Senior Functional Business Analyst

At Curriculum Associates, we believe in the potential of every child and are changing the face of education technology with award-winning learning programs like i-Ready that serve a third of the nation’s K–8 students. For more than 50 years, our commitment to making classrooms better places, serving educators, and supporting accessible learning experiences for all students has driven the continuous improvement of our innovative programs. Our team of more than 2,500 employees is composed of lifelong learners who stand behind this mission, working tirelessly to serve the educational community with world-class programs and support every day.

The Senior IT Business Analyst will clarify complex business problems, shape problem framing, and translate needs into actionable requirements that guide solution development. They ensure business needs are accurately captured, validated, and advanced through the development lifecycle via cross-functional collaboration with innovation leaders. Senior BAs serve as strategic translators, helping IT teams understand and act on business needs, while enabling business leaders to recognize how technology can elevate their organizations. They also invest in the development of the broader BA team, sharing knowledge and raising the bar for the practice.

This Senior IT Business Analyst role will support both, Revenue Operations and Sales Operations. The ideal candidate will have deep experience across the revenue lifecycle, including revenue metrics and forecasting, as well as Sales Operations processes like commissions, target setting, and territory carving. Experience in EdTech is highly valued.

Key Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Engagement & Discovery

• Develop a deep understanding of the assigned business area's processes, goals, and strategies, including upstream and downstream dependencies.

• Lead stakeholder discovery for complex, multi-team initiatives, including facilitation of workshops, stakeholder interviews, and process mapping sessions.

• Build trusted relationships with business and IT leaders; drive cross-functional alignment without requiring escalation support.

• Coach and guide junior and mid-level BAs on effective discovery practices.

Requirements & Problem Definition

• Shape problem statements, challenge assumptions, reframe gaps, and identify root causes that stakeholders may not have fully articulated.

• Translate business needs into clear, actionable user stories, functional specifications, wireframes, and acceptance criteria for high-complexity solutions.

• Anticipate downstream technical and business impacts; surface risks before they become blockers.

Delivery Collaboration

• Collaborate with Scrum Team members to ensure delivered solutions align with business requirements and user expectations.

• Support production by clarifying business needs and processes when needed.

• Support QA by clarifying requirements and edge cases, with particular attention to complex or cross-functional scenarios.

UAT & Validation

• Lead UAT coordination for complex, multi-team initiatives, including testing the happy path, staging upstream data, and partnering with business stakeholders to design test cases.

• Hold accountability for UAT quality and completeness; minimize rework through thorough upfront planning.

• Support post-deployment validation and change management.

Documentation & Process Ownership

• Own the quality and currency of process maps and documentation across an entire domain, with sustained attention beyond individual project cycles.

• Drive improvements to team standards, templates, and toolkits; identify gaps and propose enhancements to BA practice.

• Maintain key documentation as a durable reference for the broader IT team.

Strategic Contribution

• Proactively bring strategic recommendations, identifying functional-level gaps and opportunities rather than only responding to them.

• Continuously assess solution effectiveness and drive enhancements based on observed outcomes.

• May contribute to BA hiring, onboarding, or community of practice efforts.

Success Measures

• Business problems are clearly defined, root-cause driven, and traceable to delivered solutions.

• Requirements are complete, testable, and aligned with business priorities, with minimal rework.

• Stakeholders report high satisfaction with communication, collaboration, and outcomes.

• UAT is executed smoothly across complex initiatives with minimal missed expectations.

• Solutions are adopted successfully and deliver measurable business value.

• The BA team grows stronger through active mentorship, coaching, and knowledge sharing.

• Team standards and documentation practices improve over time as a result of Senior BA investment in the practice.

• Continuous improvement opportunities are identified and acted upon.

General Expectations:

This position is expected to demonstrate the following behaviors and qualities consistently across their work:

• Ownership mindset. Requirements, documentation, and UAT outcomes are complete and accurate within the Senior BA's assigned domain. Gaps are identified and resolved proactively, without prompting from leadership.

• Autonomy and judgment. Complex, ambiguous initiatives are driven to a decision or recommendation without requiring frequent direction. Escalations are targeted and accompanied by a proposed path forward.

• Communication at all levels. Innovation leaders leave sessions with a clear understanding of status, risk, and decisions needed. Technical teams receive requirements that are unambiguous and actionable without follow-up clarification.

• Thinking beyond the ticket. Conflicts between project scope or assumptions and broader business goals are surfaced proactively, before they become problems. Connections between individual initiatives and organizational priorities are understood and articulated without prompting.

• Constructive influence. Stakeholders seek the Senior BA's input before decisions are finalized. Recommendations are supported by data, documented tradeoffs, or relevant precedent.

• Commitment to quality. Requirements and process documentation pass review without significant revision. QA and UAT surface few surprises attributable to gaps in requirements.

• Continuous learning. At least one meaningful practice, tool, or process improvement is introduced to the team annually. Lessons from past projects are documented and demonstrably applied to future work.

• Elevating others. Regular, actionable feedback is provided on team members' requirements and documentation work. Growth in developing BAs is measurable over time and visible in the quality of their deliverables.

Who we're looking for:

• 5+ years of experience in business analysis, Sales Operations, data analysis, or a related field

• 5+ years of experience in cross-functional project leadership and communication

• 3+ years of experience requirement gathering and documenting user stories

• 3+ years Business Analyst or SME expertise in CRM and data platforms (Salesforce, Snowflake, etc.)

• High proficiency in process mapping tools (Visio, Lucidchart, Miro) and a solid understanding of SDLC (Agile/Waterfall)

We'd also like to see:

• Business Analyst certifications such as CBAP, CCBA

• Salesforce or data tool certifications

• Experience in EdTech or Publishing

Pay Range: This role’s range is $81,500. - $139,500.

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that Curriculum Associates considers in making compensation decisions based on our Compensation Philosophy. Actual base pay within that range will vary based upon several factors including, but not limited to, prior experience and relevant skill sets. At Curriculum Associates, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances for each case. This role is also eligible to participate in the company bonus plan. The Company recognizes that minimum wage varies by location and will ensure all compensation decisions comply with applicable state and local laws.

Benefits: Benefit eligible employees (and their families) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees can enroll in our company’s 401k plan and receive an employer match. Employees have access to a flexible vacation and sick policy in addition to twelve paid holidays and a winter office closure between Christmas and New Year's, as well as a number of additional perks and benefits.

Location: US Remote

Travel: Travel may include office visits, trainings, and conferences. We are estimating that average travel should be once per quarter.