Head of Business Analysis Practice in Cirencester

The Business Analyst (BA) department is involved in the full end‑to‑end project lifecycle at SJP, from mapping out business benefits and success criteria through to detailed requirements and user stories.

What you’ll be doing:

• Defining and evolving the Business Analysis Practice strategy, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s transformation agenda, value‑stream model, design and architectural principles.
• Establishing and maintaining frameworks, standards, tools and methodologies that support consistent, high‑quality analysis across all change initiatives.
• Building a strong professional identity for Business Analysts, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, curiosity and evidence‑based decision making.
• Embedding a Compliance by Design approach across the BA CoP, ensuring regulatory, conduct and risk considerations are integrated early.
• Leading the recruitment, development and performance management of Business Analysts across the practice.
• Creating and delivering capability uplift programmes, including training, coaching, mentoring and knowledge‑sharing forums.
• Developing career pathways and competency frameworks that support progression and retention within the practice.
• Partnering with Value Stream Leads, Product Owners and Change Leaders to ensure Business Analysis is embedded early and effectively in change initiatives.
• Working with the Change Resource Manager and overseeing the allocation of BA resources to value streams and external transformation programmes, ensuring the right skills are matched to the right work.
• Implementing quality assurance mechanisms that uplift analytical maturity and support confident decision‑making.
• Championing traceability from business need through design, delivery and measurable value realisation.
• Contributing to governance forums, providing insight on requirements, risks, dependencies, and solution alignment.
• Building strong, trusted relationships with Change leaders and operational stakeholders to ensure alignment on business needs and transformation priorities.
• Influencing strategic conversations by ensuring business needs, value drivers, and customer impacts are clearly understood and articulated.
• Representing the BA Practice at senior forums, shaping early‑stage thinking and ensuring analytical perspectives inform key decisions.
• Ensuring BA standards reflect the organisation’s obligations to deliver fair client outcomes, protect vulnerable clients and manage conduct risk.
• Overseeing the integration of client‑impact assessment into requirements, process design and solution evaluation.

Who we’re looking for:

You will be an experienced leader who can lead the development of standards, frameworks and talent, ensuring the BA CoP is equipped to support complex transformation with professionalism, analytical rigour, and a strong focus on value.

• Proven leadership of a Business Analysis function, practice or CoP.
• Experience operating within a value‑stream, product‑centric or agile environment.
• Strong background in business analysis across complex change and transformation programmes.
• Ability to define and embed standards, frameworks, and methodologies.
• Experience managing and developing teams, including coaching and capability uplift.
• Deep understanding of change delivery roles (e.g., BAs, PMs, Designers, SMEs).

What’s in it for you?

We reward you for the work you do, whether that’s through our discretionary annual bonus scheme that reflects both personal and company performance, competitive annual leave allowance (28 days plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional 5 days), or online rewards platform with a variety of discounts. We also have benefits to support whatever stage of life you are in, including:

• Competitive parental leave (26 weeks full pay).
• Private medical insurance (optional taxable benefit).
• 10% non‑contributory pension (increasing with length of service).

Reasonable Adjustments

We’re an equal opportunity employer and want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive for all. If you require reasonable adjustment(s) at any stage, please let us know by emailing us at careers@sjp.co.uk.