Business Analyst

Essex County Counci; Chelmsford; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Development opportunities

Disability Confident Leader

Job summary

Essex County Council (ECC) is recruiting a Business Analyst to lead the analysis of complex digital products and services driving transformation across ECC. You’ll shape service improvements, guide decisions through evidence, and champion agile ways of working with stakeholders at all levels to deliver accessible, citizen-centered services.

The role requires a degree or equivalent, ongoing professional development, and extensive strategic development experience in public sector settings.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject.
• Hold or be working towards BCS Practitioner qualification in Business Analysis or equivalent.
• Evidence of continued professional development to keep pace with technical and business change.
• Extensive experience in strategic development roles, ideally within a large local authority or public sector service provider.
• Proven track record of working in effective teams to deliver high-quality services that meet complex business needs and enable simplification and reuse.
• Clear understanding of relevant ICT standards and how they apply to business analysis.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
• Excellent customer service and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Expert knowledge in relevant professional areas, with a commitment to continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the analysis of complex, interdependent services and products, placing users at the centre of every decision.
• Work across multidisciplinary teams and business areas to articulate needs, define problems, and identify opportunities for digital transformation.
• Create and execute research and analysis plans, using data and insight to guide decisions in nuanced and evolving contexts.
• Facilitate workshops and stakeholder engagement throughout the product lifecycle, managing relationships across all levels of seniority.
• Promote agile methodologies and help service areas understand the role and value of business analysis in shaping digital change.
• Use qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand service performance, demand, and user experience.
• Support the definition and execution of acceptance tests for new processes and systems, ensuring they meet business and user requirements.
• Collaborate with designers to improve service delivery and citizen experience, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Measure the impact of changes and products, using data to iterate and improve services over time.
• Conduct demand and financial analysis to support prioritisation and investment decisions.
• Apply an agile mindset to all aspects of work, enabling rapid delivery and continuous improvement.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Agile methodologies

Data analysis

User research

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

BCS Practitioner qualification (or working towards)

Job description

Business Analyst

Fixed Term, 12 months

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£47,878 to £56,326 per annum

Location:Chelmsford

Working Style:Anywhere worker*

Closing Date: 23rd September 2026

Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role. Applicants must have a current, unrestricted right to work in the UK.

*Experience the best of both worlds with our flexible hybrid working arrangements. Enjoy the freedom to work from home while still benefiting from in-person collaboration at our Chelmsford office, typically around 2 to 3 days per month dependent on business need.

Join a Council Shaping the Future of Public Services

Essex County Council (ECC) is on a bold journey to become one of the most effective, forward-thinking, and financially sustainable councils in the UK by 2030. At the heart of this transformation is a bold commitment to digital innovation and world-class customer service.

In this dynamic and user-focused role, you’ll lead the analysis of complex digital products and services that drive transformation across ECC. As Business Analyst, you’ll work across multiple teams to understand user and business needs, shape service improvements, and guide decision-making through evidence and insight. You’ll champion agile ways of working, collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, and help deliver intuitive, accessible services that make a real difference to Essex residents.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the analysis of complex, interdependent services and products, placing users at the centre of every decision.
• Work across multidisciplinary teams and business areas to articulate needs, define problems, and identify opportunities for digital transformation.
• Create and execute research and analysis plans, using data and insight to guide decisions in nuanced and evolving contexts.
• Facilitate workshops and stakeholder engagement throughout the product lifecycle, managing relationships across all levels of seniority.
• Promote agile methodologies and help service areas understand the role and value of business analysis in shaping digital change.
• Use qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand service performance, demand, and user experience.
• Support the definition and execution of acceptance tests for new processes and systems, ensuring they meet business and user requirements.
• Collaborate with designers to improve service delivery and citizen experience, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Measure the impact of changes and products, using data to iterate and improve services over time.
• Conduct demand and financial analysis to support prioritisation and investment decisions.
• Apply an agile mindset to all aspects of work, enabling rapid delivery and continuous improvement.

The Experience You Will Bring:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject.
• Hold or be working towards BCS Practitioner qualification in Business Analysis or equivalent.
• Evidence of continued professional development to keep pace with technical and business change.
• Extensive experience in strategic development roles, ideally within a large local authority or public sector service provider.
• Proven track record of working in effective teams to deliver high-quality services that meet complex business needs and enable simplification and reuse.
• Clear understanding of relevant ICT standards and how they apply to business analysis.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
• Excellent customer service and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Expert knowledge in relevant professional areas, with a commitment to continuous learning.

Why Join ECC?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost.

Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working, excellent development opportunities, and the chance to work with a supportive team that’s passionate about what they do, Essex is the ideal place for you.

What else do you need to know?

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview allveteransandcare leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries or require anything further, please [e-mail]

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