CEMI Senior IT Business Analyst

Cornell University is launching the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) to enhance administrative systems across its locations. The CEMI Senior IT Business Analyst will provide expert-level business analysis, guiding stakeholders and IT teams to ensure accurate translation of business requirements into functional specifications.

Responsibilities:

• Providing high level of business analysis for the CEMI project
• Operating with a high degree of independence and providing expert-level business analysis, guidance, and leadership throughout the project lifecycle
• Acting as a bridge between business stakeholders and various IT teams, ensuring business requirements are understood, accurately captured, and translated into various functional and technical specifications
• Collaborating across related initiatives where business processes and supporting systems intersect to ensure alignment and coordination beyond a single functional domain
• Evaluating complex business processes, leading the development of refined future-state workflows, defining and validating system requirements, and shaping solution design in alignment with university-wide strategic goals
• Driving the establishment of common, best-practice business processes across diverse advancement organizations and contributing to governance structures that will oversee the new enterprise technology environment
• Leading requirements development activities, facilitating process mapping and cross-functional workshops, performing advanced data analysis, and contributing to system design and integration planning
• Producing high-quality documentation, leading testing strategy and execution efforts, and playing a significant role in change management and stakeholder communication
• Ensuring that technology solutions meet complex operational, technical, and strategic needs across multiple platforms, units, and initiatives
• Serving as a significant contributor in requirements analysis, process optimization, system configuration support, testing oversight, data validation, and readiness planning throughout the implementation of the ERP

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Business, Finance, HR, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5–7+ years of progressively responsible experience in business analysis, systems analysis, or IT project delivery, preferably in a complex, multi‑unit environment
• Demonstrated expertise in leading requirements gathering, facilitating workshops, and translating complex business needs into clear, actionable system requirements
• Proven experience in business process analysis and redesign, including mapping current‑state and future‑state processes for large, cross‑functional initiatives
• Strong skills in data analysis, data validation, and supporting data‑centric decision‑making for system implementations
• Experience translating program-level or strategic decisions into actionable execution plans
• Experience working across multiple efforts that span business, technical, and program teams in complex organizational environments
• Demonstrated success contributing to or leading components of enterprise system implementations (ERP, CRM, advancement systems, or similarly complex platforms)
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels—executive leadership, end users, functional subject‑matter experts, and technical teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly to non‑technical audiences
• Experience supporting or leading testing activities, including test planning, test case development, execution, and defect triage
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced, evolving project environment
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and operate as a trusted partner and advisor on high‑visibility initiatives
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members
• Hands-on experience in HR and Finance ERP modules (e.g., Payroll, General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Compensation, Talent Management, Benefits Administration)
• Experience in SAP, SuccessFactors, Workday, Oracle Fusion, or similar ERP platforms
• Prior experience in ERP implementation, process reengineering, and system integration
• Advanced knowledge of business analysis methodologies, such as BABOK standards, process modeling, and requirements management best practices
• Experience working in Agile, hybrid Agile, or iterative project environments
• Certifications in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Workday, etc.), business analysis, or project management are a plus
• Professional certification(s), such as: CBAP, CCBA, PMI‑PBA, Scrum Master, PMP
• Experience contributing to enterprise‑level governance frameworks, standards, or decision‑making bodies
• Experience designing or supporting change management, training, or user‑adoption activities for major system transitions