At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic change in higher education by analysing business needs and shaping proposals.
- Company: Join a respected higher education institution committed to innovation and improvement.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement and mentoring.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on educational services and influence key investment decisions.
- Qualifications: Significant business analysis experience, preferably in higher education, with strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 43000 - 50000 £ per year.
Location: Preston
Working Pattern: Hybrid
Salary: £43,000-£50,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Salt is recruiting for a Senior Business Analyst to join an established higher education institution, helping shape strategic change across the organisation.
Working within Learning and Information Services, you will translate business needs and strategic objectives into clearly defined proposals, robust business cases and measurable outcomes. This is an opportunity to influence investment decisions, improve services and help ensure proposed initiatives are achievable and aligned with organisational priorities.
The Role
You will lead analysis at the early stages of change, working with senior stakeholders to understand challenges, assess opportunities and define requirements. Collaborating with enterprise architects, project managers and operational teams, you will help take initiatives from initial discovery through to a clear, evidence-based proposal ready for delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the discovery, analysis and definition of business needs, opportunities and challenges to support strategic decision-making.
- Shape new demand proposals, ensuring they are clearly defined, supported by evidence and aligned with organisational priorities.
- Facilitate workshops, interviews and stakeholder discussions to capture, document and validate business requirements.
- Produce business cases covering options appraisals, cost-benefit analysis, investment justifications, risks and recommendations.
- Evaluate and challenge proposed solutions to ensure they address underlying business needs and deliver measurable value.
- Work with enterprise architects and subject matter experts to align initiatives with architectural standards, technology roadmaps and strategic principles.
- Develop current-state and future-state process models, operating models and capability assessments to support transformation.
- Define and quantify expected benefits, supporting benefits realisation plans and performance measures.
- Undertake market, industry and organisational research to identify opportunities for innovation and service improvement.
- Assess the feasibility, impact, costs, risks and dependencies of proposed developments, supporting portfolio prioritisation and investment decisions.
- Maintain clear documentation, including business requirements, stakeholder analyses, process maps, benefits frameworks and strategic assessments.
- Act as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders, preparing papers, presentations and recommendations for governance forums and investment boards.
- Collaborate with project managers, architects, operational teams and external partners to support the transition from demand definition into project delivery.
- Promote business analysis best practice, coach less experienced analysts and contribute to the continuous improvement of the business analysis function.
Essential Skills and Experience
- Significant business analysis experience, including leading analysis for complex, high-impact projects.
- Experience working in higher education.
- A relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent practical experience.
- Knowledge of demand management and portfolio management principles.
- Understanding of benefits management and benefits realisation approaches.
- Strong requirements elicitation, modelling and documentation skills.
- Experience in business process analysis, process improvement and service design methodologies.
- Knowledge of project and programme delivery methodologies, including PRINCE2, Agile and hybrid approaches.
- Understanding of enterprise architecture principles and the relationships between business, data, application and technology architectures.
- Experience producing high-quality business cases, reports and evidence-based recommendations.
- Strong process mapping and modelling skills, with the ability to evaluate options and explain their implications.
- Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple initiatives.
- Proven ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Experience coaching or mentoring other analysts or team members.
- A commitment to inclusive working, professional behaviours and organisational values.
Desirable Experience
- Experience using ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM).
- Experience with enterprise systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, Ellucian Banner or Azure Integration Services.
Eligibility
Applicants must currently reside in the UK and have the right to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Senior Business Analyst (Higher Education) in Preston employer: Salt Search Careers
As a leading global firm, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer that values innovation and collaboration. Our work culture fosters continuous learning and growth, providing employees with opportunities to enhance their skills while contributing to critical services in the UK. With a strong focus on employee well-being and a supportive environment, we ensure that our team members thrive both personally and professionally in vibrant locations like London, Manchester, Ipswich, and Cheltenham.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Business Analyst (Higher Education) in Preston
✨Get to Grips with Data Visualisation Tools
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✨Join Local Business Intelligence Meetups
Look for local business intelligence meetups or analytics conferences in your area. These events are not just great for learning but also for networking with industry professionals who could lead you to opportunities at companies like Salt Search Careers!
✨Engage with Online BI Communities
Join online forums or communities focused on business intelligence—think LinkedIn groups, Reddit threads, or even dedicated Slack channels. Engage actively by sharing your insights and asking questions; this can help you build visibility and connect with potential employers.
✨Leverage Your University’s Career Support
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We think you need these skills to ace Senior Business Analyst (Higher Education) in Preston
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Salt Search Careers, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Salt Search Careers
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Salt Search Careers’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
