The Applications Analyst provides business user support for multiple enterprise applications with primary focus on the cooperative’s Outage Management System and business processes related to work/service order processing.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Primary duty includes performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, work which is predominantly intellectual in character and which includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment, in a field of science or learning and acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction; including:

• Work with the business partners to evaluate the “as-is” decision-making/reporting capabilities and to define the “to-be” business requirements.
• Recommend solutions to improve business decision-making with a focus on the core systems, technology strategies, and standards.
• Document functional specifications, conversions, upgrades, interfaces, reports, forms, and workflow.
• Configure application functionality and/or develop specifications for custom programs as required.
• Work with the business users to define and execute test scenarios.
• Ensure appropriate end-user training.
• Manage, support and monitor projects.
• Act as a liaison and problem solver for application issues.
• General awareness of current developments in areas of interest to the department.
• Analyze business requirements and the complexities of business processes and translate them into functional specifications and formulates/defines system scope and objectives to come up with customized solutions.
• Lead and oversee development team to ensure projects are carried out in accordance to the specifications required, abiding by timeline and ensuring the necessary allocation of resources.
• Makes technical decisions regarding the architecture and technologies to be implemented.
• Schedules and facilitates meetings with programmers, operations and business analysts to set project priorities, proactively identify problem areas, coordinate problem resolution, and ensure project is progressing on schedule.
• Monitor small to medium projects and requests, creating and communicating status information including resolutions, estimated completion dates, changes, issues, etc. to supervisor, team and customer as appropriate.
• Identifies scope, severity, and root cause of simple and complex application problems by questioning client, product experts, reviewing documentation, understanding of application, recreating problem, doing research, etc.
• Recognizes potential impact and scope of various problem solutions on operating environment, user groups, budget, etc.
• Gathers project estimates for medium projects based on inputs from customers and technical team and identifies staffing required.
• After-hours availability for project and enhancement go-live, production issues, and other requests that cannot be carried out during business hours.
• Maintain professional working relationships with all employees, members, and vendors at all times.
• Maintain regular attendance; arrives to work on time and is ready to work.
• Use safe work practices at all times and in all situations.
• Thorough knowledge of Bluebonnet policies and guidelines.
• Travel to various Bluebonnet offices to assist in operations.
• Demonstrate and act in accordance with Bluebonnet's Foundation Values.?????
• Must be able to appropriately handle confidential information and act within the practices established by the Bluebonnet Red Flag policy.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related discipline OR 3 years equivalent experience.
• Experience with Outage Management systems or technology.
• Experience with documentation and the creation of functional specifications.
• Experience with application troubleshooting and support.
• Experience in the Utilities industry preferred.
• Project Management experience or formal training preferred.

Licensing and Certification: 

• Valid Texas driver's license.
• Must be certified in CPR, First Aid, AED and Blood-borne pathogens.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

• Knowledge of data visualization tools and techniques.

• Advanced listening skills and written and verbal communications.

• Developing and documenting procedures and processes.

• Developing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

Technical Knowledge and Skills:

• Milsoft Outage Management (preferred)

• NISC Work Management Processes (preferred)

• Milsoft PORCHE IVR (preferred)

• Web and mobile consumer apps (preferred)

• SQL (preferred)

Tools and Equipment Used:

• Office Equipment including computer, printer, copier, fax, etc.
• May be required to drive a cooperative vehicle.
• According to established business need, must maintain a mobile phone and appropriate communication plan.

Physical Demands:

• Requires repetitive motion of hands and fingers such as dialing and keyboarding.
• Light lifting of up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment: 

• Typical office environment.
• Hours are consistent with normal business operations as well as employee and member requirements.
• Attendance at evening meetings, conferences, workshops and other professional meetings including overnight travel may be required.

The selected candidate will be required to fulfill a rotational on-call schedule.