In order to effectively deliver on this vision and our underlying strategy, NWS is going through a period of integration, re-organisation, and system improvement. NWS has set out an exciting Digital and IT blueprint that will see us making best use of secure, innovative cloud-based technologies to harness insights from vast amounts of data, automate and streamline processes, improve usability and access to information and systems in a secure way, and support best in class collaboration internally and with partner organisations.
We need experienced Digital and IT Business Analysts to join us on this journey. They will help ensure we set each project off on the right footing with well-defined and prioritised requirements, a clear understanding of the current situation and potential for improvement and ensure (working with business and technical experts from across the business and supplier/partners) we drive the right solution though to go-live and adoption to deliver expected benefits.
This rewarding role will see you working directly with our staff at all levels and partners across the organisation. Ideally applicants should have strong ‘presence’ and significant previous experience in a Digital/IT Business Analyst/Lead BA environment, ideally in an agile, cloud-first and regulated environment.
This is a permanent role, full time, 5 days per week, with the opportunity to work in an attractive, modern working environment.
This is a critical role, working on a wide range of different IT and digital orientated projects as part of delivering our Digital and IT Blueprint and ongoing systems enhancements, to include:
- Defining scope, managing change, and ensuring the correct level of challenge and clarification is made to the business's requirements
- Detailed requirements gathering, “As is” and “To Be,” to support impact assessment and provide technical detail for new developments and capturing expected benefits to support effective prioritisation.
- Lead conversion of requirements into solution design with support/input of relevant Technical Architect Engineering leads/principals and gain buy-in from relevant stakeholders/owners.
- Requirements prioritisation, so we focus efforts on the most important things, pushing back and negotiating compromises/alternatives as necessary
- Use your multi-domain knowledge and BA skills to assess impact (and sizing) of new changes and ensuring the team and key stakeholders are made aware.
- Running one to one stakeholder interviews and running effective workshops with a range of stakeholders (often in senior positions) to engage the business, ensure effective requirements capture, test solutions, and test/challenge our assumptions and priorities
- Act as domain expert and / or SME for assigned Projects. Maintaining and creating process/system flow diagrams, business requirements, and project documentation to ensure we are all working off the latest information and can provide evidence of solutions and changes as needed
- Undertaking process and functional efficiency reviews and providing recommendations for improvement and presenting back to users and management
- Carrying out Vendor/Supplier evaluations as part of supplier selection to engage the most appropriate supplier in a compliant manner
- Supporting project managers as required to produce accurate progress reports, appropriate for management/executive consumption
- Supporting the design, testing and implementation of new processes and systems, so we deliver on expected outcomes and in line with critical standards and policies. Able to lead test planning and execution workstreams as needed.
- Investigation of bugs / defects using analytical skills to understand root cause and propose recommendation to resolve.
- Measurement and reporting of benefits delivered and recommending changes as needed.
Candidates should be passionate and proactive, with a keen eye for detail. You must have a proven track record of successfully carrying out a Business Analyst role as described above in delivering a range of IT/Digital projects (small-large/complex), ideally in a cloud-based environment. We are looking for individuals who can work effectively with others, hold the room when facilitating workshops face-to-face or virtually, is a good listener but who can also form an opinion to convincingly present options and recommendations to senior stakeholders as required. We are looking for individuals, prepared to be innovative in their approach when solving business problems / opportunities.
Essential
- Understanding and experience of working in a structured Product/System Development Lifecycle - experience of working in both Waterfall and Agile delivery methodologies.
- Natural facilitator, able to bring people at a range of seniority levels into conversations /workshops, use collaborative tools and techniques, to diplomatically challenge, and encourage co-creation of potential solutions.
- Evidence of supporting business/system/product owners to ensure the end delivery provides expected business value (commercially astute)
- Experience in building key business relationships and managing stakeholders at all levels, including suppliers
- Ability to flex your style and approach to suit the adopted delivery methodology.
- Comfortable analysing and interpreting data, to make sound recommendations on best course of action using commercial judgement and analytic insight.
- You’ll be able to quickly grasp complex commercial and technical concepts – to be effective in your analysis of the As Is or current state and the desired Go To state.
- High level of competency with MS office/other tools e.g. Teams/SharePoint for effective collaboration, Excel for data analysis and insights, Visio (or equivalent) for process/system mapping etc., PowerPoint for clear and compelling presentations.
- Able to demonstrate experience of working with autonomy within strict deadlines
- Having experience of system testing, ideally from planning through execution and sign-off would be a distinct advantage
- Able to demonstrate NWS core values: We are action orientated; We are collaborative and inclusive; We are ambitious; We act with integrity.
Desirable
- Cloud computing experience including MS365 environment, MS Azure, Software development lifecycle.
- Data platform experience
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning experience
- Experience using techniques such as Lean, SDLC, Kanban, LUMA, Design Thinking
- Experience working in public sector and/ or regulated industry.
Although extensive travel is not required, the candidate must be willing to travel as required to engage with stakeholders/run workshops (typically at key NWS sites). You must hold the right to work in the UK.
- On appointment to NWS you will receive 25.5 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and you can accrue up to 13 extra days leave
- Rewarding performance (annual bonus scheme)
- We offer a generous pension scheme through CNNP
- Learning and development support
- Payment of relevant annual professional subscriptions
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Financial advice assistance
- Flexible working
- Extended family-friendly policies
- Cycle to work scheme
- We welcome flexible and agile working practices
- Flexible working requests can be submitted from day 1 of employment