Senior Business Analyst - Department for Business and Trade - G7

Location

Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

If you would like to find out more about the role, the Business Analysis team and what it’s like to work at BIST, we are holding a Meet the Team Q&A session for this role where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Tuesday 20th October at 12:30pm. Please click here to book your spot.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) helps businesses invest, innovate, export and grow across the UK. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate helps to deliver this by designing, building and running the services, platforms and technology that businesses and colleagues rely on every day. 

Our teams work on a wide range of services and technologies, including: 

• digital services that help businesses access government support, guidance and opportunities 
• data and AI products that support decision making and enable innovation 
• internal tools and services that help colleagues work more effectively 
• secure technology and platforms that support critical government services 
• cyber security services that protect systems, data and users 

By joining DDaT, you'll work on services used by businesses, colleagues and citizens across the UK. You'll be part of multidisciplinary teams focused on improving services, solving complex problems and delivering better outcomes for users. 

We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace. In recognition of this, we were named Best Public Sector Employer at the Women in Tech Employer Awards 2025! 

Job description

Our Senior Business Analysts identify and draw upon a variety of evidence to define, analyse and document challenging business problems and user needs. They lead the mapping of user and organisational needs to business architecture, ensuring alignment with service vision and strategy.

Senior Business Analysts (BAs) constructively challenge and act as a critical friend to ensure fit-for-purpose solutions. They facilitate collaboration and effective communication to support the design, build, and delivery of user-centred products and services. 

As a Senior BA, you will support the Head of Profession to build a sustainable, diverse, and engaged Business Analyst community within DBT who work together towards a common goal and share ideas openly, establishing standards and consistency to support rapid delivery through sharing and learning from one another.

Read more about what it is like to become a business analyst in DDaT in our blog.  What it is like to become a Business Analyst in DBT – Digital trade 

You will also line manage and mentor junior colleagues, providing advice and direction on their activities and supporting them to develop their skills and experience.

We’re looking for people who are:   

• Flexible and can prioritise and work effectively across different services at both multidisciplinary team and portfolio level   
• Adaptable, to confidently engage key stakeholders from different functions   
• A critical thinker   
• Proactive, and can drive activities and identify solutions to problems   

Main responsibilities  

You will:

• Identify and address complex business and user problems, using evidence-based analysis to develop options and recommend effective solutions   
• Define and document required capabilities, supporting organisational change and shaping operating models that deliver business outcomes   
• Lead business analysis and process re-engineering, driving improvements to support organisational transformation and target operating model delivery   
• Proactively collaborate with Service Owners, Product Managers and Delivery Managers, using analytical insights to inform priorities and shape delivery in line with strategic objectives   
• Apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills to investigate issues, communicate findings clearly, and implement improvements   
• Actively contribute to and promote a strong Business Analysis community of practice, sharing knowledge and championing best practice   
• Line manage and develop junior Business Analysts, providing coaching, guidance and support to build capability within the team   

Person specification

It is essential that you have:

• Strong demonstrable experience of working as a Business Analyst and leading business analysis in a digital environment, with experience of mentoring colleagues and supporting teams to deliver high-quality work
• Evidence of driving the assessment of complex business challenges, shaping analytical approaches and ensuring options and recommendations align with organisational strategy and user needs
• Experience of defining and agreeing the approach and priorities for business analysis whilst applying the team’s chosen delivery methodology (e.g. Scrum)
• Ability to advise on requirements definition and prioritisation for complex change initiatives, ensuring traceability and negotiation of solutions to maximise business and user impact
• Experience of leading stakeholder engagement at all levels, shaping communication strategies, resolving conflicts, and ensuring alignment with business and user needs
• Experience leading business process analysis to enhance efficiency, using business, systems and data modelling techniques to identify improvements, and supporting and overseeing process testing and usability evaluations
• Strong understanding of and can champion Digital, Data and Technology standards and work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team

It is desirable that you have:

• Experience of working at portfolio level across multiple products or services, or within a complex programme of work