Location: Columbia, MD  (Hybrid/Remote - In office 3 days a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday)

Residency Requirement: Candidates must have lived in the U.S. for at least 3 of the past 5 years and be authorized to work in the U.S. (Citizen, Permanent Resident, or EAD). 

Sponsorship: This position does not offer sponsorship. Candidates must already be authorized to work in the U.S. (e.g., Citizen, Permanent Resident, or EAD). 

Clearance: Public Trust Clearance (or ability to obtain.)

Job Overview:

Cogent People Inc. is seeking an experienced Business Analyst Lead to provide functional leadership across multiple operational workstreams supporting a complex federal program. This role combines business analysis, operational oversight, stakeholder management, and continuous improvement, with responsibility for leading teams of business and data analysts. 

The ideal candidate is a proactive, hands-on leader who can independently manage priorities, strengthen team capabilities, and improve existing processes while ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality work. 

Responsibilities 

• Lead requirements elicitation, analysis, documentation, and validation across complex business processes and data-driven initiatives.
• Translate ambiguous stakeholder needs into clear requirements, actionable tasks, and acceptance criteria.
• Provide day-to-day functional leadership to business and data analysts across multiple operational workstreams.
• Oversee recurring deliverables, coordinate assignments, manage competing priorities, and proactively address delivery risks.
• Provide functional guidance to analysts and oversee the quality of analytical deliverables, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with business requirements. 
• Serve as a key point of contact for stakeholders, managing expectations, resolving issues, and escalating risks as appropriate.
• Coach and develop team members, establish accountability, and strengthen collaboration, knowledge sharing, and backup coverage.
• Lead process improvements, establish SOPs and standardized workflows, and support team adoption of new practices.
• Collaborate with technical teams on data validation, testing, and issue resolution.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 8+ years of business analysis experience, including demonstrated experience leading teams and overseeing operational delivery.
• Strong requirements elicitation, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead operational activities, manage competing priorities, and consistently meet critical, time-sensitive delivery schedules.
• Experience managing stakeholder expectations, resolving conflicting requirements, and navigating challenging relationships.
• Demonstrated experience improving operational processes, developing SOPs, and strengthening knowledge sharing and cross-training.
• Ability to quickly learn unfamiliar business domains, systems, and technologies.
• Strong analytical and functional problem-solving skills, with the ability to understand complex business processes, investigate discrepancies, validate results, and independently execute functional work when needed.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal government programs or regulated environments.
• Hands-on experience with SQL for data querying, analysis, and validation.
• Experience using Jira, Confluence, or similar tools for work management and documentation.
• Relevant business analysis, Agile, or project management certifications.

 Why Cogent People Inc.?  

At Cogent People, we foster a collaborative, growth-driven environment where innovation thrives. You’ll be part of a team working on mission-critical technology solutions that make a real impact. We offer competitive salaries, career development opportunities, and the chance to contribute to meaningful projects that shape the future.

As a Certified Great Place to Work, we prioritize employee satisfaction and provide a supportive, inclusive culture where every team member is valued and empowered to succeed.

Benefits:  

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Comprehensive coverage.

401(k) Plan: Matching contributions.

Life Insurance & Disability Coverage: Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.

Paid Time Off: 3 weeks of PTO annually, plus 10 holidays.

EEO Employer: 

Cogent People Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability status, or any other status protected by law.