Business Analyst - Guildford, United Kingdom - AQA

Description

Description

Summary

Purpose:

To help complete AQA's ongoing transition to a single, consistent set of cloud-based technologies (technology re-platform) and move to an agile delivery model in line with current software development best practices (Scrum/Kanban; continuous delivery) – and to continually improve and enhance that technology for new and changing business needs, once that transition is complete.

To share knowledge and expertise with other business and technical analysts at all levels, through demonstrations, team meetings, lunch and learns, etc as well as formal written documentation.

Landscape:

To provide hands-on delivery for the delivery of Software Solutions by the efficient and accurate translation of business need into requirements consumable by the technical delivery teams, in-line with agreed practices and under the direction of the Head of Business Analysis.

Activities:
Deliver software solutions and software changes, following best practice and guidance on business analysis processes and tools aligned to agile and lean principles
Assist other team members on business and technical analysis driving personal and professional development to facilitate cross skilling in the team, identify ways to continually improve team processes and ways of working and support the Head of Business Analysis in the creation of a centre of excellence for business analysis in AQA
Work with the business and technical teams to deliver the translation of requirements into statements of work, user stories, feature sets, use cases, identifying business benefits, high level designs, proposed solutions and prototypes in line with business priorities agreed as part of sprint planning & product backlog management
Ensure all deliverables/documents, requirements catalogues, system, data and business process models – are comprehensive, consistent and accessible and are appropriate in order for the intended operational benefits to be achieved
Work with the delivery teams (developers, testers, dev ops, architects, etc) to translate business needs into viable detailed specifications, architectural designs, data and information requirements and acceptance criteria, ensuring alignment with AQA's technology and information strategies, standards and architecture (including non-functional requirements)
Work with business stakeholders to map "as is" and "to be" processes, to clarify requirements, features, improvements and potential solutions and to understand and describe the impact of change to the business and systems
To support business in design and delivery of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) aligned to BSG's overall testing approach and strategy:supporting the business in coordinating and designing the testing approach
supporting the business in defining the acceptance criteria
working with user communities to identify business scenarios
supporting user communities to write scripts against which to test to ensure that the changes being made meet the customers' needs
supporting the production of test outputs/reports and the resolution of issues

Work with business, other technical teams and external partners (third parties) to design, plan and deliver software solutions and software solution integrations
To build and foster strong working relationships with colleagues and key business stakeholders and throughout AQA
Assist with product backlog management and iteration planning by providing estimates and advising on development approaches and options in the context of delivery cost and risk
Keep systems of record (Azure DevOps (ADO), SharePoint, etc) up to date to maintain a clear audit trail of software solutions work undertaken – and in turn produce and facilitate clear and accurate reporting and metrics on software solution activities
Play a key role during the estimation phase, including the translation of requirements into statements of work, high level designs, proposed solutions and prototypes where appropriate
Keep abreast of current state-of-the-art business analysis practices by undertaking reading and attending external events, and share learnings within the Software Solutions group to ensure practices remain appropriate and up to date
Support software solutions through the delivery of exam series, especially during the critical summer exam period
Deputise for workstream delivery leads as required
To model AQA values and behaviours
To comply with all AQA's policies and other legislative requirements, including but not limited to HSE, Equal Opportunities and ISMS

Where business needs change, to undertake other responsibilities which are of a commensurate level outside the terms of this role profile.

Need to know (to be successful in this role, you will need to know):
An understanding of business in either a commercial or an educational environment
A high level of knowledge of business analysis techniques and the ability to analyse and produce accurate artefacts consumable by business stakeholders and technical delivery teams
Ability to support the creation of robust business cases that bring value to the organisation
Understanding of at least one systems development life cycle methodology (eg Agile, Waterfall, Iterative)
Awareness of data modelling techniques (eg Entity Relationship Modelling, Class Modelling, etc)
Knowledge of database tools and techniques used in the development of IT applications (creation and querying of databases and understanding models)
Degree level qualification, or equivalent professional experience
Experience in using a variety of tools and techniques to analyse business processes and recommend process improvements, including the use of requirements management, user stories and modelling tools/techniques when appropriate
Proven aural, oral and written communication skills to explain issues to technical and non-technical staff
Proven analytical skills to identify business objectives and potential solutions, with ability to analyse and document highly complex requirements and produce specifications
Ability to provide suitable test support for unit, system and user acceptance purposes
Ability to manage issues, risks and problems from identification through to resolution
Good interviewing skills to identify and capture core business goals and requirements
Demonstrable ability to produce and maintain high quality documentation
Demonstrates good facilitation skills (eg running workshops) to produce desired outcomes
Demonstrates good interpersonal skills in a variety of situations
Demonstrates resilience and calmness under pressure to meet tight deadlines in complex contexts
Receive feedback and learn from mistakes for continuous self-development
Ability to influence people at all levels, across the organisation and outside, including negotiating and successfully facilitating joint decision making
Ability to adapt to new IT methods, tools and procedures
Demonstrates proactive collaborative working across functional areas to deliver shared goals
Willingness to take ownership of both software solution delivery and continuous improvement activities, delivering through self and others
Willingness to lead by example to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders
Experience as a successful Business Analyst, with evidence of delivering tasks at a high level of quality, at different stages of the project lifecycle, from requirements gathering and clarification through to successful implementation
Experience in conducting investigative interviews, requirements gathering and associated workshops
Experience of successfully redesigning processes and delivering benefits
Experience using Application Lifecycle Management tooling, eg ADO, JIRA etc