Savant Financial Technologies
User Research Lead / Business Analyst
Savant Financial Technologies, Albany, New York, us, 12237
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The scope of this project is to develop a secure, internal-facing, web-based portal that will provide HESC staff with a consolidated view of financial aid applications to make application processing more efficient. This includes reviewing, updating, and verifying information using supporting documentation and data from multiple data sources; where possible, streamline and automate processes to help make eligibility determination and reporting easier. External-facing features such as student/applicant or college portal are excluded from the scope of this project.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The User Research Lead / Business Analyst will play a pivotal role in shaping a modern, user-centric portal for the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). This role combines human-centered research practices with traditional business analysis to ensure the platform reflects the real-world needs of HESC staff and stakeholders.
This position is responsible for planning and conducting user research (interviews, usability tests, contextual inquiries), creating user personas and journey maps, and translating insights into actionable user stories and business requirements. The analyst will also work closely with the Product Owner to maintain a prioritized product backlog and support Agile delivery teams with detailed functional specifications.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lead end-to-end user research activities, including stakeholder interviews, usability testing, and field studies (contextual inquiries). Analyze findings to develop user personas, journey maps, and design recommendations that improve usability and service delivery. Write clear, testable user stories and acceptance criteria in collaboration with the Product Owner and Agile team. Maintain and refine the product backlog in tools like Jira, Trello, or Miro. Document functional and non-functional requirements, business workflows, and system interactions to support technical design and QA. Work across business units to understand legacy processes and contribute to streamlining and standardizing workflows. Ensure all features and enhancements meet user needs and align with business goals, regulatory requirements, and HESC policies. MANDATORY SKILLS/EXPERIENCE
Note: Candidates who do not have the mandatory skills will not be considered
5+ years of experience in user research and business analysis for web-based systems. Expertise in Agile methodologies, user story development, and usability testing. Experience with public-sector projects, ideally in financial aid or similar domains. Strong analytical skills to standardize data and streamline legacy processes. Familiarity with tools like Miro, Trello, or Jira for backlog management. DESIRABLE SKILLS
Familiarity with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards and inclusive design. Experience facilitating design workshops, stakeholder interviews, and cross-functional alignment meetings. Background in service design, systems thinking, or human-centered design frameworks.
If you are interested in getting more information about this opportunity, please contact Irina Rozenberg Recruiting@arielpartners.com at your earliest convenience.
At Ariel Partners, we solve the most difficult problems that inhibit technology from enabling our customers to achieve their goals. Our vision is to be recognized by our stakeholders as an elite provider of IT solutions, so when they have their biggest challenges we're on their short list. We're looking for team members who share our values of: Integrity to do the right thing even when it hurts; Commitment to the long term success and happiness of our customers, our people, and our partners; Courage to take on difficult challenges, accept new ideas, and accept incremental failure; and the constant pursuit of Excellence. Ariel Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.
The scope of this project is to develop a secure, internal-facing, web-based portal that will provide HESC staff with a consolidated view of financial aid applications to make application processing more efficient. This includes reviewing, updating, and verifying information using supporting documentation and data from multiple data sources; where possible, streamline and automate processes to help make eligibility determination and reporting easier. External-facing features such as student/applicant or college portal are excluded from the scope of this project.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The User Research Lead / Business Analyst will play a pivotal role in shaping a modern, user-centric portal for the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). This role combines human-centered research practices with traditional business analysis to ensure the platform reflects the real-world needs of HESC staff and stakeholders.
This position is responsible for planning and conducting user research (interviews, usability tests, contextual inquiries), creating user personas and journey maps, and translating insights into actionable user stories and business requirements. The analyst will also work closely with the Product Owner to maintain a prioritized product backlog and support Agile delivery teams with detailed functional specifications.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Lead end-to-end user research activities, including stakeholder interviews, usability testing, and field studies (contextual inquiries). Analyze findings to develop user personas, journey maps, and design recommendations that improve usability and service delivery. Write clear, testable user stories and acceptance criteria in collaboration with the Product Owner and Agile team. Maintain and refine the product backlog in tools like Jira, Trello, or Miro. Document functional and non-functional requirements, business workflows, and system interactions to support technical design and QA. Work across business units to understand legacy processes and contribute to streamlining and standardizing workflows. Ensure all features and enhancements meet user needs and align with business goals, regulatory requirements, and HESC policies. MANDATORY SKILLS/EXPERIENCE
Note: Candidates who do not have the mandatory skills will not be considered
5+ years of experience in user research and business analysis for web-based systems. Expertise in Agile methodologies, user story development, and usability testing. Experience with public-sector projects, ideally in financial aid or similar domains. Strong analytical skills to standardize data and streamline legacy processes. Familiarity with tools like Miro, Trello, or Jira for backlog management. DESIRABLE SKILLS
Familiarity with WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards and inclusive design. Experience facilitating design workshops, stakeholder interviews, and cross-functional alignment meetings. Background in service design, systems thinking, or human-centered design frameworks.
If you are interested in getting more information about this opportunity, please contact Irina Rozenberg Recruiting@arielpartners.com at your earliest convenience.
At Ariel Partners, we solve the most difficult problems that inhibit technology from enabling our customers to achieve their goals. Our vision is to be recognized by our stakeholders as an elite provider of IT solutions, so when they have their biggest challenges we're on their short list. We're looking for team members who share our values of: Integrity to do the right thing even when it hurts; Commitment to the long term success and happiness of our customers, our people, and our partners; Courage to take on difficult challenges, accept new ideas, and accept incremental failure; and the constant pursuit of Excellence. Ariel Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.