Associate Specialist, Business Analysis

About Northern Trust

As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.

Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.

With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role/ Department:

The Associate Specialist, Business Analysis is responsible for leading and coordinating Business Analysis across complex projects or interconnected workstreams.

The initial assignment will support a major strategic programme involving artificial intelligence, automation and emerging technologies. The role will define the analysis approach, align senior and cross-functional stakeholders, coordinate Business Analysis activities and ensure that requirements, processes, controls, testing and implementation-readiness deliverables remain connected.

This is a generalist senior Business Analysis position. The successful candidate may also lead analysis across strategic, regulatory, product, data, digital and operational-change initiatives as business priorities evolve.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

The successful candidate will benefit from having:

• Lead Business Analysis across complex projects or interconnected workstreams.
• Define and tailor the Business Analysis approach based on complexity, value, risk and delivery method.
• Lead feasibility, process, impact and readiness assessments.
• Evaluate opportunities involving AI, automation and emerging technologies.
• Develop evidence-based options and recommendations.
• Plan and facilitate complex workshops with senior and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Lead the development and validation of:
  • business and functional requirements;
  • epics and user stories;
  • acceptance criteria;
  • process, data and control requirements;
  • operating-model and readiness deliverables;
  • assumptions, risks and dependencies;
  • traceability and success measures.

• Resolve ambiguous, competing or conflicting stakeholder requirements.
• Coordinate analysis across business, product, technology, operations, risk and compliance stakeholders.
• Define business requirements for solution ownership, human oversight, monitoring, exception management and ongoing support.
• Identify cross-workstream dependencies, analysis gaps and inconsistent requirements.
• Evaluate solution options, trade-offs and business impacts.
• Present recommendations to senior stakeholders and governance forums.
• Lead Business Analysis contributions to target operating models.
• Coordinate Business Analysis input into test strategy, business scenarios, defect analysis and acceptance.
• Lead analysis supporting pilot design, implementation readiness, adoption and value measurement.
• Review Business Analysis deliverables across the assigned initiative.
• Coordinate and coach analysts working on related deliverables, without formal line-management responsibility.
• Promote consistent application of Business Analysis standards, methods and templates.
• Identify opportunities to reuse requirements, processes and analysis patterns.
• Use approved digital and AI-enabled tools to improve analysis quality and productivity, with appropriate validation and human review.

Scope and Accountability

• Leads Business Analysis for a complex project or group of interconnected workstreams.
• Defines the Business Analysis approach rather than solely applying an established approach.
• Operates with a high degree of autonomy in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Manages high-complexity requirements and senior, cross-functional stakeholder groups.
• Develops recommendations where material options, dependencies or trade-offs exist.
• Accountable for the completeness, consistency and integration of Business Analysis deliverables across the assigned initiative.
• Coordinates Business Analysis activities performed by other analysts.
• Reviews deliverables and provides project-level quality oversight and coaching.
• Escalates material strategic, risk or investment decisions to the appropriate authority.
• Has no formal people-management responsibility.
• Does not own Business Analysis resources or functional performance across the wider organisation.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Advanced Business Analysis and requirements-management capability.
• Experience leading analysis on complex, high-impact or cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong feasibility, process, control and operating-model analysis skills.
• Ability to define an effective analysis approach for complex delivery environments.
• Experience coordinating requirements across multiple projects, workstreams or stakeholder groups.
• Ability to resolve ambiguity and competing business priorities.
• Strong senior-stakeholder influence, facilitation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to develop and present evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience supporting testing, implementation and operational readiness.
• Experience reviewing deliverables and coaching other Business Analysts.
• Strong understanding of Agile, Waterfall and hybrid delivery methods.
• Experience in financial services or another regulated environment is desirable.
• Exposure to artificial intelligence, automation, data products or emerging technology is highly desirable.
• Specialist AI-development experience is not required.
• Advanced Business Analysis, Agile, product or project-delivery qualification is advantageous.
• Experience using requirements-management, process-modelling or delivery-management tools is advantageous.

Work Authorization

Applicants must have the right to work in Ireland at the time of application and for the duration of employment.

Please note that Northern Trust is unable to provide employment permit sponsorship for this role. This includes Critical Skills Employment Permits, General Employment Permits, Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permits, Stamp 1G permissions, and other employment permits under Irish immigration frameworks.

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.

Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.

Reasonable Accommodation

Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com, or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.