Business Analyst I-III, Strategic Planning at Lansing Board of Water & Light

Thank you for your interest in the BWL. We think you'll find it a rewarding and nurturing place to grow your career.

Starting Salary Range: $61,800.00 - $72,900.00

Starting Salary Range: Business Analyst I, Strategic Planning $61,800 - $72,900 / Business Analyst II, Strategic Planning $76,200 - $91,500 / Business Analyst III, Strategic Planning $94,000 - $114,700

Business Analyst I, Strategic Planning

Position Summary:

The Business Analyst I supports business analysis efforts for corporate and strategic planning within the Strategic Planning Department. This role assists with data collection, documentation, requirements gathering, process mapping, supporting process improvement initiatives and basic analysis related to the strategic planning, enterprise risk management, decarbonization initiatives, corporate sustainability, and other enterprise strategy priorities. The analyst works closely with senior analysts and stakeholders to ensure business needs are accurately captured and addressed. This position reports to the Supervisor of Strategy.

Essential Functions:

• Assist in collecting and documenting business requirements, processes, and workflows.
• Support process mapping and data analysis activities.
• Participate in stakeholder meetings to understand their needs, goals, and objectives.
• Analyze data from industry, internal, and historical sources to make informed recommendations.
• From analysis, identify baselines and trends
• Ensure work is reviewed by colleagues and peers for accuracy and correctness.
• Develop and maintain data visualizations, reports, and presentation materials.
• logically presents formal reports to internal audiences.
• Assist in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and trends.
• Research industry best practices
• Learn and apply basic business analysis tools and techniques.
• Help develop business cases and assist in evaluating solution options.
• Expected to comply with all BWL policies and work rules.
• Predictable and reliable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Required:

Job Specifications:

• 0 to 3 years of experience in business analysis or related fields
• A bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as Business, Information Technology, or Economics, is required
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Meets commitments and ensures high-quality outputs.
• Strong analytical skills and organizational skills
• Uses critical thinking to evaluate information and make informed decisions
• Knowledge and capability to utilize the MS Office Suite, including Power BI, Visio, Project, Outlook, Teams, advanced Excel, advanced Word, and advanced PowerPoint
• Awareness and understanding of BWL’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values.
• Applicants must attach a resume to be considered.
• Work samples may be requested during the interview process.
  
  

Preferred:

• Exposure to public utilities or government operations.
• Exposure to basic business tools, methodologies, or processes, including data gathering and reporting, is preferred.
• Certifications such as Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) or Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) are beneficial but not required.
  
  

Business Analyst II, Strategic Planning

Position Summary:

The Business Analyst II supports strategic and enterprise planning efforts from within the Strategic Planning Department. This role analyzes business processes, identifies opportunities for improvement, collaborates with cross-functional teams, and translates business needs into actionable solutions. The role may focus on conducting root cause analysis and developing business cases focused on process improvement. The Business Analyst II leads smaller projects or initiatives and works independently to gather, document, and validate requirements. The primary goal of this role is to enable informed business decisions and implement cross-functional solutions that align with department or organizational goals. This position reports to the Supervisor of Strategy.

Essential Functions:

• Translate business needs into clear, actionable requirements for both technical and non-technical teams.
• Collaborate with stakeholders from various departments, including operations, finance, IT, and customer service.
• Evaluate current business processes and suggest improvements.
• Perform root cause analysis to identify inefficiencies and gaps.
• Convert new and existing business processes into clear, actionable requirements for technical and non-technical teams.
• Leads smaller-scale initiatives and projects, managing scope, schedule, and deliverables.
• Independently gather, document, and validate business and functional requirements.
• Facilitate meetings and workshops with stakeholders to clarify objectives and refine proposed solutions.
• Create detailed documentation including functional specifications, use cases, and user stories.
• Design and maintain dashboards, reports, and presentation materials to support planning and decision-making.
• Monitor outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the impact of implemented changes.
• Assist with testing, implementation, and change management activities related to initiatives.
• Apply tools such as Power BI, Visio, and Excel to support business analysis and performance tracking.
• Comply with all BWL policies and work rules.
• Maintain predictable and reliable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Required:

• 3 to 6 years of experience in business analysis or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Technology, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience gathering and managing business requirements or improving business processes.
• Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to tailor content to various audiences
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify issues, develop solutions, and see initiatives through to completion.
• Ownership mindset with the ability to manage tasks and small projects from start to finish.
• Proficient in data analysis and using structured methodologies to support business decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across organizational levels.
• Solid analytical and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with business case development, solution evaluation, and stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Working knowledge of Power BI, Visio, MS Project, Outlook, and Teams.
• Understanding of BWL’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values.
• Applicants must attach a resume to be considered.
• Work samples may be requested during the interview process.
  
  

Preferred:

• Experience in utilities, energy, public sector, or customer programs.
• Certification in CBAP, PMP, Agile (ACP), or Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher).
• Experience with Microsoft SharePoint, Planner, Lists, or similar project collaboration tools.
  
  

Business Analyst III, Strategic Planning

Position Summary:

The Senior Business Analyst leads strategic and enterprise planning and improvement efforts from within the Strategic Planning Department. This role partners with senior leadership to lead complex, cross-functional, enterprise-wide opportunities. This role is responsible for performing requirements definition, financial and risk assessment, and stakeholder facilitation at all levels of the organization. The Senior Analyst also provides mentorship to other analysts and contributes to the continuous improvement of strategic planning practices. This position requires a high degree of analytical acumen, business savvy, and the ability to facilitate large-scale initiatives. Reports to the Supervisor of Strategy.

Essential Functions:

• Lead and manage large-scale, enterprise-level initiatives from concept to implementation, ensuring alignment with goals, timelines, and budgets.
• Identify and define complex business process opportunities, evaluate strategic implications, and propose data-informed, high-level solutions.
• Partner with Finance to develop business cases, financial models, and ROI assessments that support investment decisions.
• Facilitate workshops and stakeholder sessions with executives and cross-functional teams to gather, prioritize, and validate business requirements.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, including strategic roadmaps, use cases, and reports.
• Conduct or oversee root cause analyses to identify systemic inefficiencies or gaps.
• Lead the design and development of dashboards, KPIs, or performance tracking tools
• Translate complex findings and data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership decision-making.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with executives, department heads, and external partners to ensure business alignment and transparency.
• Mentor other analysts and promote best practices in business analysis, stakeholder communication, and documentation standards.
• Provide guidance to leadership on business risk, investment prioritization, and implementation approaches.
• Support implementation readiness, including system testing, rollout planning, and change management initiatives.
• Develop and utilize business intelligence and modeling tools (e.g., Power BI, Excel, Visio) to perform in-depth analysis and track performance.
• Comply with all BWL policies and work rules.
• Maintain predictable and reliable attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Required:

• 6 to 10+ years of experience in business analysis, strategic planning, or related leadership roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, IT, Economics, Public Administration, or a related discipline.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives with enterprise-wide impact.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with experience facilitating at senior levels.
• Expertise in business case development, risk assessment, solution design, and stakeholder management.
• Advanced proficiency in analytical tools including Power BI, Excel (advanced), and Visio.
• Deep understanding of strategic planning methodologies, performance measurement systems, and organizational alignment.
• Strong knowledge of BWL’s strategic plan, mission, vision, and values.
• Applicants must attach a resume to be considered.
• Work samples may be requested during the interview process.
  
  

Preferred:

• Master’s degree (MBA, Data Science, Public Administration, or related).
• Advanced certifications such as CBAP, PMP, CABA, or Six Sigma (Black Belt).
• Experience advising executive leadership or working within a regulated utility environment.
  
  

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills that may be required of the employee. Management reserves the right to add, remove, or otherwise alter these duties, responsibilities, and skills at any time.

Why Should You Apply?

Competitive wages, employee development, and opportunity for professional growth.

Robust time off benefits including vacation, free choice, sick leave, parental leave and 11 paid holidays.

Comprehensive benefits package offered including medical, prescription, dental, life insurance, long-term disability, employee assistance program.

Voluntary benefits including vision, supplemental and dependent life insurance, flexible spending, AFLAC options, LifeLock anti-theft, long term care, tuition reimbursement, and BWL's Home Purchase Plan – Forgivable $5,000 loan for purchase of a home in Lansing.

Retirement programs including 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan (DC) (100% company paid up to 9.5 % of base salary for BU positions and up to 13% of base salary for NBU positions), 457 Deferred Compensation matches up to $2,500 per year.

Post retirement benefits offered at the respective level of coverage, co-pays and health care premium, at the same level as active employees.

Two fitness centers located on site open 24/7, work life balance program, employee assistance program, free parking and much more!

About BWL:

The Board of Water & Light serves Lansing, Michigan, and surrounding areas with electricity, water, and steam. Lansing's city charter vests the BWL with full and exclusive management of water, steam, and electric services for or the city. The American Public Power Association has honored the Lansing Board of Water & Light as one of the country's best publicly-owned utilities.

The Location:

Lansing lies at the heart of the Great Lakes State and offers all the beauty and splendor of the four seasons. A haven for swimming, boating, fishing, snowmobiling, golf, and hunting, mid-Michigan is also just a couple hours from premier skiing and one of the most beautiful freshwater lakeshores in the world on our Lake Michigan Coast. Lansing itself is only minutes and miles away from two of the nation’s premier universities, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, and boasts miles of walking, running, biking trails, Potter Park Zoo, professional sports, the arts, and fine dining.

THE BOARD OF WATER & LIGHT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER