Business Analyst - Cognizant

Solution Architect / Business Analyst (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights) Position: Solution Architect (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights) Project Implementation, Migration, Licensing and Support of the Alumni System based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, Dataverse, Power Platform and Power Pages. Role Summary The Solution Architect Consultant will serve a dual role as both Solution Architect and Lead Business Analyst for the Alumni System project. The consultant will work closely with business stakeholders to understand requirements, analyse business processes, design future-state solutions, and lead the technical architecture of the system. The consultant will be responsible for translating business requirements into solution designs, ensuring alignment between business objectives and technical implementation, while providing leadership across architecture, integration, security, data migration, and delivery governance. The role will support the implementation of a centralized alumni engagement platform comprising alumni records management, communications, events management, digital alumni cards, surveys, reporting, and integrations with systems. Key Responsibilities A. Business Analysis Responsibilities Requirements Gathering • Conduct workshops, interviews and requirement gathering sessions with stakeholders. • Analyse current-state business processes and identify opportunities for improvement. • Gather functional and non-functional requirements. • Facilitate requirement clarification and prioritisation sessions. • Document business requirements, use cases and user stories. Business Process Analysis • Review existing alumni-related processes and systems. • Analyse business workflows including: • Alumni profile management • Communications and EDM campaigns • Event management • Membership and digital alumni card processes • Volunteer engagement • Surveys and feedback collection • Reporting and analytics • Design future-state business processes and operating models. Stakeholder Management • Act as the bridge between business users and technical teams. • Translate business requirements into technical specifications. • Facilitate solution walkthroughs and requirement validation sessions. • Support user acceptance testing and business sign-off. Functional Design • Prepare: • Business Requirements Documents (BRD) • Functional Specifications • User Stories • Process Flow Diagrams • Gap Analysis Reports • Solution Recommendation Papers B. Solution Architecture Responsibilities Solution Architecture Design • Design the end-to-end architecture for the Alumni System. • Develop architecture artefacts including: • High-Level Design (HLD) • Solution Architecture Document (SAD) • Integration Architecture • Security Architecture • Data Architecture • Ensure solution scalability, maintainability and security. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Solution Design • Lead the architecture and design of: • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Data • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys • Microsoft Dataverse • Power Apps • Power Automate • Power Pages • Design alumni engagement, segmentation, marketing automation and communication journeys. Data & Migration Architecture • Design alumni master data structures. • Define data governance standards. • Design migration strategy from existing Alumni Portal. • Review data mappings, cleansing activities and reconciliation results. • Ensure data quality and integrity throughout migration activities. Integration Architecture • Design integrations with: • Student Systems • Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) • Email platforms • Reporting and analytics platforms • Define APIs, data exchange patterns and integration security controls. Security & Compliance • Design role-based access controls. • Ensure compliance with security requirements and governance processes. • Review authentication, authorization and audit logging requirements. • Conduct security design reviews and recommend mitigation measures. C. Solution Governance • Lead solution review sessions. • Review developer deliverables and technical designs. • Guide development teams on best practices. • Assess technical risks and dependencies. • Provide technical assurance during SIT, UAT and production deployment. • Support go-live and transition to application maintenance teams. Required Qualifications • Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related discipline. • Microsoft Certified preferred: • Power Platform Solution Architect Expert • Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant or equivalent • Business Analysis certification (CBAP, CCBA or equivalent) preferred. • TOGAF certification preferred. Experience • Minimum 7 years of solution architecture and business analysis experience. • Minimum 5 years of Microsoft Dynamics CRM / Dynamics 365 implementation experience. • Proven experience in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights projects. • Experience leading requirement gathering and business transformation initiatives. • Experience with enterprise integration and cloud-based platforms. • Experience in higher education, public sector or customer engagement solutions preferred. Technical Skills Microsoft Technologies • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights • Microsoft Dynamics CRM • Microsoft Dataverse • Power Apps • Power Automate • Power Pages • Power BI • Microsoft Entra ID • Azure Services Integration Technologies • REST APIs • Azure API Management • Azure Functions • Data Integration Services Business Analysis Tools • Business Process Modelling (BPMN) • Process Mapping • Requirement Management • User Story Development • Gap Analysis • Wireframing and Prototyping Deliverables Business Analysis Deliverables • Business Requirements Document (BRD) • Functional Specifications • Use Cases • User Stories • Process Flow Diagrams • Gap Analysis Assessment • User Acceptance Test Scenarios • Business Sign-Off Documents Architecture Deliverables • Solution Architecture Document • High-Level Design • Low-Level Design Review • Integration Design • Security Design • Data Migration Strategy • Data Model Design • Environment Strategy • Technical Governance Documents • Go-Live Readiness Assessment Preferred Experience • Alumni Management Systems • CRM & Customer Engagement Platforms • Marketing Automation Solutions • Education Sector Systems • Student Information Systems • Event Management Platforms • Digital Identity & Membership Solutions • Power Platform Enterprise Implementations