Feature Analyst

The financial services sector is a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape, and companies like Liberty are at the forefront of technological innovation within it. They are seeking a skilled Feature Analyst to join their Johannesburg-based team. This role is pivotal in bridging the gap between business objectives and technical execution, ensuring that digital products and features are delivered effectively and meet the high standards expected by both the organisation and its customers. If you have a knack for understanding complex business needs and translating them into precise technical specifications, this opportunity could be a significant step in your career.

About the Role

The core of this position lies in facilitating the smooth and accurate delivery of new features and enhancements within a technical environment. You will be responsible for delving deep into business requirements, meticulously documenting them through user stories and clear acceptance criteria. This involves constant collaboration with various stakeholders, including business representatives, product owners, and the cross-functional delivery teams. The aim is to ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common understanding of what needs to be built. Furthermore, there's an expectation that the Feature Analyst will, at times, step into the role of Scrum Master, guiding the team through agile processes if the need arises. This demonstrates the organisation's commitment to fostering versatile talent within its teams.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will be varied, but consistently focused on driving successful product development. You will:

• Engage in detailed discussions with business stakeholders to thoroughly understand their needs and the underlying problems they are trying to solve.
• Translate these business requirements into well-defined user stories, ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
• Craft precise acceptance criteria that will be used to validate that the developed features meet the intended business outcomes.
• Work closely with software engineers, architects, developers, and test analysts, acting as a conduit for information and ensuring they have a clear, actionable roadmap.
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement and prioritisation of the product backlog, working in tandem with Product Owners to ensure the most valuable work is tackled first.
• Support the quality assurance process by assisting with testing strategies and validating that the delivered functionality aligns with business expectations.
• Actively participate in and contribute to agile ceremonies and processes, fostering a collaborative and efficient team environment.
• Maintain a strong understanding of IT terminology, systems, and the broader technology delivery lifecycle.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this Feature Analyst position, candidates will need a blend of strong analytical skills, technical understanding, and excellent communication abilities. A formal tertiary qualification in a relevant field such as Information Technology, Computer Science, or Information Systems is generally expected. Crucially, candidates should possess between five to seven years of experience in a Feature Analyst or Business Analyst capacity, with a significant emphasis on working within Agile software development environments.

Key competencies include:

• Demonstrated strength in core business analysis activities: requirements elicitation, process analysis, user story creation, and stakeholder engagement.
• A proven ability to collaborate effectively with technical teams, including software engineers, architects, and testers, showing a solid grasp of IT concepts.
• A good working knowledge of agile methodologies such as Scrum and Lean, and experience functioning within cross-functional product and engineering teams.
• The capability to articulate complex information clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and a willingness to embrace change within a fast-paced environment.
• A commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring the quality and value of delivered software.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a technically focused setting, enjoys solving problems, and is passionate about delivering impactful digital solutions within the financial services industry.

In South Africa, roles like Feature Analyst are crucial in the tech departments of major financial institutions, insurance companies, and large enterprises. The salary for such a position, depending on experience and the specific organisation, can range significantly, but often falls within a competitive bracket for experienced professionals. Career progression typically involves moving into more senior analyst roles, product ownership, or even team leadership within agile development frameworks.

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field
• 5-7 years' experience as a Feature Analyst and/or Business Analyst within an Agile software development environment
• Strong Business Analysis capability, including requirements elicitation, process analysis, user story creation, acceptance criteria definition, and stakeholder engagement
• Proven ability to work closely with Software Engineers, Architects, Developers, and Test Analysts, with a solid understanding of IT terminology, systems, integrations, and technology delivery
• Good understanding of Agile, Scrum, and Lean methodologies, with experience working in cross-functional product and engineering teams
• Translate business needs into clear user stories and requirements through stakeholder engagement and analysis
• Support Agile delivery by managing and refining the backlog, prioritising work, and collaborating with Product Owners and feature teams
• Ensure quality and business value through testing support, stakeholder validation, governance controls and continuous improvement practices

Behavioural Competencies:

• Adopting Practical Approaches
• Articulating Information
• Checking Things
• Embracing Change
• Team Working

Technical Competencies:

• IT Business Analysis/ Feature Analysis
• IT Knowledge
• Requirements Gathering and Management
• Research & Information Gathering
• Stakeholder Management (IT)