Business Analyst (Retail exp must)

Key Skills

Knowledge of the data / analytics infrastructure industry a plus

Purpose

Reasonable retail domain or e-commerce experience a plus

• Identify opportunities for process improvements in planning and Allocation business operations utilizing technology that will positively impact cost, operating efficiency, quality, and productivity.
• This role involves understanding business requirements, analyzing data, and collaborating with IT teams to design, implement, and enhance systems that support efficient inventory planning and allocation within the retail sector.
• Prioritize support needs for business, support help desk and first level system/IT support in resolution of high priority issues pertaining to planning and allocation domain.
• Integrate best practices into new solutions and work closely with business users, software vendors and developers to ensure business user requirements are achieved.
  
  

Responsibilities

Serve as a resource, with both business and industry knowledge, for defining the customer's business requirements and objectives

Collaborate with business stakeholders, including merchandising and planning teams, to understand their needs and requirements for effective inventory planning and allocation.

Work closely with IT development teams to design and implement systems that support retail planning and allocation processes.

Ensure that systems align with business goals, scalability requirements, and industry best practices.

Integrate planning and allocation systems with other IT systems such as ERP, POS, and inventory management systems to create a seamless and interconnected IT infrastructure.

Communicate weekly status in meetings and written form, showing progress against outstanding milestones, status, resource requirements, issues, risks and dependencies.

Utilize data analysis tools to interpret and model retail data, including sales trends, inventory levels, and product performance.

Develop and implement algorithms and models to optimize inventory planning and allocation.

Customize and configure planning and allocation software to meet specific business needs.

Ensure that system parameters are appropriately set to support accurate demand forecasting and allocation strategies.

Develop and execute test plans to ensure the accuracy and reliability of planning and allocation systems

Collaborate with QA teams to identify and resolve any issues during the testing phase.

Create and maintain comprehensive documentation of system configurations, customizations, and processes.

Update documentation as needed to reflect changes and enhancements.

Provide training to end-users on new systems and functionalities.

Offer ongoing support to users, addressing any system-related issues and ensuring a smooth operation.

Day to day management of change requests in relation to the project plans to ensure agreed deadlines are met.

Attend key meetings, both internal and external, and report findings from the meetings

Resolves requirements and design issues or offer recommendation or solutions

Develop a deep understanding of the marketplace and competitive environment.

Participate in root cause analysis for product performance

Follow Agile methodologies

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree (Management, Business Administration, Computer Science, or a related field) or equivalent experience

3-5 years of analytical work in a functional or IT department in a retail environment preferred

Strong understanding of retail planning and allocation processes.

Knowledge of retail-specific software and systems (e.g. Anaplan, ,Blue yonder Allocation tool).Anaplan model building knowledge is a plus.

Knowledge of sprint planning systems like JIIRA to follow agile methodology and the software development life cycle.

Relevant Experience Should Include

• Research and analysis of data, market needs, and customer issues
• Writing business requirements and developing business rules
  
  

International travel may likely be required. .

Ability to work outside of standard U.S. business hours is required.

Strong analytic skills and ability to synthesize large datasets into meaningful insights; including identifying key trends in data and reconciling data across various sources.

Blend strong business acumen, technical problem solving and agile execution

Champion the needs of the customer and business stakeholders throughout the execution of a project, ensuring that what is delivered meets the business's goals and objectives

High degree of proficiency MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications

Ability to work independently and jointly in unstructured environments

Ability to manage multiple projects in various phases of ideation, execution, or delivery

Self-starter Solid program development and business process knowledge

Understanding of how to interpret customer business needs

Strong analytical, prioritizing, interpersonal, problem-solving, presentation skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Demonstrated collaborative skills and ability to work well within a team

Ability to work with and influence peers and senior management

Ability to work in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment

Self-motivated with critical attention to detail, deadlines and reporting

Good understanding of IT practices and methodologies

Knowledge of the data / analytics infrastructure industry a plus

Reasonable retail domain or e-commerce experience a plus