Business Analyst - ServiceNow

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data, Technology and Security (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1000 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn

Defra Jobs

We are Government Digital and Data Candidate Information Pack V3 - 1

Job description

The Service Tooling team at Defra within Digital, Data Technology and Security (DDTS) function is looking for a Business Analyst to join our team with a focus on ServiceNow.

Joining our Service Tooling team, you will help turn business needs into smart, practical solutions. You’ll need to have or develop a solid grasp of what the ServiceNow® platform can do, along with great people skills and a sharp eye for detail. The role is all about working closely with stakeholders to understand what they need, digging into how things currently work, and finding better ways to get things done using ServiceNow, making everyday processes smoother and more efficient.

If you have strong business analysis skills and are willing to develop your ServiceNow expertise through training, we’d welcome your application.

While applicants without SC clearance are welcome to apply, they must be eligible to obtain it. To be eligible for SC clearance, all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further.

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with stakeholders to elicit, document, and prioritise business requirements and user stories for ServiceNow implementations and enhancements.
• Analyse current business processes and workflows, identify areas for improvement, and recommend ServiceNow out of the box functionality and solutions to streamline operations.
• Ensure ServiceNow applications and modules are designed in alignment with business requirements and best practices.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, providing regular updates and managing expectations throughout project lifecycles.
• Collaborating with the Test team, support the development of test plans, acceptance criteria, testing, and coordination of user acceptance testing (UAT) to ensure ServiceNow solutions meet business needs.
• Create and maintain detailed documentation, including requirements specifications, user stories, process flows, and user guides.
• Provide training and support to end-users, ensuring they are equipped to use ServiceNow effectively.
• Stay current with ServiceNow updates and best practices, recommending improvements to enhance platform utilisation and user experience.

Skills and Experience

• Proficient in requirements gathering, business process analysis, and solution design for platforms.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and practices.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Knowledge and experience of ITIL processes and service management best practices.
• You will have or are willing to develop, an understanding of ServiceNow platform, functionalities and modules.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• A presentation on demonstrating in a Digital environment, practical, hands-on experience specifically in relation to Business Analyst responsibilities

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £12,360 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A day off per year for the King's birthday.
• Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more).
• Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time.
• 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Funding for professional membership of a recognised professional body.
• Learning and development tailored to your role and budget for training or qualifications.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan to help you manage health costs for a reduced monthly fee.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme open 24 hours, 7 days a week, that provides support to you during any times of stress or difficulty.
• Free access to Headspace for wellbeing.
• Season ticket loan for public transport.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and your Personal Statement to the 'responsibilities' and 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role. You may find the STAR method helpful when writing your personal statement.

Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our hints and tips document.

Application

As part of the application process, only candidates with demonstrable ServiceNow Business Analyst experience will be considered.

You will be assessed on the depth and relevance of your experience and will be required to submit the following:

A CV: Highlighting your hands on BA experience, including specific modules, project types and responsibilities

A 750 word personal statement: Using the Skills and Experience section of the job advert as your guide, provide clear, evidence based examples that demonstrate your suitability for the role.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Technical Skills and the Behaviours listed below.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

As part of the recruitment process you will be required to do a presentation. Full details will be provided later within the process.

For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.

Behaviours

Technical

Experience

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Existing Civil Servants moving on level transfer will retain their current salary or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. Staff moving on promotion will have their pay increased by 10% or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. As a general rule allowances and supplements will not be recognised.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Higher Security Clearance

This post requires the successful candidate to hold SC security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website. Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk
• Email : DDTSonPayrollRecruitment@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

DDTS CIP Opens in new window (pdf, 2858kB)