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