At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic analysis and client engagement for AI-enabled utility projects.
- Company: Join a global Physical AI company making real-world impact across critical industries.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on innovation and career development.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI solutions that tackle humanity's biggest challenges.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in business analysis with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 70000 £ per year.
About Sand
Sand Technologies is a global Physical AI company using data and AI to make critical industries work better.
We partner with governments, cities and enterprises to improve how essential systems operate across healthcare, water, energy, telecommunications and infrastructure.
Our work delivers proven real-world impact.
We have built AI systems that help manage London’s water supply, supported telecom network planning across hundreds of cities, and developed digital healthcare platforms serving tens of millions of people across Africa.
From intelligent command centers to AI-powered infrastructure platforms, we help organizations sense, analyze and act in complex environments.
Our people are ambitious, curious and relentlessly practical.
Our teams work alongside clients in the field, solving hard problems and deploying solutions that last.
With colleagues across Africa, Europe, the UK and the US, we operate across the full stack - from research and engineering to deployment and capability building.
Our mission is simple: to harness AI to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges.
About the role
We are hiring a Senior Business Analyst to lead strategic and consulting work streams within our UK utilities practice.
This is a permanent role.
Your first assignment is a high-profile engagement with a major UK water utility, supporting delivery of an AI-enabled situational awareness and decision support tool for the client’s operational control room.
From there you will continue to grow with our expanding portfolio of water and energy utility clients.
The wider delivery squads are distributed; this role is the onshore, client-facing anchor of the analysis function, spending regular time on site with clients in South West England and beyond.
This is a senior BA role with a strategy-consulting edge.
Working alongside the Delivery Lead and Technical Lead, you will own requirements and process analysis, shape the strategic narrative, and maintain the link between what the squad builds and the business case it was sold on – including regulatory performance commitments such as pollution incident reduction and self-reporting.
You will guide junior analysts, support delivery BAs, and provide the context and documentation that QA teams need as they onboard.
You are expected to operate semi-autonomously: bring a point of view, resolve scope, stakeholder and quality challenges without defaulting to escalation, and build client confidence through reliable, outcome-focused engagement.
What you’ll do
Requirements & Strategic Analysis
- Own requirements discovery, process mapping (As-Is/To-Be) and the strategic narrative for the engagement, translating the client’s operational needs into clear, prioritised delivery requirements.
- Write, refine and validate user stories and acceptance criteria with the delivery team, and keep the backlog aligned to business outcomes across near, mid and far horizons.
- Maintain the benefits and business-case linkage throughout delivery, framing sprint reviews and steering discussions around measurable value against the client’s regulatory and operational targets.
- Client Engagement & Facilitation
- Act as a senior, client-facing point of contact on-site, building trust with operational, technical and executive stakeholders and representing the delivery team day to day.
- Independently design and facilitate requirements workshops, process walkthroughs and design sessions with control-room operators, data owners and business sponsors.
- Proactively communicate progress, scope changes and risks; manage complex, multi-level stakeholder relationships across client and delivery organisations.
- Delivery, Quality & Team
- Produce and maintain the analytical artefact estate: BRDs, FSDs, process models, playbooks and reusable documentation to consistent standards.
- Support User Acceptance Testing, consolidate stakeholder feedback, and help secure client sign-off on delivered features.
- Provide context and documentation to support QA onboarding during delivery.
- Guide and mentor junior analysts on analytics and reporting support, and raise the bar on BA standards, templates and ways of working across the practice.
Who you are
- 10+ years of business analysis experience, including senior/lead roles on complex, multi-stakeholder client engagements, ideally with a consulting background.
- Proven track record executing the full requirements lifecycle – from discovery and process analysis through to UAT and sign-off – on software or data/AI delivery programmes.
- A strategy edge: comfortable framing business cases, benefits realisation and value tracking, not just documenting requirements.
- Excellent facilitation, presentation and written communication skills – credible in the room with executive sponsors and on the floor with operational teams.
- High autonomy: able to lead a workstream, navigate scope challenges constructively, and know when (and when not) to escalate.
- Proficiency with backlog and documentation tooling (Azure Dev Ops or Jira, Confluence, Miro or equivalent).
- Based in the UK with the right to work in the UK, and able to spend regular time on-site specifically in and around Exeter.
Desirable
- Water, utilities or other regulated/asset-intensive sector experience - particularly operational or control-room environments.
- Business analysis certifications from recognised bodies (IIBA, PMI or similar).
- Experience on data, analytics or AI delivery programmes (cloud data platforms, BI/analytics dashboards).
- Experience mentoring junior analysts and building BA practice standards.
- How we work
Due to the highly collaborative and internationally distributed nature of our work, successful candidates must be comfortable operating in small teams while contributing to larger, globally coordinated efforts.
A strong sense of ownership, self-motivation and discipline in maintaining clear and consistent communication through virtual collaboration tools and video conferencing is essential.
Senior Business Analyst employer: Sand Tech
At Sand Technologies, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration. Our team members enjoy meaningful work that directly impacts critical industries, with ample opportunities for professional growth and development in a supportive environment. Located in the vibrant South West of England, our employees benefit from a dynamic work-life balance while engaging with clients on-site, ensuring their contributions are both valued and impactful.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Business Analyst
✨Get to Grips with Data Visualisation Tools
If you're aiming for a full-time role in business intelligence, brush up on your skills with popular data visualisation tools like Tableau or Power BI. Showcasing projects where you've transformed raw data into clear visual insights can give you a real edge.
✨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 Sand Tech!
✨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
If you're a recent graduate, definitely tap into your university's career services. Many have connections with companies in need of full-time BI specialists, and they can guide you on how to pitch yourself effectively—don't miss out on that!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Business Analyst
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 Sand Tech, 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 Sand Tech
✨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 Sand Tech’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.
