Lead Business Analyst

at  abrdn

Job Description
At abrdn, we empower our clients to plan, save and invest for their futures.
Through the expertise, insight and innovation of our team, we aim to help clients create more ways for money to make an impact. We set our sights on giving them more confidence to achieve their goals, and more clarity about what they need next. And we focus on delivering outcomes that are more than just financial – by investing sustainably to build a better world.
We are structured around three businesses – Investments, Adviser and Personal – focused on the changing needs of our clients, and by diversifying the group, we are positioning ourselves for growth in a changing investment landscape.
Our Adviser business provides financial planning solutions and technology for UK financial advisers, enabling them to bring value for their businesses and their clients.
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Lead Business Analyst to join Adviser’s Business Analysis & Design team.
Lead Business Analysts play a key role throughout the change lifecycle, contributing to the initial shaping of work at the “idea” stage, helping colleagues and key external 3rd party partners understand and identify their requirements, contributing to designing solutions and supporting delivery, test and implementation of those solutions.
They use their broad skill sets within this framework to contribute their extensive business and systems knowledge to support the end to end solution. They will primarily be at the head of more complex projects and pieces of work.
This role also form part of the Leadership Team within the wider business analysis practice acting as a point of reference, knowledge, experience as well as colleague management responsibility for Senior Business Analysts and Business Analysts.

Key responsibilities in this role will include:

• Delivering complex pieces of analysis that make the problem, requirements and possible solutions clear.
• Help define business processes – the as is, the ideal process, and the target process we aim to get to at the end of a specific project.
• Develop and make use of their extensive business knowledge – you will be expected to develop your business knowledge, becoming something of a subject matter expert yourself.
• Contributing to the development and management of the process and operating models that form part of our architecture framework.
• Help specific change initiatives move from the early idea/problem statement stages towards commitment and delivery.
• Build a wide, multi-level and dependable network of colleagues to help deliver change.
• Contribute to the continual improvement of the Business Analysis practice and improving the ways we work – primarily on pro active basis.
• Provide positive leadership to the wider business analysis function through direct line management and matrix management of a team of BA’s on a project
• Play an integral role in the development of talent and skills of less senior BA’s within the BA practice.

What we’re looking for:

Essential

• Proven experience of working on change in a Business Analysis role across both Business and IT change
• In depth understanding of development lifecycles and associated disciplines, particularly the role of Business Analysis
• Good awareness of financial services products in the investment and savings market
• Good knowledge of a wide range of common office software
• Experience of leading a team of BA’s within a project
• Great knowledge of Wrap platforms, products, functionality and business processes
• Experience of developing processes and methodology within a BA Practice

Desirable

• Experience of Leading and Managing teams of BA’s within a BA practice
• Ability to develop capability of others within a BA practice
• Experience of Resource Management and Planning
• Relevant Business Analysis certifications from BCS

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. Therefore, if you have a disability and would like to submit an application to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire and one of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.
Our Benefits
There’s more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.
When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around, including 40 days annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance-based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount site amongst many others. You can read more about our benefits
here.
We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.
If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist

• Delivering complex pieces of analysis that make the problem, requirements and possible solutions clear.
• Help define business processes – the as is, the ideal process, and the target process we aim to get to at the end of a specific project.
• Develop and make use of their extensive business knowledge – you will be expected to develop your business knowledge, becoming something of a subject matter expert yourself.
• Contributing to the development and management of the process and operating models that form part of our architecture framework.
• Help specific change initiatives move from the early idea/problem statement stages towards commitment and delivery.
• Build a wide, multi-level and dependable network of colleagues to help deliver change.
• Contribute to the continual improvement of the Business Analysis practice and improving the ways we work – primarily on pro active basis.
• Provide positive leadership to the wider business analysis function through direct line management and matrix management of a team of BA’s on a project
• Play an integral role in the development of talent and skills of less senior BA’s within the BA practice