As a Business Analyst at Louis Dreyfus, your daily activities will sit at the intersection of operational strategy and technical execution. You will be responsible for ensuring that the company's digital tools evolve to meet the demands of a highly volatile global market.

Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Collaborating closely with regional business heads, traders, and logistics coordinators to understand their operational pain points and system requirements.
• Translating business requests into detailed functional specifications, process maps, and technical user stories for global development teams.
• Leading the functional design, configuration support, and testing phases of ERP modules and custom software applications.
• Coordinating directly with offshore development and support teams (such as those based in India) to ensure technical solutions align with business expectations.
• Designing and executing comprehensive test plans, managing user acceptance testing (UAT), and training business users on new system functionalities.
• Analyzing large datasets to identify operational bottlenecks, system errors, or opportunities for process automation and optimization.
• Supporting major regional programs, such as the NAM Program Delivery, by ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and with minimal disruption to daily trading operations.

To be competitive for the Business Analyst position at Louis Dreyfus, you must demonstrate a strong foundation in both business analysis methodologies and the technical tools used to support them.

Technical and Professional Skills

• Must-have skills:

  • Proven experience working as a Business Analyst within an ERP environment (SAP experience is highly valued).
  • Strong proficiency in SQL for data querying, analysis, and system troubleshooting.
  • Deep understanding of agile methodologies, scrum frameworks, and requirements management tools (such as Jira or Azure DevOps).
  • Excellent process mapping capabilities using tools like Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, or Miro.
  • Fluency in English, as you will be working daily with global teams across Switzerland, India, and the Americas.

• Nice-to-have skills:

  • Prior experience in the commodities trading, agriculture, logistics, or supply chain industries.
  • Familiarity with international trade compliance, customs documentation, or localized tax systems (such as South American tax invoicing).
  • Formal business analysis certifications (e.g., CBAP, PMI-PBA, or Scrum Product Owner).

Experience and Background

• Typically requires 3 to 7+ years of experience in business analysis, systems analysis, or consulting roles, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked on large-scale enterprise system implementations.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management Information Systems (MIS), Computer Science, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• A proven track record of managing stakeholders across different cultures, business units, and levels of organizational hierarchy.

Q: How technical is the Business Analyst interview at Louis Dreyfus? A: The interview is moderately technical. While you won't be expected to write application code, you must be comfortable discussing database structures, writing SQL queries, and understanding system integration architectures. The focus is on your ability to translate technical constraints into business realities and vice versa.

Q: What is the company culture like during the interview process? A: Candidates consistently report that the interviewers are professional, friendly, and highly collaborative. The company places a strong emphasis on welcoming candidates and explaining the role in detail. However, the technical rounds are rigorous and require concrete examples of your past work.

Q: How should I prepare for the global nature of the role? A: Be ready to discuss how you manage communication across different time zones, cultures, and languages. Highlight any experience you have working with offshore development teams or global business stakeholders. Showing flexibility and cultural empathy is highly valued at Louis Dreyfus.

Q: Is there an analytical or aptitude test required? A: Yes, depending on the office location and the specific program, you may be asked to complete an initial aptitude test. This test typically evaluates your logical reasoning, numerical analysis, and problem-solving speed.

To truly set yourself apart during the Louis Dreyfus interview process, keep these practical, insider tips in mind:

• Understand the Commodities Lifecycle: You do not need to be an agricultural expert, but you should understand the basics of how commodities are sourced, transported, traded, and settled. Showing that you understand the difference between a physical trade and a financial settlement will immediately impress your interviewers.
• Use the STAR Method for Behavioral Questions: Structure your answers using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result framework. At Louis Dreyfus, interviewers appreciate highly structured, concise communication. Focus heavily on the Result and what you learned from the experience.
• Be Prepared for ERP Specifics: If you have worked with ERPs before, be ready to name specific modules you have configured or supported (such as SAP SD, MM, or FI). Be prepared to explain exactly how you gathered requirements for those modules.
• Demonstrate a Collaborative Mindset: Throughout your interviews, emphasize how you partner with developers and business users rather than just handing off documents. Use collaborative language ("we designed," "we resolved") to show you are a team player.

The Business Analyst position at Louis Dreyfus is an exceptional opportunity for professionals looking to make a tangible impact on global supply chains and agricultural technology. By bridging the gap between complex trading operations and technical execution, you will play a key role in driving digital transformation for one of the world's largest commodities merchants.

To maximize your chances of success, focus your preparation on mastering ERP workflows, refining your SQL skills, and structuring clear, agile user stories. Remember to showcase your ability to communicate across global boundaries, as your interviewers will likely span multiple continents. Approach the process with confidence, structure, and a genuine curiosity for the agricultural trading business.

The salary range shown above reflects the compensation structure for the Senior Business Analyst position within the NAM Program Delivery team in the United States. Your actual offer will depend on your geographic location, level of experience, and specific technical expertise. Louis Dreyfus offers competitive compensation packages designed to attract top-tier global talent.

For more detailed interview insights, real candidate reviews, and comprehensive preparation tools, continue exploring resources on Dataford to ensure you are fully prepared to ace your upcoming interviews. Good luck!