Business Analyst

Vaco Recruiter Services; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco Recruiter Services in Columbus, OH is seeking an IT Business Analyst to partner with cross-functional Agile teams to elicit, analyze, document, and refine requirements within iterative delivery cycles.

This hybrid, 6‑month contract‑to‑hire role requires translating business needs into well‑defined user stories and acceptance criteria, supporting sprint planning, backlog grooming, and using AI tools to accelerate analysis and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant work experience.
• 1–3 years of experience as a Business Analyst in Agile teams.
• Agile certifications (CSPO, AAC) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Translate business needs into well-defined user stories and acceptance criteria.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine epics and backlogs.
• Support sprint planning and participate in Agile ceremonies.
• Use AI tools to accelerate requirements analysis and documentation.
• Analyze data and identify trends to inform product decisions.

Skills

Agile analysis

User stories

Backlog refinement

SQL

AI tools

Azure DevOps

Stakeholder mgmt

Acceptance criteria

Data analysis

CI/CD basics

Education

Bachelor's degree

CS/IS/Business

CSPO/AAC

Tools

Microsoft SQL Server

Excel

AI copilots

BI tools

Job description

IT Business Analyst

Location: Columbus, OH (Hybrid)

Employment Type: 6-Month Contract-to-Hire

Work Schedule: Hybrid; onsite in the Columbus office a minimum of two days per week—Tuesday and Thursday.

Position Overview

We are seeking an IT Business Analyst to partner with cross-functional Agile teams and business stakeholders to elicit, analyze, document, and refine requirements within iterative delivery frameworks. This role translates business needs into well-defined user stories and acceptance criteria, supports sprint-based delivery of technology solutions, and uses agentic AI tools to accelerate requirements analysis, data interpretation, and documentation workflows.

The ideal candidate is analytical, collaborative, comfortable working in a fast-paced Agile environment, and able to connect business objectives with practical technology solutions.

Principal Responsibilities

• Evaluate business requests to determine feasibility within Agile delivery cycles; research and identify options that best serve business needs using data-driven analysis and AI-enabled research tools.
• Conduct gap analyses between existing business systems and evolving customer requirements, helping inform backlog prioritization and sprint-planning decisions.
• Partner with Product Owners, System Architects, developers, QA teams, and other stakeholders to refine epics into detailed user stories with clear acceptance criteria.
• Author and maintain Agile artifacts, including user stories, acceptance criteria, process flows, functional specifications, and technical documentation; use AI-assisted documentation tools where appropriate.
• Compile, analyze, and interpret complex data using traditional tools and AI-powered analytics to identify trends, troubleshoot issues, and inform product decisions.
• Collaborate with Product Owners and stakeholders to define product vision, sprint goals, and release-level deliverables aligned to desired business outcomes.
• Support sprint planning by preparing refined user stories, story maps, and release communications for iterative solution delivery.
• Proactively identify cross-team dependencies, delivery risks, and impediments; elevate concerns during standups and sprint-planning sessions to maintain delivery velocity.
• Define acceptance criteria, create behavior-driven test scenarios, and perform sprint-level user acceptance testing for product increments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement through sprint retrospectives and identify opportunities for workflow automation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Ability to translate business needs into well-structured user stories, acceptance criteria, and actionable Agile solutions.
• Experience conducting requirements analysis in Agile frameworks and translating stakeholder needs into user stories, story maps, and functional specifications.
• Experience querying relational databases, such as Microsoft SQL Server, for data analysis and troubleshooting is preferred.
• Familiarity with modern analytics platforms and AI-enabled data analysis tools.
• Proficiency with Agile collaboration tools, such as Azure DevOps, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience using agentic AI tools, including AI copilots, intelligent document analysis, or automated data-extraction tools, to accelerate requirements gathering, data analysis, and documentation.
• Active participation in Agile ceremonies, including daily standups, sprint planning, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Foundational understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and their integration with Agile business-analysis workflows.
• Familiarity with Agile estimation techniques, including story points and planning poker, as well as backlog-management practices.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal, stakeholder-management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively in a team-oriented environment.
• Ability to prioritize and execute work effectively in a complex, fast-paced environment with changing priorities and sprint-based deadlines.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business Administration, Information Systems, or a related field; equivalent relevant work experience may be considered.
• 1–3 years of experience as a Business Analyst or in a similar role, preferably supporting Agile delivery teams.
• Agile certification such as Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), IIBA Agile Analysis Certification (AAC), or an equivalent certification is preferred.

Work Arrangement

This is a hybrid contract-to-hire opportunity based in Columbus, Ohio. The selected consultant must be able to work onsite at the Columbus office at least two days per week, specifically Tuesdays and Thursdays.