Business Analyst - Data
SmartSearch
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
SmartSearch is seeking a Business Data Analyst to shape data and analytics initiatives through strong business analysis, stakeholder engagement, and requirements definition. Reporting to the Interim Director of Data and BI, you will translate business needs into clear, actionable requirements that support reporting, insight, and process improvement.
The successful candidate will have strong experience in requirements elicitation, user story development, stakeholder workshops, and process
Qualifications
- 5–8 years of experience in business analysis, with a focus on data and analytics projects.
- Strong experience gathering, analysing, and documenting business requirements, translating them into clear user stories and acceptance criteria.
- Proven ability to facilitate workshops, capture business processes, and create process maps to identify improvements and define future-state solutions.
- Intermediate SQL skills to query, validate, and analyse data for requirements gathering and validation.
- Comfort with Power BI to review reports, interpret outputs, and support stakeholders in using insights.
Responsibilities
- Lead requirements elicitation activities with stakeholders to understand business needs, challenges, and opportunities across data and analytics initiatives.
- Document clear business requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and supporting artefacts to enable effective delivery.
- Facilitate stakeholder workshops and interviews to gather insights, align priorities, and refine requirements.
- Produce process maps and analyse current and future-state workflows to identify improvements and support solution design.
- Work collaboratively with technical teams to ensure requirements are translated into practical data solutions.
- Use intermediate SQL to support data analysis, investigate issues, and validate outputs.
- Work with Power BI at a consumer level to review reports, interpret outputs, and support stakeholders in using insight effectively.
- Apply data modelling concepts to support discussions with technical teams and help shape analytics solutions.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure data and reporting solutions meet operational needs.
- Support testing, validation, and continuous improvement activities to ensure solutions are fit for purpose.
- Contribute to Agile delivery practices, collaborating with cross-functional teams to prioritise work.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Location: Hybrid / Ilkley LS29 8FL, UK
job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Project & Change Management | Business Transformation
Salary: Competitive salary
SmartSearch’s distinctive Anti-Money Laundering verification software protects our clients by offering the most advanced and comprehensive features available from an AML provider.
SmartSearch has grown rapidly by fostering an incredibly collaborative and supportive culture. As we continue our ambitious growth plans, we will strive to remain a truly exciting, rewarding, and unique place to work.
We’re looking for a Business Data Analyst to join our team and play a key role in shaping data and analytics initiatives through strong business analysis, stakeholder engagement, and requirements definition. Reporting to the Interim Director of Data and BI, you will work closely with business users, delivery teams, and data specialists to translate business needs into clear, actionable requirements that support reporting, insight, and process improvement.
The successful candidate will have strong experience in requirements elicitation, user story development, stakeholder workshops, and process mapping, together with a sound understanding of SQL, Power BI, and data modelling concepts. You will be comfortable working across business and technical teams, helping ensure that data solutions are aligned to operational needs and deliver meaningful business value.
This role is suited to someone with 5–8 years’ experience in business analysis, ideally gained in data or analytics projects, who can combine structured analysis with effective communication and collaborative delivery.
Business Analysis and Requirements
- Lead requirements elicitation activities with stakeholders to understand business needs, challenges, and opportunities across data and analytics initiatives.
- Document clear business requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and supporting artefacts to enable effective delivery.
- Facilitate stakeholder workshops and interviews to gather insights, align priorities, and refine requirements.
- Produce process maps and analyse current and future-state workflows to identify improvements and support solution design.
- Work collaboratively with technical teams to ensure requirements are translated into practical, deliverable data solutions.
Data, Reporting and Stakeholder Support
- Use intermediate SQL skills to support data analysis, investigate issues, and validate requirements and outputs.
- Work with Power BI at a consumer level to review reports, interpret outputs, and support stakeholders in using insight effectively.
- Apply an understanding of data modelling concepts to support discussions with technical teams and help shape effective analytics solutions.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business to ensure data and reporting solutions meet operational and strategic needs.
- Support testing, validation, and continuous improvement activities to help ensure delivered solutions are fit for purpose and provide measurable value.
- Contribute to Agile delivery practices, working with cross-functional teams to prioritise work and support successful project outcomes.
- Requirements Elicitation & User Stories – Strong experience gathering, analysing, and documenting business requirements, translating them into clear user stories and acceptance criteria.
- SQL (Intermediate) – Working knowledge of SQL to query, validate, and analyse data, supporting requirements gathering and data-driven decision making.
- Stakeholder Workshops & Process Mapping – Proven ability to facilitate workshops, capture business processes, and create process maps to identify improvements and define future-state solutions.
- Power BI (Consumer Level) – Comfortable using Power BI to explore data, interpret reports, and support business users, without requiring development expertise.
- Data Modelling Concepts – Good understanding of core data modelling principles, including relationships, data structures, and how data supports reporting and analytics.
- Certifications (Preferred) – Relevant certifications such as BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis, IIBA CBAP/CCBA, Agile/Scrum, with PL-300 as a plus.
- Agile Delivery Experience – Familiarity working in Agile/Scrum environments, contributing to backlog refinement, sprint planning, and iterative delivery.
- Experience Level – 5–8 years’ experience in business analysis, with a strong focus on data and analytics-related projects.
- We are a multi-award winning Tech company with an aspirational mentality
- Some of our most recent recognitions include: named in the renowned RegTech100 list for 2024, listed in the Top 100 Fasted Growing Tech Companies by Northern Tech Awards 2024 as well as being named Technology Provider of the Year by Corporate Finance Awards 2024
- Great Place To Work Certified 2022
- There are excellent progression opportunities due to our growth and you will have personal development goals, regular feedback and support
- We are a diverse and inclusive team committed to promoting Diversity & Inclusion and Social Responsibility. Through our DE&I group, charitable initiatives and support for local schools, we actively foster a positive Impact on our community
- 25 days holiday rising to 30 with each year of service
- Private Medical Insurance covering dental and optical
- Company pension scheme
- Life Assurance – 4x your annual salary
- 1 day paid volunteering per year
- Enhanced maternity / paternity offerings
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to a gym
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