City and County of San Francisco

Under general direction, provides direct ongoing supervision to other IS Business Analysts, or serves as the top technical authority for one or more related specialties, or provides technical leadership and direction and assumes technical responsibility for the completion of major projects; performs or oversees all or most of the systems development life cycle and ongoing administration functions, including needs analysis, cost-benefit analysis, structured systems analysis and design, feasibility analysis, technology and software assessment, telecommunications needs analysis, project planning and management, system installation, implementation and testing, conversion to production status, technical and procedural documentation, user training, and post-implementation assessment and administration; directs and participates in complex studies.

The Principal IS Business Analyst is the highest level in the Business Analyst series and may be assigned to function as a supervisor, expert or project leader. When assigned as a supervisor, develops, coordinates and executes policies, methods and procedures, and supervises personnel; when assigned as an expert, performs work requiring a very high level of technical knowledge of a specific area or the ability to integrate at a high level the knowledge of several areas (this is not considered to be a part of the normal career path for employees in this series; rather it is reserved for those employees with a mastery of specific- technologies or a particular expertise); when assigned as a-project leader, manages and provides technical leadership of projects involving large-scale, complex and highly analytical tasks. Positions at this level are distinguished from Senior Business Analysts in that the latter performs more specific and small-scale, though complex, analytical tasks. Work is performed within a broad framework of general policy and requires creativity and resourcefulness to accomplish goals and objectives, and in applying concepts, plans and strategies which may deviate from traditional methods and practices.

May supervise Business Analysts, Programmer Analysts, technical, clerical and other functional staff in the assigned work unit; or as a Project Leader, coordinate a team of workers which may include professional, technical and/or clerical staff within the assigned work unit or jointly with other units.

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

When assigned to the Supervision specialty:

1. Supervise, assign, review and participate in the work of subordinates in assigned unit.

2. Ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are followed by subordinates; review and recommend a variety of personnel actions in such areas as performance evaluation, training, selection and disciplinary measures.

3. Analyze and recommend procedures consistent with departmental directives, policy regulations that are developed by higher-level management staff.

4. Analyze and resolve complex system problems; develop and implement modification as necessary; prepare special reports; maintain records of system documentation.

5. Consult on special requests for information and reports; participate in audits, integrated reviews and improvement studies, and quality control reviews.

6. Monitor, coordinate and assist in developing the assigned work unit budget.

7. Provide advice and recommendations to meet user needs.

8. Coordinate system related activities with other departments for multi-departmental system projects.

9. Manage complex systems; lead and schedule multiple projects; plan, analyze and develop new systems; develop enhancements to systems; analyze procedures; develop conversion plans; move data from one system to another; provide user training.

10. Review plans for software, hardware and telecommunications equipment and services; prepare specifications; oversee request for proposal process.

11. Develop annual MIS plans, including budgeting, configuring and purchasing hard and software.

12. Monitor and review work in progress, providing technical assistance and guidance.

13. Manage and monitor progress of contractors and vendors; facilitate contract payments; participate in the request for proposal process and re-negotiate amendments; resolve problems.

14. Manage and design the structure and growth of computer and telecommunications systems and networking; design, develop and implement new systems to support departmental activities; set scope, boundaries and objectives for system functions interfaces based on departmental needs.

15. Attend meetings as needed; represent unit on committees.

When assigned to the Project Leader specialty:

1. Analyze and evaluate existing complex systems for cost effective and efficient operation and recommend modifications; prepare feasibility studies; monitor technical design in relation to system changes; gather requirements and general information regarding users business needs relating to new developments or enhancements.

2. Identify opportunities for improving business processes through automation; prepare proposals to develop new systems or enhancements to existing systems, conduct feasibility studies.

3. Determine allocation of resources and installation schedules; prepare feasibility studies; determine operating characteristics and requirements; monitor and report progress of work.

4. Assure proper planning, engineering, documentation, installation and testing of systems to meet end user requirements; manage system maintenance activities.

5. Prepare budgetary cost estimates and develop project implementation proposals, documentation and scheduling; write technical specifications and requests for proposals.

6. Assure coordination and intra-network compatibility; assist with integration of manual and automated system procedures.

7. Coordinate multi-vendor support for the technical and administrative resolution of network troubleshooting problems.

8. Recommend contractor selection, may review contractor and vendor billings; monitor and evaluate quality of contractor/consultant products and services; coordinate interactions and activities of vendors.

9. Analyze regulatory rules and regulatory issues for their impact on current operations.

10. Provide technical support services to other agencies and departments.

11. Develop training exercises for subordinate staff and maintain technical education; may coordinate and/or present training classes.

12. Create work plans and monitor progress of project tasks; review staff work and train staff relating to the project work.

13. Create and document long-term strategies for project related information systems operations; translate business needs into IS directions; identify new information systems technology opportunities; may prepare and present long term plans.

14. Research, analyze and select hardware and software products.

15. May oversee certain project related production functions.

16. Monitor project related work schedules and completion dates.

17. Coordinate and/or attend project team meetings and user meetings.

When assigned to the Expert specialty:

1. Optimize system designs through review and analysis of user needs; customize systems through design and administration.

2. Identify opportunities for improvements in business processes through automation; make recommendations for new procedures and applications.

3. Analyze the feasibility of 'and develop requirements for new systems and enhancements to existing systems; prepare cost estimates and schedules for modifications; set scope, boundaries and objectives for system' functions and interfaces based on departmental needs.

4. Design, develop and implement new systems to support departmental activities.

5. Define system requirements; design, code, test and debug systems; train users on new applications.

6. Develop or modify system design: write detailed design specifications.

7. Provide advice on the functionality of new programs and compatibility of modifications to ensure user needs are met.

8. Evaluate software and hardware products on multiple platforms; make recommendations for compatibility, based on user requirements and systems analysis.

9. Provide analysis and technical support for highly complex systems; troubleshoot systems problems; implement solutions.

10. Support and maintain highly technical systems or networks; analyze and evaluate systems for cost effective and efficient performance; recommend modifications.

11. Coordinate the efforts of analysts, engineers and operators in the implementation of projects spanning multiple systems and sites; multiple platforms.

12. Manage and monitor the progress of contractors and vendors; resolve problems.

Knowledge of: Requirements, installation procedures, hardware, software and maintenance of systems; practices and techniques of supervision and of project management; training techniques; interactive and macro-based applications; functional requirements, structured systems or procedures analysis; systems analysis and design; coding, testing and implementing complex. programs; script/procedure languages; common operating systems software and relational database systems; data modeling; electronic data processing methods; network management and coordination; project cost estimating; contracts negotiation and management; long range planning techniques; practices and techniques of project management; training techniques; systems development life cycle; structured. systems or procedures analysis; business applications development; technical writing.

Ability and Skill to: Manage and direct a group of workers, including the ability to provide counseling and mediation; persuade, convince and train others; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; communicate clear expectations to subordinates and motivate them to perform effectively; establish and maintain good working relations with department personnel, staff, vendors, peers and management; understand and learn a variety of business procedures and processes; exercise the judgement, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the direction, control and planning of a program or multiple programs; use logic and analysis to solve computer and systems problems; translate functional requirements into systems specifications; decide the time, place and sequence of operations within an organizational framework, as well as the ability to oversee their execution; read and understand professional journals and literature; coordinate highly technical procedures and complex reporting requirements; produce complex reports; prioritize competing requests for service; develop network design; conduct cost/benefit analyses; prepare technical specifications; produce complex reports-, coordinate highly technical procedures and complex reporting requirements; develop new approaches and solutions outside of existing theories and principles, engage in high level consulting.

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.  Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education:
An associate degree in computer science or a closely related field from an accredited college or university OR its equivalent in terms of total course credits/units [i.e., at least sixty (60) semester or ninety (90) quarter credits/units with a minimum of twenty (20) semester or thirty (30) quarter credits/units in computer science or a closely-related field].

Experience:
Five (5) years of experience in the information systems field, including system analysis, business process design, development and implementation of business application solutions or IT project management.

License and Certification:

Substitution:
Additional experience as described above may be substituted for the required degree on a year-for-year basis (up to a maximum of two (2) years). One (1) year is equivalent to thirty (30) semester units / forty-five (45) quarter units with a minimum of 10 semester / 15 quarter units in computer science or a closely related field.

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.