Business Planning & Analysis Controller in Kent, Maidstone

The Business Analysis Manager leads a team of Business Analysis professionals, of differing levels, and is accountable for the delivery of all business analysis across the IT function. They work with Product and Platform Teams and/or other colleagues from within IT to provide insight and guidance, delivering value for the business.

In addition to leading the team, the Business Analysis Manager will undertake high profile and complex data analysis to define the drivers, objectives, scope and high-level requirements associated with a wide variety of Business Change activities. They will demonstrate significant practical experience of analysis methodologies, tools and techniques, obtained across a wide variety of initiatives and will also coach and advise other analysts, assisting with their development.

The Business Analysis Manager will be accountable for planning the work of their Business Analysis team and, whilst managing competing stakeholder demands, ensure they are broadly aligned to their Business Analysis colleagues supporting other areas within the IT function.

A key component of the role will be the provision of commercially insightful reporting and analysis for stakeholders; The Business Analysis team will typically adopt DLA’s preferred delivery methodology, Agile. The Business Analysis Manager will be accountable for instilling agile ways of working within the Business Analysis team.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Leads a Business Analysis team, providing guidance, support and strategic direction, prioritising and planning activities, and ensuring that delivery is completed on schedule and to a professional standard.
• Developing and coaching the Business Analysis team.
• Liaising with stakeholders in Product Teams, Platform Team and other stakeholders in IT and/or the business to investigate and shape change/project definition, the analysis approach and resource planning.
• Championing and embedding agile ways of working across the Business Analysis team.
• Ensures the vision, drivers, objectives and benefits are understood, documented, managed and traced throughout the lifecycle of initiatives.
• Takes responsibility for work to investigate business problems and opportunities, and specify required changes to business processes, people skills, information, technology and organisation structures and roles, utilising Customer Experience / Journey Mapping techniques where appropriate.
• Works effectively with senior business and IT stakeholders, conducting investigations at a strategic level and assuring the feasibility of proposed solutions.
• Ensures that a holistic view is taken of the business situations investigated and that business objectives and requirements are understood.
• Advises senior stakeholders on business change priorities within the context of the organisational strategy and objectives.
• Utilises business knowledge and experience to assess and advise on the feasibility and relevance of proposed options for business and technical change.
• Takes responsibility for the detailed specification and modelling of holistic solutions using standards, methods and techniques as required.
• Engages effectively with senior stakeholders to develop and review models, communicate modelling results and resolve any issues or disagreements.
• Models, simulates or prototypes the behaviour of proposed systems components to enable approval by stakeholders.
• Undertakes impact analysis on major design options and trade-off. Makes recommendations and assesses and manages associated risks.
• Plans and performs all types of user experience evaluation to check and confirm that usability and accessibility requirements have been met. Selects appropriate use of formative or summative evaluations.

About you

• Experience of leading and managing Business Analysis teams.
• Significant and demonstrable experience of prioritising and planning the workload of a Business Analysis team in a fast-paced environment with conflicting demands.
• Pro-active, helping to guide and steer both the analysis and approach.
• Extensive knowledge of systems, development methods, techniques and standards.
• Experience of working in an enterprise environment and a broad understanding of application architecture and the underlying hardware infrastructure.
• Skilled in using Business Analysis techniques and Information Modelling tools.
• Good understanding of different development approaches e.g. Agile, XP, TDD, SCRUM, Waterfall and how to apply these.
• Familiarity with Lean Agile thinking / ways of working, and DevOps.
• Knowledge of and able to work with application development tools, Big Data, Data Analytics and AI.
• Planning and Control Techniques - Methods and techniques associated with planning and monitoring progress of change initiatives or projects.
• Excellent presentation skills, either face-to-face or online within various contexts and to a variety of audiences.
• Stakeholder Management - establishing relationships, analysing perspectives and managing stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Ability to work cross-functionally, understanding the needs, objectives and constraints of those in other disciplines and functions.
• Strong commercial and strategic awareness.
• Advocate and champion open and transparent communication with the department and team, ensuring success is celebrated and impediments are learned from. Encourages team collaboration with others to achieve a common goal.

About us

We're a global law firm helping our clients achieve their goals wherever they do business. Our pursuit of innovation has transformed our delivery of legal services. With offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, we deliver exceptional outcomes on cross-border projects, critical transactions and high-stakes disputes.

At DLA Piper, we understand that inclusion is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Our commitment to inclusion and positive social impact enables us to provide exceptional service to our clients and communities, while nurturing a unique and inclusive culture for all our people. We welcome the unique contribution that you will bring to our firm and actively encourage applications from all talented people - however your talent is packaged, whatever your background or circumstance and regardless of how you identify.

Where local legislation permits, we will conduct relevant pre-engagement screening checks prior to your first day.