Lead Functional Analyst Responsibilities

The lead functional analyst is found in a variety of industries, but most commonly in the technological field. The lead functional analyst responsibilities are complex in nature and require him/her to design and create software and the relevant programs and to make sure that there are no issues associated with the software or programs that are already existing. He/she has the major responsibility of fixing the security related issues and ensuring that the newly created program or software is designed in a way to support the organizational needs. Thus, he/she needs to lead as well as handle all the responsibilities of an analyst and maintain complete confidentiality about the same, as he/she is the sole person who has access to all the operational systems and is accountable for the organization's security.

Key Responsibilities of a Lead Functional Analyst

The lead functional analyst functioning in the information technology field is responsible for providing on going support to its users, identifying the issues related with the system, coordinating the work related to system development and its implementation and troubleshooting all the system related issues. He/she trains the subordinate members on how to operate the new applications, reviews the work performed by them and is accountable for approving the work of the junior functional analysts. The detailed description given below will throw light on what are the core duties and responsibilities that need to be handled by this professional working in the IT department of any organization:

1. He/she is responsible for leading the functional design and assists in preparing deliverables like functional specifications, prototypes, user guides, test scripts, etc.
2. He/she is responsible for ensuring that the developed software or programs are tested properly to ensure that they are operating smoothly and are up to the mark in terms of quality standards.
3. He/she conducts thorough research activity to ensure that all the functional and competitive requirements are being met to ensure that the developed program or software is as per the requirements.
4. He/she performs problem analysis so that a corrective and timely action can be taken to eliminate those errors which may have an adverse effect on the system. For this, he/she reviews the error codes generated by the application system.
5. He/she provides assistance to junior technical analyst programmers in designing, developing, and testing the corrections that have been made and makes sure that the operating standards have been enhanced and improved whenever the modifications have been incorporated in the system as per the recommendations suggested.
6. He/she monitors the revised as well as the new applications to ensure the user acceptance and to make sure that it is tested properly and executed in a way that it meets or exceeds the quality assurance standards and is compliant with quality policies and procedures.

Apart from the above responsibilities, the lead functional analyst is responsible for developing, creating, reviewing, maintaining, and updating the application related documentation and is also involved in preparing the training material in such a way that it is relevant, accurate, updated and completely user friendly. He/she conducts training sessions or workshops to guide the users on complex applications by using the established training techniques. He/she makes changes in the application based as per the feedback given by user groups or by individuals who guide them on the discrepancies that still exist in the system which can be enhanced to improve its applicability. He/she leads analysis sessions to make sure that the key business goals and objectives will be accomplished, identifies the existing process challenges and documents the gaps in those processes. Thus, he/she needs to handle a wide array of tasks.

Essential Skills and Abilities

If an individual is aspiring to become a lead functional analyst, he/she should be particularly skilled in diagnosing and identifying the system related problems and should possess excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills. He/she should have the ability to prioritize work in case he/she handles multiple projects and should be comfortable working in a fast paced work environment. Technical proficiency combined with strong writing skills and demonstrated ability to create functional specifications, designing application related documents and training material are a must. He/she should be able to lead the team and have good supervisory skills. He/she should be able to train the junior members in a simple easy way to understand the format. He/she should be task oriented, quick thinker and should be able to maintain complete confidentiality of the company's critical data.

Educational Background

To make an entry in this field, the minimum academic background that is required is that an individual should have completed a bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, human resources management, business administration, information management science, or any other relevant field from an accredited college or university. Experience in a similar profile would definitely prove to be an edge.

Work Schedule

The professional in this field should be ready to stay for long hours and needs to be flexible, as he/she may need to work late in the evenings, or at nights, or may be required to work on public holidays and weekends to ensure that the deadlines are being met.

Salary Details

The salary is not only dependent on how big the organization is, its size, etc., but also on the individual's skills, abilities, and knowledge in that particular area. This professional can get a salary ranging in between $40,000 to $120,000. The average median annual remuneration is close to $100,000.

Career Prospects

With more and more organizations becoming techno savvy, the demand for these professionals is definitely going to rise, as more users would have system issues and problems. So the need for a lead functional analyst is definitely going to grow in the coming years and those who have demonstrated their abilities definitely have got better scope for progressing to higher positions.

Therefore, the lead functional analyst responsibilities must be executed in an effective and efficient manner and will help in taking your career to new heights.