they are followed.  Ability to identify, justify, and support a financial business case. 
• Analytical, problem-solving and product management skills required, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret customer business needs and translate them into application and operational requirements; ability to take initiative to proactively uncover and resolve solutions; strong decision-making and organizational skills, and a high level of concentration and attention to detail
• Excellent communication and customer service skills, including the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group, mid-level management and subject matter experts
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio; Ability to work with appropriate technical tools to effectively fulfill responsibilities

Business Specialist III:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with three or more years of related work experience required
• Understands requirements management and best practices and ensures they are followed. Understands the components of running a fiscally successful project, including identifying and measuring cost savings on more complex business initiatives, ensuring justification, utilizes all available data points
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and product management skills required, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret customer business needs and translate them into application and operational requirements; ability to take initiative to proactively uncover and resolve solutions
• Excellent communication and customer service skills, including the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group, executives, management, and subject matter experts. Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment with business customers.  Must be able to quickly establish credibility while working in new subject areas and with various areas of business
• Strong decision-making and organizational skills, and a high level of concentration and attention to detail
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio; ability to work with appropriate technical tools and understand methods to effectively fulfill responsibilities such as SQL, DB2 tables, GUI, version management, XML

WoodmenLife offers a competitive compensation package and a comprehensive benefits package More information about our benefits can be found at https://wwwwoodmenlifeorg/careers/home-office/benefits/
 

As part of WoodmenLife’s employment process, candidates will be required to complete a criminal background check, credit check (where required for position), Fingerprint check (where required for position), drug screen and reference checks Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing the above.

WoodmenLife is committed to excellence in diversity by creating an inclusive work environment that values and respects all individuals We welcome and embrace associates, regardless of background and beliefs WoodmenLife respects every associate’s unique perspective and contribution We are committed to creating an inclusive environment that values differences, and creates opportunities for growth, leadership and service This commitment includes providing equal opportunity in recruitment, employment and promotion, training and community outreach WoodmenLife is also dedicated to strengthening the communities in which its employees live.
 

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES SHOULD ADVISE THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION IF SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS ARE NEEDED.
 

Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society (WoodmenLife) is an equal opportunity employer.