At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex product analysis and drive strategic initiatives within a dynamic team.
- Company: Join a leading media organisation with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy private medical insurance, gym discounts, generous leave, and extensive training opportunities.
- Other info: Inclusive recruitment process with support for applicants needing adjustments.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on digital products while working with top industry professionals.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in product analysis and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
You will be a key leader within one of our core pillars, working within the Times Product Customer Team. The team is made up of cross-functional squads of Product, Design, and Product Business Analysis professionals, supported by dedicated Delivery and Engineering teams. You'll be joining at an exciting time in our product evolution, with the opportunity to execute product strategy and make a significant impact on our digital offerings.
Your role: Principal Product Business Analyst is the most senior analytical voice within their pillar. Operating within one of three programme pillars, this role sets the standard of excellence for analysis within that pillar, personally leads work on the most complex and highest-risk initiatives, and helps manage and develop the Senior BA working alongside them. The Principal is the connection point between pillar‑level analytical work and programme‑wide strategy, ensuring the pillar's discovery output is commercially grounded, consistently high quality, and always pointed at the outcomes that matter most.
Your team: You will join the Times Media Product team, reporting into the Head of Business Analysis, acting as a strategic partner between Product & Technology and our core Business stakeholder areas depending on your assigned team; Content, Monetisation or Customer.
Day to day you will:
- Personally lead discovery analysis on the pillar's most complex and ambiguous initiatives - including user flows, process mapping, data mapping, and logic flows - setting the quality benchmark for the Senior BA within the pillar.
- Own the standard of excellence for analysis within the pillar, defining and embedding templates, methodologies, and metric accountability frameworks that ensure consistency and quality.
- Support the management and mentorship of the Senior BA within your pillar (if you have one assigned), building individual capability in product thinking, AI fluency, post‑launch validation, and commercial framing.
- Work closely with the Head of Business Analysis to maintain a view of programme priorities and ensure analytical effort is allocated to the highest‑value initiatives, and not absorbed by low‑value work.
- Act as the connective tissue within the pillar, ensuring logic and decisions across its initiatives are consistent and don't create downstream problems for other teams.
- Apply commercial literacy to connect analysis to revenue, cost, and trade‑off decisions - building influential partnerships with senior stakeholders to keep a unified product vision intact.
- Drive the practical application of the AI Playbook, ensuring the Product BA team are leveraging AI effectively in their daily work and continuously identifying new opportunities to improve analytical speed and quality.
What we’re looking for from you:
- Extensive experience leading discovery analysis on complex, high‑risk product initiatives, with a track record of translating ambiguous problems into clear, executable logic.
- Proven ability to operate at senior stakeholder level - building strong, trusted relationships with executive stakeholders, framing analysis in commercial terms, and driving rapid decision‑making on high‑stakes trade‑offs.
- Experience managing and developing Business Analysts, with demonstrable success in shifting ways of working toward higher‑value, more product‑led analysis. Where required, running end‑to‑end hiring for additional contract resource, from designing assessments through to evaluating and interviewing candidates.
- Strong commercial literacy - able to connect analytical findings to revenue impact, cost to serve, and business opportunity, and communicate this fluently to non‑analytical audiences.
- Experience contributing to or improving practice standards, templates, or methodologies at team or programme level.
- Ability to maintain a clear view of priorities and proactively allocate analytical effort to where it will have the greatest impact.
- Awareness of competitive product landscapes, with the ability to incorporate competitor intelligence into strategic decisions and discovery planning.
- Advanced, demonstrable use of AI tools in analytical work - including experience building or formalising AI workflows or productivity standards for a team.
Benefits:
- Private medical insurance including coverage for pre‑existing conditions.
- Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in‑person/virtual exercise classes.
- ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme.
- Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books.
- Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks.
- Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times.
- Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities.
- Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling.
- A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%.
- Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access.
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year.
We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know. You can contact us at to discuss how we can support you to perform at your best.
Principal Product Business Analyst in London employer: The Times
Join a dynamic and innovative team at the Times Media Product, where your role as Principal Product Business Analyst will not only allow you to lead complex product initiatives but also foster a culture of excellence and mentorship. With a strong emphasis on employee growth, comprehensive benefits including private medical insurance, generous leave policies, and access to extensive training resources, we are dedicated to supporting your professional journey while ensuring a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Product Business Analyst in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those already working at the company you're eyeing. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common questions and scenarios related to product analysis. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and showcase your experience effectively.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your analytical skills during interviews! Bring examples of past projects where you led complex initiatives or improved processes. This will demonstrate your ability to tackle high-risk challenges head-on.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Product Business Analyst in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in leading complex product initiatives. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Principal Product Business Analyst, so don’t hold back on showcasing your achievements!
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:Since this role is all about setting the standard for analysis, be sure to include specific examples of your analytical work. We love seeing how you've tackled ambiguous problems and turned them into clear, actionable insights.
Connect with Our Values:Familiarise yourself with our company culture and values. When you write your application, reflect on how your personal values align with ours. This helps us see that you’re not just a fit for the role, but also for our team!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at The Times
✨Know Your Product Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into the company's product offerings. Understand their digital landscape, user flows, and how they connect to revenue. This will help you speak confidently about how your analytical skills can enhance their product strategy.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Principal Product Business Analyst, you'll be expected to lead and mentor others. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams or projects in the past, focusing on your ability to drive high-value analysis and foster a product-led culture.
✨Connect Analysis to Business Outcomes
Be ready to discuss how your analytical findings have previously influenced business decisions. Use specific examples that demonstrate your commercial literacy and ability to communicate complex data in simple terms to non-analytical stakeholders.
✨Embrace AI in Your Approach
Given the emphasis on AI tools in this role, come prepared to discuss your experience with AI in analytical work. Share any workflows or productivity standards you've developed, and highlight how you can leverage AI to improve speed and quality in analysis.