Head of Business Analysis

wagamama; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a vibrant and forward-thinking company as the Head of Business Analysis, where you'll lead a talented team in transforming business challenges into actionable solutions. This senior role involves hands-on delivery of business analysis while collaborating across various functions to ensure operational viability and alignment with strategic goals. With a focus on guest experience and team engagement, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of a dynamic organization. If you're a strategic thinker with a passion for problem-solving and a commitment to excellence, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Competitive Annual Salary

20% Discretionary Bonus

Pension Contribution

25 Days Holiday

Retail and Hospitality Discounts

Family-Friendly Policies

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading business analysis in guest-facing environments.
• Strong background in process mapping and solution definition.

Responsibilities

• Lead business analysis and solution design for growth initiatives.
• Deliver hands-on analysis for critical business challenges.

Skills

Business Analysis Leadership

Process Mapping

Requirements Engineering

Business Case Development

Solution Definition

Team Leadership

Problem-Solving

Critical Analysis

Emotional Intelligence

Data-Driven Decision Making

Job description

wagamama, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Head of Business Analysis

wagamama, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

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At wagamama, we’re an eating house for the soul. With over 165 UK restaurants and growing, our purpose is to nourish the world from bowl to soul. Inspired by fast-paced Japanese ramen bars since 1992, wagamama is a celebration of Asian food brought to life.

We’re looking for a Head of Business Analysis to join us on our journey of true nourishment.

Purpose

The Head of Business Analysis is a senior, strategic role within our transformation function, responsible for leading the business analysis and solution design capability across our multi-year growth and change programme. This is a unique opportunity to shape how we solve business challenges and develop new propositions at scale, putting our guests and restaurant teams at the centre of everything we do. You’ll combine hands-on delivery of business analysis for our most critical initiatives with leadership of a small, high-performing team of analysts. Working cross-functionally across operations, technology, people, and central functions, you’ll identify business pain points and opportunities—either owning the delivery of solutions directly or providing clear, evidence-based recommendations into our change pipeline. Your insight and leadership will ensure initiatives are grounded in real business needs, operationally viable, and aligned with our strategic goals. Importantly, this role must stay close to our restaurant teams, ensuring analysis is rooted in operational reality and solutions are designed with a front-line and guest-first mindset.

We seek someone with proven experience leading business analysis functions in guest-facing, multi-site environments (e.g., hospitality, casual dining, retail), with the confidence to operate swiftly and influence at all levels.

Responsibilities

1. Business analysis leadership
2. Hands-on analysis & delivery

Key Skills & Experience

• Significant experience as a head of business analysis or similar leadership role in a guest-facing, multi-site environment (e.g., casual dining, retail, hospitality).
• Proven track record of delivering hands-on business analysis across large-scale, cross-functional transformation programmes.
• Strong background in process mapping, requirements engineering, business case development, and solution definition.
• Experience working closely with operational restaurant/retail teams, with a deep understanding of how initiatives land in real-world environments.
• Confidently leading a small team of analysts, setting standards, mentoring, and raising the function’s overall capability.
• Strategic thinker with excellent problem-solving and critical analysis skills.
• Highly collaborative and people-focused, with strong emotional intelligence and relationship-building skills.
• Clear and compelling communicator—able to distill complex ideas and present them engagingly and pragmatically.
• Resilient and proactive, capable of managing multiple priorities and delivering in a dynamic environment.
• Deeply guest- and team-centric—committed to solutions that support and enhance the experience of both staff and guests.
• Confident in using data and insights to drive business decisions and measure success.

What’s in it for you

• A competitive annual salary
• Discretionary 20% bonus opportunity per year
• Pension contribution
• 25 days holiday plus all bank holidays
• Various discounts across retail, hospitality, and leisure
• Family-friendly policies—expectant or adopting parents receive 26 weeks full pay plus 13 weeks half pay

Additional Information

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Information Technology
• Industries: Food and Beverage Services, Restaurants, Hospitality