Senior Business Analyst
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
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
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
How to apply
As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a 2-page CV and a personal statement which outline your experience, skills and fit for the role. Your personal statement must be a maximum of 1000 words. As well as evidencing the criteria you should also touch upon why you're interested in BIST and in this role. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer. Inspire People will assess your application against the essential criteria listed above to compile a longlist of applications. If you are progressed through, your application will then be sifted by BIST hiring managers.
It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to support your application, but all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate, and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism is identified (such as 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
How we interview
At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the Business analyst - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.
Technical Skills
- Adapting to delivery methodologies
- Context, problem and option analysis
- Business process improvement
- Defining and managing business needs, user needs and requirements
- Stakeholder relationship management
- Digital and data systems analysis
- User experience insight analysis
Behaviours
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
You will also be asked to deliver a presentation and will be informed on the topic following the sift.
How we offer
Offers may be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.
This role requires SC clearance. BIST's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.
Checks will also be made against:
- departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- security services record
- location details
More about us
This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. BIST employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by BIST, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure in the candidate pack attached to this advert.
Find out more about life at BIST, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
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 : DDaT Recruitment
- Email : Ddat.recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk