Business Analyst Trade Finance

Direct Responsibilities

Requirement Gathering & Analysis

• Process Mapping: Map the "As-Is" workflow of bank guarantee issuance (from client request to SWIFT transmission) and design the "To-Be" optimized digital workflow.
• Stakeholder Management: Conduct workshops with Trade Finance Operations, Risk Management, and Legal teams to gather detailed functional requirements.
• Gap Analysis: Identify gaps between the current system capabilities and the business needs (e.g., inability to handle complex counter-guarantees).

Functional Design & Specification

• BRD/FRD Creation: Write detailed Business Requirement Documents (BRD) and Functional Requirement Documents (FRD).
• Workflow Logic: Define the logic for automated approvals, credit limit checks, and expiry notifications.
• SWIFT Integration: Define requirements for SWIFT MT760 (Issuance), MT767 (Amendment), and MT768 (Claim) messaging standards.
• Template Management: Design standardized digital templates for various guarantee types (Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Advance Payment Guarantees).
• Overall tracking and overseeing the solution delivery; including the traceability of the solutions, working with the scrum master in the sprints daily to facilitate and monitor the project delivery execution.
• Participate to project committees to communicate project delivery, risk management and record decisions and validation for implementation.

Testing & Quality Assurance

• UAT Coordination: Lead the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phase, creating test scripts and scenarios that cover "happy paths" and "edge cases" (e.g., partial releases, overdue extensions).
• Bug Tracking: Document system defects and work with developers to prioritize fixes based on business impact.
• Data Migration: Oversee the mapping and migration of legacy guarantee data to new systems, ensuring no loss of expiry dates or liability amounts.
• Work with users on the test plan and responsible for end-to-end testing strategy and execution - To develop SIT/UAT/NRT scope and approach. To guide testing team inwriting test scenarios/cases and review to get signoff from stakeholders. To rationalize test cases when needed to match with available team bandwidth and target timeline.
• To validate SIT test results produced by testing team to signoff

Compliance & Risk Integration

• Regulatory Alignment: Ensure the system enforces ICC rules (URDG 758, UCP 600) and local central bank regulations.
• AML/Sanctions Logic: Work with the Compliance team to integrate automated screening triggers into the BG issuance workflow.
• Takes accountability of Trade Projects and drive the planning, responsible for the delivery from inception to implementation.
• Working closely with Product managers, Operation teams (both middle and back office) and IT (global/regional), business analysts to rationalize the scope and business case for the project proposal. Present the solutions for steering committee approval.
• Managing these approved initiatives, new business TACs/NACs and their interdependencies. Working with the respective IT teams on the daily activities of the projects, and able to influence key stakeholders on decision making.
• Ensure Bank compliance policies and CIB ITO APAC standards/practices are strictly followed

Technical and Behavioral Competencies required

Technical Skills:

• Domain Expertise: Strong understanding of Trade Finance instruments, specifically Bank Guarantees, SBLCs (Standby Letters of Credit), and Bonds.
• Standard Knowledge: Familiarity with ICC URDG 758 and SWIFT messaging.
• BA Toolset: Proficiency in Jira, Confluence, Visio, Lucidchart, or Trello.
• SQL/Data: Basic to intermediate SQL skills for data analysis and verifications.
• SDLC Knowledge: Experience working in Agile/Scrum or Waterfall environments.

Soft Skills:

• Translation Ability: The ability to explain a technical limitation to a banker and a banking regulation to a developer.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to break down a complex financial instrument into a logical step-by-step process.
• Attention to Detail: Since a single wrong word in a guarantee can cause huge financial loss, the BA must be meticulous.

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Computer Science, or Business Administration.
• CDCS (Certified Documentary Credit Specialist) or CSDG (Certificate in Specialist Demand Guarantees) certification is a massive plus.
• Previous experience implementing Trade Finance software (e.g., Finastra, Temenos, Misys).