Business Analyst

Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales; Wales; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension Scheme

28 days annual leave

Wellbeing benefits

Professional development

Wellbeing hour

Job summary

Natural Resources Wales is seeking a skilled Business Analyst to shape digital and technology change across NRW, collaborating with subject matter experts and suppliers. You will gather requirements, map as-is/to-be processes, and develop artefacts like Epics and user stories in an Azure/ITIL framework.

The role supports a flexible, hybrid working pattern and is fixed-term until 31 March 2027, with DBS checks and Welsh language requirements where applicable.

Qualifications

• Extensive proven skills as a Business Analyst or equivalent.
• Understanding of development life cycle phases and their relationships.
• Familiarity with data flow diagrams and ER diagrams.
• Strong communication with stakeholders and customers.
• Experience in data-rich environments and ICT service delivery.
• Experience with cloud hosting services (Azure) and MS 365 tools.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design and specify requirements for business analysis activities within ICT programmes.
• Collect, analyse and communicate key business requirements to inform ICT changes.
• Translate business requirements into user stories for ICT development and procurement.
• Identify solutions to business issues with project managers and technical architects.
• Assess and report on the effectiveness of business analysis and capture lessons learned.
• Promote consistent, high-quality business analysis practices across ICT.

Skills

Business Analysis

Development life cycle

Data flow diagrams

Communication skills

Azure

SharePoint

Team collaboration

Tools

Azure

SharePoint

Job description

The role

We are looking for a skilled and proactive Business Analyst to help shape and deliver digital and technology change across Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Working closely with subject matter experts, stakeholders and third-party suppliers, you will play a key role in identifying business needs, improving processes and supporting the successful delivery of projects that make a real difference to the people and environment of Wales.

Using Azure DevOps and operating within Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practice principles, you will work across a varied portfolio of initiatives, gathering and analysing requirements, mapping current ("as-is") and future ("to-be") processes, and developing project artefacts including Epics, Features and user requirements. You will help define project scope, timescales, costs and benefits, providing the insight needed to inform decision-making and investment priorities. This is an exciting opportunity for a technically minded Business Analyst who enjoys working collaboratively, solving complex problems and contributing to meaningful projects from concept through to delivery. This is a fixed-term role until 31/03/2027.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to an NRW office within the place base / location above and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Rob Stonehewer at [e-mail]

Interviews will be face to face (details of location will be shared in advance)

About Us

There has never been a more important time to join Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and help shape a sustainable future for Wales. We use technology and innovation to support people, businesses and the environment, delivering services that make a real difference every day. As a cloud-first organisation, NRW operates a large-scale Azure environment supporting critical national services 24/7. Our teams manage over 100 applications, real-time environmental systems, public reporting services and data from more than 650 remote monitoring locations across Wales. We are investing in digital, data and technology talent, working collaboratively with specialist partners to deliver ambitious programmes aligned to NRW's Digital Strategy. If you are looking for meaningful work, modern technology and the opportunity to have a positive impact, NRW is the place for you.

What You Will Do

• Bringing technical expertise and experience to bear, work with the Business Change and Programme Manager to plan, design and specify requirements for the business analysis activities within the annual D&I and enhancement programme to ensure links are made with other projects and programmes to avoid/anticipate potential risks and maximise on areas of overlap.
• Work closely with business leads to understand, collect, analyse and communicate key business requirements in order to specify changes in ICT equipment, applications and business processes that will deliver an integrated and efficient organisation in line with the ICT strategy. Analysis will be deep and extensive.
• Using appropriate industry standard techniques, translate business requirements into "user stories" (high level and detailed business requirements documents) to inform the ICT development and procurement processes.
• Through in depth analysis and collaboration with technical ICT staff, identify solutions to business issues and requirements gaps, working with the project managers and technical architects.
• Appraise the effectiveness of business analysis and communicate the outcome, including capturing lessons for future learning across ICT project managers.
• Build a culture of better business analysis understanding in ICT through standard analysis tools and guidance to ensure business analysis is consistent and delivers successfully for the organisation.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post.
• Be committed to Natural Resources Wales Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy , together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post
• Be committed to your own development through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

• Extensive proven skills as a Business Analyst. Well-developed problem solving and analytical skills demonstrable aptitude for analysing application problems, using a formal analysis methodology, and the building of solutions.
• Understand the phases of the development life cycle, and how they are related.
• Familiarity with development of data flow diagrams and understanding of entity-relationship diagrams.
• Good communication skills using formal and informal methods to ensure customers are properly engaged and briefed on development work.
• Working for/within an organisation which is "data rich", collecting and generating its own data for use in regulating others, managing its assets or informing others.
• Building/working with corporate applications using cloud hosting services such as Azure and of working in environments using MS Sharepoint including Office 365.
• Excellent communication and team working skills with the ability to work collaboratively and at pace responding to changes in environment and priorities, including the ability to work with senior management and internal and external customers and suppliers presenting complex/technical information in a format appropriate for the seniority and technical understanding of the audience. It is imperative to maintain assertive communication in the face of robust challenges from suppliers and other stakeholders.

Welsh Language level requirements

• Essential: Level A1 - Entry level

Welsh language levels

Additional Information

Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. Appointments are normally made within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date. Natural Resources Wales is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. Although we hold a Skilled Worker visa sponsorship licence, it applies only to specific roles that meet both the eligibility criteria and salary requirements set out by the UK Government under the Skilled Worker visa route.

Benefits

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97% (successful internal staff will remain in their current pension scheme)
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
• generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
• commitment to professional development
• health and wellbeing benefits and support
• weekly wellbeing hour to use as you choose

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

Please keep reading

We're passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equal opportunity irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We are committed to equal opportunities, and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year. We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses. We are a Bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards. Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English, and any application submitted will be treated equally. Applications are welcome from individuals who want to work full-time, part-time, or job share. Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy before the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the closing date to apply.