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).