IT Business Analyst – Senior/Specialist

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an IT Business Analyst – Senior/Specialist within the Information Technology Services Office (ITSO).

Location:

• Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• You may telework most of your work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Duties

In this role, as a Senior Business Analyst, you will work on several interesting Agency level projects. You will play a critical role in safeguarding Ecology’s fiscal and legal integrity by evaluating, documenting, and improving systems that directly support core regulatory and grant management functions. You will provide the business intelligence and structured workflow documentation necessary to reduce system risk, ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, and enhance customer engagement in alignment with the Governor’s Executive Order. Given current budget constraints, you will provide high value by focusing on stabilizing high-risk systems and guiding efficient redevelopment efforts that reduce long-term vendor dependency and operational costs. You will work with Agile software development teams and play a key role in our application modernization efforts. As a member of Scrum team, you will work closely with the Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Scrum Team and key partners.

Ecology is at the start of a multi-year application modernization effort, and we’re being blunt about it: our systems are outdated, complex, and overdue for reinvention. We’re moving toward modular, cloud-native, API-first architectures, and we need a business analyst who can help drive change and advocate for agile project development. This role will be a key link between our business and developers. 

You’ll help evaluate current systems and business processes, design clear requirements, and work with the Scrum team to ensure development efforts meet business needs.  

What you will do:

• Requirements Gathering and Analysis
  • Collaborate with involved parties to elicit, analyze, and document business requirements.
  • Ensure alignment of requirements with organizational goals and project objectives.
• Process Modeling and Improvement
  • Develop and scrutinize as-is and to-be process models to identify optimization opportunities.
  • Facilitate workshops for continuous process improvement and change management.
• Engagement and Communication
  • Act as a liaison between business units, technology teams, and support teams.
  • Engage with involved parties and manage relationships to ensure effective communication.
• Solution Assessment and Validation
  • Evaluate proposed solutions to ensure they meet business needs and project requirements.
  • Validate requirements through thorough reviews and test case scenarios.
• Data Analysis and Reporting
  • Analyze datasets to identify trends and insights that inform project decisions.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation and dashboards for project metrics.
• Support Application Modernization
  • Assist in the transition strategy for moving legacy systems to cloud-based solutions.
  • Collaborate with technical teams to ensure functionality and data integrity during migration.
  • Use various tools, like automated testing or artificial intelligence, to ensure project objectives are accurately met.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

Eight years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience, within the last 12 years, in IT business analysis, IT project management, or IT application development.
  Experience must include one or more of the following:
  • Agile Project Development Proficiency - Strong experience working within Agile delivery environments (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid Agile/Waterfall), including development of epics, features, and user stories; facilitation of backlog refinement and requirements workshops; and collaboration with product owners, customers, developers, and testers throughout iterative delivery cycles.
  • Requirements Traceability in Agile and Hybrid Environments - Demonstrated skill in maintaining requirements traceability and quality in Agile or hybrid project settings, ensuring alignment between business goals, user stories, acceptance criteria, testing, and delivered functionality.
  • Collaboration Across Technical and Business Teams - Ability to effectively partner with architects, engineers, and vendors on modern solution designs, translating complex technical concepts (cloud services, APIs, integrations) into clear business requirements and decision-ready documentation.
• Education involving a major study in Computer Science, IT, Business Administration, or closely related field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 8 years of experience.
• 7 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 6 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree), OR a two-year, accredited, vocational training program in IT, computer science, project management, or business analysis.
• 5 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 4 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree or above.

* Education in Computer Science, IT or closely related field or accredited vocational training in project management, or business analysis will substitute year for year for experience for up to four of the required eight years of experience.
 

Desired Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree with a focus on Information Technology, Project Management, Business Analysis or related field.
• Four years of business analysis experience on IT projects that cross program or agency boundaries.
• Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), or similar through the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), OR completion of a business analyst certification from a university or college.
• Agile Certification.
• Prosci OCM Certification.

If you are excited about this role but not sure if your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.

Supplemental Information

Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Application Process

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified job seekers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Click “Apply” at the top of this page. Complete the entire application, including full work history and responses to all supplemental questions, and attach:

• Cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
• Resume
• A Business Analyst related writing sample. Examples are User Stories (or use cases), a requirements document, business proposal, process flow diagram or team communications (like an executive summary). If you are unable to provide a writing sample, please state why (proprietary, confidential, etc.).

Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to complete the application thoroughly. A resume will not substitute for the “work experience” section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete.

For detailed application information, please visit our Recruitment website.

Application Attestation: By submitting an application, you are affirming that the information contained in your application and on all attachments is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information, and any false or misleading answers may result in rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

Need an Accommodation?

If you need reasonable accommodation during the application and/or screening process, including this job announcement in an alternate format:

• Please contact us at 360-407-6186 or careers@ecy.wa.gov
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-833-6384.

Questions?

• For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact Louis Turbeville at Louis.Turbeville@ecy.wa.gov 
• If you need assistance applying for this job, are inquiring about the status of your application, would like to request the full position description, or have any other questions, please contact the Recruitment Team at careers@ecy.wa.gov

About the Information Technology Services Office

The Information Technology Services Office (ITSO) is the central provider of strategic and tactical support for the use of Information Technology (IT) within Ecology. The mission of ITSO is to create and support useful technology services that are adaptable and support Ecology’s mission.

ITSO’s mission is realized by focusing on the following strategic objectives and outcomes:

• Modeling behavior that demonstrates trust and integrity, accountability, and adherence to Ecology’s Core Competencies.
• Engaging in continuous learning, process improvement and proactive communication with our business partners so that we deliver high quality services that leverage modern technical solutions and meet the business needs.
• Advancing the Portfolio Management program for transparent decision making, and mission driven prioritization.
• Managing agency systems to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability by evaluating business need, cyber threats, risk, and maintainability, so that agency data is accurate and reliable 
• Leading enterprise data management: promote agency defined data standards and industry best practices, architect technical systems integrations, and provide technical support for hardware and software tools allowing the agency to make data driven decisions.

About the Department of Ecology

As the State of Washington’s environmental protection agency, we are deeply committed to protecting, preserving, and enhancing Washington’s environment for current and future generations. Joining Ecology means becoming part of a team dedicated to protecting and sustaining healthy land, air, water, and climate in harmony with a strong economy. A career in public service at Ecology allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology's work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following: Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave, 11 Paid Holidays per year, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information

To learn more about Ecology, please visit our website, explore Working at Ecology, check out our Strategic Plan, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or our blog.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.  

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.