Business Continuity Analyst

Overview

The Business Continuity Program Analyst plays a pivotal role in ensuring the resilience and continuity of the organization's operations. This independent contributor position focuses on the detailed analysis, planning, and execution of business continuity strategies. The ideal candidate will be skilled in conducting Business Impact Assessments, defining workarounds, identifying single points of failure, coordinating disaster recovery tests, facilitating tabletop exercises, and providing reporting. The role also involves close collaboration with lines of business and plan owners to develop and maintain business continuity plans, as well as managing key artifacts within systems of record. This position requires a proactive and detail-oriented professional who can work effectively across departments to enhance the organization's preparedness and response capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Impact Assessments (BIA):

• Conduct comprehensive Business Impact Assessments to identify critical business processes and assess the potential impact of various disruption scenarios.
• Collaborate with lines of business to evaluate the strategic, financial, operational, reputational and compliance risks from business interruptions.
• Use BIA findings to log and prioritize recovery efforts, ensuring that the most critical processes are restored first.

Defining Workarounds and Mitigating Risks:

• Develop and document effective temporary workarounds for critical business processes to ensure continuity during disruptions.
• Identify and analyze single points of failure in business processes, systems, and infrastructure, and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to implement risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensure that all defined workarounds and mitigation strategies are aligned with the overall business continuity plan and are regularly tested for effectiveness.

Business Continuity Plan Development:

• Work closely with lines of business and plan owners to develop and maintain comprehensive business continuity plans.
• Ensure that business continuity plans are aligned with organizational objectives and updated regularly to reflect changes in business processes, technology, or risk landscapes.
• Provide guidance and support to plan owners in the creation and maintenance of their continuity plans, ensuring they meet the organization's standards and requirements.

Coordinating Disaster Recovery Tests and Tabletop Exercises:

• Plan, coordinate, and execute disaster recovery tests to validate the effectiveness of recovery plans and procedures across the organization.
• Organize and facilitate tabletop exercises to simulate potential disaster scenarios and evaluate the organization's readiness.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders during these exercises to ensure a comprehensive and cross-functional approach to continuity planning.
• Document the results of disaster recovery tests and tabletop exercises, identify gaps or areas for improvement, and work with teams to address these issues.

Managing Systems of Record and Tracking Key Artifacts:

• Utilize systems of record to track and manage key business continuity artifacts, including BIAs, plans, and test results.
• Ensure that all relevant documents and plans are stored, organized, and easily accessible within the system of record.
• Monitor the status of continuity plans and related artifacts, providing regular updates to stakeholders and ensuring compliance with organizational policies.

Reporting and Documentation:

• Generate detailed reports on all aspects of business continuity planning, including BIA results, identified risks, mitigation strategies, and test outcomes.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of business continuity plans, procedures, workarounds, and test results.
• Provide regular updates and reports to senior management on the status of the business continuity program, highlighting key risks, progress, and areas requiring attention.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field desired
• 1-3 years of experience in business continuity planning, disaster recovery, risk management, or a related area.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to conduct thorough impact assessments, identify potential risks, and develop effective mitigation strategies.
• Experience working with lines of business and plan owners to develop and maintain business continuity plans.
• Familiarity with systems of record used to manage business continuity artifacts.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the abi