DSHS FTAA IT Business Analyst

State of Washington; Washington; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Finance, Technology, & Analytics Administration (FTAA) is seeking a journey-level IT Business Analyst to bridge business needs and technical teams, independently managing requirements, design test plans, and overseeing QA for mission-critical software.

The role involves leadership in automated solutions, project management for large IT projects, and mentoring staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology area and two years of IT business/technical analyst experience.
• OR a two year degree in computer science or information technology area and four years of experience as a Business/Technical Analyst within an Information Technology group performing consultative, administrative, or project management services, including analyzing and designing of business processes
• Additional qualifying experience will substitute for the required education on the basis of one year of experience for one year of education.

Responsibilities

• Plan, analyze, and develop business, functional, and non‑functional software requirements across multiple teams, transforming complex program goals into precise technical specification artifacts.
• Support and troubleshoot large‑scale, state‑wide mission‑critical software applications, researching and resolving application‑related help tickets to eliminate critical system defects.
• Gather and extract critical requirements intake details from disparate communities with competing interests, acting as the primary point of contact for external vendors and agency partners.
• Analyze system functionality and design documentation during project deliverable reviews to accurately identify scope discrepancies, features, and unresolved software issues.
• Develop alternative solutions and provide high‑level authoritative guidance to define the quality assurance posture, test procedures, and automated testing vision for web applications.
• Facilitate the approval process for system requirements and architectural designs by coordinating technical design sessions among programming, testing, and business partner teams.
• Support, maintain, and enhance existing high‑risk and high‑impact software solutions during all project phases of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• As a Subject Matter Expert, lead and direct business meetings and collaborative training sessions, designing and developing comprehensive learning materials to improve end‑user application efficiency.
• Act as a liaison on behalf of the Division of Information Technology (DIT), representing technical systems analysis needs and concerns to various DSHS team/ divisions and contracted providers.
• Apply project management skills and journey‑level leadership to mentor team members in technical testing tools, Agile/Lean development practices, and WaTech IT standards.

Skills

Requirements gathering

Leadership

Project management

Agile/Lean

Mentoring staff

QA testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology area

Two year degree in computer science or information technology area

Tools

SharePoint

Azure DevOps

JIRA

Job description

Are you a Business Analyst looking to drive meaningful technology solutions that impact millions of lives?

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Finance, Technology, & Analytics Administration (FTAA) is looking for you to join the Division of Information Technology (DIT) Business Services team as an IT Business Analyst.

We are seeking a journey-level IT Business Analyst to bridge the gap between our business needs and technical teams. In this dual role, you will independently manage requirements gathering, design system test plans, and oversee manual/automated QA for mission‑critical software solutions. You will also coordinate application training, mentor staff, and ensure that our platforms align perfectly with Washington State IT standards.

Beyond analysis, you will step into a leadership role, guiding efforts to facilitate automated solutions for complex business needs and applying your project management skills to spearhead large‑scale IT projects from inception to completion.

This position offers flexible hybrid remote work. However, occasional travel may be required based on business needs. The official duty station is in Olympia, WA

Some of What You’ll Do:

• Plan, analyze, and develop business, functional, and non‑functional software requirements across multiple teams, transforming complex program goals into precise technical specification artifacts.
• Support and troubleshoot large‑scale, state‑wide mission‑critical software applications, researching and resolving application‑related help tickets to eliminate critical system defects.
• Gather and extract critical requirements intake details from disparate communities with competing interests, acting as the primary point of contact for external vendors and agency partners.
• Analyze system functionality and design documentation during project deliverable reviews to accurately identify scope discrepancies, features, and unresolved software issues.
• Develop alternative solutions and provide high‑level authoritative guidance to define the quality assurance posture, test procedures, and automated testing vision for web applications.
• Facilitate the approval process for system requirements and architectural designs by coordinating technical design sessions among programming, testing, and business partner teams.
• Support, maintain, and enhance existing high‑risk and high‑impact software solutions during all project phases of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
• As a Subject Matter Expert, lead and direct business meetings and collaborative training sessions, designing and developing comprehensive learning materials to improve end‑user application efficiency.
• Act as a liaison on behalf of the Division of Information Technology (DIT), representing technical systems analysis needs and concerns to various DSHS team/ divisions and contracted providers.
• Apply project management skills and journey‑level leadership to mentor team members in technical testing tools, Agile/Lean development practices, and WaTech IT standards.

What we’re looking for:

A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology area
AND

Two years of experience as a Business/Technical Analyst within an Information Technology group performing consultative, administrative, or project management services, including analyzing and designing business processes.

OR

Two year degree in computer science or information technology area

AND
Four years of experience as a Business/Technical Analyst within an Information Technology group performing consultative, administrative, or project management services, including analyzing and designing of business processes

Additional qualifying experience will substitute for the required education on the basis of one year of experience for one year of education.

Preferred knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Experience working with multiple business partners and customers gathering business requirements and translating them into technical requirements and functional specifications for IT systems.
• Knowledge of SharePoint, Issue tracking tools Azure DevOps, JIRA etc
• Experience in a government, social services and/or in Behavioral health.
• Experience applying change management, automated coordination practices, and risk mitigation strategies across complex, multi‑agency software development lifecycles (SDLC).
• Superior interpersonal and facilitation skills with a demonstrated ability to resolve conflicting needs among diverse stakeholders, executive management, and inter‑agency work teams.

The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision that people find human services to shape their own lives requires that we come together with a sense of belonging, common purpose, shared values, and meaningful work. It is crucial to our agency’s vision that you bring a fairness, access, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS. We strive to support all Washingtonians, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with physical, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities, elders, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, and families building financial security.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history may be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the job. This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies. Employees driving on state business must have a valid driver’s license. Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately owned vehicle.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any area of employment, its programs or services on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, religion or beliefs, political affiliation, military status, honorably discharged veteran, Vietnam Era, recently separated or other protected veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, equal pay or genetic information. Persons requiring accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the Recruiter at [phone]. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

Relationship and Reporting Structure Disclosure: If you are selected for hire, you must disclose whether you have a relative, household member, close friend, or romantic partner within your potential supervisory chain of command. DSHS has a Relationships and the Reporting Structure policy that prohibits nepotism and can be reviewed here. Applicants whose appointment would result in a prohibited reporting relationship are not eligible for appointment to that position.

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