Lead Business Analyst

Freshfields; Manchester; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in the UK is seeking a Lead Business Analyst to manage a community of practice in IT. The role demands excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement skills, and a strong background in Agile and Waterfall methodologies. Candidates should have proven experience in delivering high-quality analyses on complex projects, and proficiency with tools like Azure DevOps and Jira is essential. Opportunities for professional growth and a supportive work culture are offered to applicants.

Benefits

People-first culture

Opportunities for professional development

Supportive environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Lead Business Analyst in complex global environments.
• Strong leadership in mentoring and developing BA teams or communities of practice.
• Expertise in Agile, Waterfall and hybrid delivery models.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a thriving Business Analyst community of practice across IT.
• Champion best practices, mentor peers and drive continuous improvement.
• Deliver high‑quality analysis across complex high‑impact initiatives.
• Facilitate workshops, define business outcomes and support successful change adoption.

Skills

SQL

Agile

Business Analysis

Visio

Waterfall

Business Process Modeling

Requirements Gathering

User Acceptance Testing

Business requirements

SDLC

Systems Analysis

Data Analysis Skills

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

SharePoint

Job description

What you’ll do

• Lead and grow a thriving Business Analyst community of practice across IT.
• Champion best practices, mentor peers and drive continuous improvement.
• Deliver high‑quality analysis across complex high‑impact initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, Delivery Managers and senior stakeholders to align solutions with strategic goals.
• Facilitate workshops, define business outcomes and support successful change adoption.

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a Lead Business Analyst in complex global environments.
• Strong leadership in mentoring and developing BA teams or communities of practice.
• Expertise in Agile, Waterfall and hybrid delivery models.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Proficiency in tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira and SharePoint.
• Professional certifications (e.g. BCS IIBA) and experience in regulated industries are advantageous.

What we offer

A people‑first culture that values collaboration, inclusion and continuous learning.

Opportunities for professional development and career progression.

A supportive environment where your voice is heard and your expertise is valued.

The chance to work on meaningful projects that deliver real business value.

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. If you’re ready to make an impact and grow your career in a forward‑thinking organisation we’d love to hear from you.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer; we make decisions on a case‑by‑case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.

Required Experience :

IC

Key Skills

• SQL
• Agile
• Business Analysis
• Visio
• Waterfall
• Business Process Modeling
• Requirements Gathering
• User Acceptance Testing
• Business requirements
• SDLC
• Systems Analysis
• Data Analysis Skills

Employment Type : Full‑Time

Experience : years

Vacancy : 1