Business Analyst (ServiceNow) - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - SEO in Manchester

Location: Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon‑Tyne, Reading, Warrington, York

About The Job

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.

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.

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.