Business Systems Analyst/Administrator in Manchester

Reporting to Business Systems Manager

Department: Operations / Business Systems

Location: Manchester Head Office, with occasional UK travel

About Flow Student

Flow Student is a fast-growing purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) operator, managing a national portfolio on behalf of MCR Property Group. Our ambition is to create exceptional student communities through outstanding customer experience, operational excellence and safe, well-managed homes. As the portfolio grows towards 10,000+ beds, effective systems, accurate data and consistent processes are fundamental to how we operate.

Role Purpose

The Business Systems Analyst/Administrator will support the Business Systems Manager in the effective day-to-day operation, administration and improvement of Flow Student's core business systems. The role combines hands-on system administration with business analysis: resolving user issues, maintaining high-quality data, producing insight, testing changes and translating operational requirements into practical system improvements. The postholder will be a key link between Operations, Sales, Marketing, Finance, People and external system partners. They will help ensure that systems are reliable, well controlled, user-friendly and capable of supporting acquisitions, mobilisations and continued business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• System Administration and User Support
  • Provide first-line and second-line support for core platforms, particularly StarRez and HubSpot, triaging incidents and escalating complex or supplier-owned issues appropriately.
  • Administer user accounts, roles, permissions and access changes in line with approved controls, including starters, movers and leavers.
  • Maintain system configuration, templates, workflows, fields, reference data and user settings under the direction of the Business Systems Manager.
  • Own the systems support log, monitor service levels, identify recurring issues and keep users informed through to resolution.
  • Maintain clear system documentation, knowledge articles, process maps and user guides.
• Business Analysis and Process Improvement
  • Work with teams to understand operational challenges, document requirements and translate them into clear system or process changes.
  • Map current and future processes, identifying duplication, manual work, control gaps and opportunities for automation.
  • Support the assessment and prioritisation of change requests, documenting scope, benefits, dependencies, risks and acceptance criteria.
  • Assist with implementation projects, system enhancements, integrations and supplier-led releases from discovery through to handover.
  • Promote standardised processes and effective use of existing functionality before introducing additional systems or workarounds.
• Data, Reporting and Insight
  • Monitor data quality across key systems, identifying and correcting incomplete, duplicated or inconsistent records.
  • Produce scheduled and ad-hoc reports, dashboards and analysis for operational, sales, occupancy, debt and customer-service activity.
  • Support reconciliation between systems, including the flow of customer, booking, payment and commercial data.
  • Maintain data dictionaries, report definitions and agreed sources of truth so that management information is consistent and understood.
  • Present findings clearly, highlighting trends, exceptions, risks and practical actions.
• Testing, Change and Release Support
  • Prepare test scripts and undertake user acceptance testing for configuration changes, upgrades, integrations and new functionality.
  • Record defects clearly, coordinate retesting and retain evidence that agreed acceptance criteria have been met.
  • Support controlled release and change-management activity, including communications, training materials and post-implementation reviews.
  • Assist with quality assurance of website-to-HubSpot-to-StarRez customer journeys, including lead-source and outcome data.
• Training and Stakeholder Support
  • Deliver practical system induction and refresher training to central and site-based colleagues.
  • Act as a helpful and visible systems contact, adapting support to users with different levels of technical confidence.
  • Gather user feedback and share themes, training needs and improvement opportunities with the Business Systems Manager.
  • Build constructive working relationships with internal teams and third-party software and support providers.
• Governance, Security and Compliance
  • Follow data-protection, information-security and change-control requirements in all system activity.
  • Support regular user-access reviews, audit trails, data-retention controls and evidence gathering.
  • Report actual or suspected data breaches, inappropriate access or control failures immediately through the approved process.
  • Handle confidential and restricted information appropriately, including resident financial, wellbeing and safeguarding information.
• Growth, Acquisitions and Mobilisation
  • Support system setup and data preparation for new property acquisitions and mobilisations.
  • Assist with data cleansing, mapping, migration, validation and reconciliation to ensure new sites are operationally ready.
  • Help create repeatable implementation checklists, configuration standards and lessons-learned records for future growth.

Key Working Relationships

• Business Systems Manager and Head of Operations
• Operations and property teams
• Sales, Marketing and Customer Experience
• Finance, People and Compliance
• IT support partners and system suppliers, including StarRez and HubSpot

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• Experience in a systems administration, application support, business analysis, data analysis or similar role.
• Experience administering a CRM, property-management, student-accommodation, hospitality or other operational business system.
• Strong analytical skills with confidence working in Excel and producing accurate reports from multiple data sources.
• Ability to investigate problems methodically, distinguish symptoms from root causes and communicate clear resolutions.
• Experience documenting processes, requirements, test outcomes or user guidance.
• High attention to detail and a strong commitment to data quality, security and controlled change.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and take ownership of work through to completion.

Desirable

• Hands-on experience of StarRez and/or HubSpot.
• Experience in PBSA, BTR, property management, higher education, hospitality or another multi-site service environment.
• Experience of user acceptance testing, data migration, integrations, workflow automation or dashboard tools such as Power BI.
• Awareness of UK GDPR, role-based access controls and good data-governance practice.
• A relevant qualification in business analysis, data, information systems or project delivery, or equivalent practical experience.

Personal Attributes

• Curious and analytical - asks the right questions and follows evidence.
• Service-focused - patient, approachable and committed to helping colleagues succeed.
• Practical and solutions-oriented - improves systems without creating unnecessary complexity.
• Organised and dependable - maintains accurate records and follows through on commitments.
• Collaborative - builds trust across functions and welcomes constructive challenge.
• Adaptable - comfortable working in a growing business where priorities can change quickly.

Measures of Success

• Support requests are acknowledged, progressed and resolved within agreed service levels.
• User access is accurate, controlled and reviewed, with starters and leavers processed promptly.
• Core system data is complete, consistent and reliable for operational and management reporting.
• Changes and releases are tested thoroughly, documented clearly and introduced with minimal disruption.
• Recurring problems and manual processes are reduced through sustainable improvements.
• New sites and acquisitions are supported with accurate, timely and validated system setup and data migration.
• Users demonstrate improved system confidence and adoption following training and support.

Role Scope and Development

This is a hands-on role with scope to develop deeper expertise in systems administration, business analysis, data and project delivery. The Business Systems Manager will retain accountability for systems strategy, roadmap, supplier management, governance and major investment decisions; the Business Systems Analyst/Administrator will provide the operational capacity, analysis and control needed to deliver that strategy effectively.