Lead Business Analyst (Travel)

Saga Group; Folkestone; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK travel company is seeking a Lead Business Analyst to drive requirements analysis and documentation for its Travel Business. Based in Folkestone with hybrid work, the ideal candidate will have proven experience in the travel industry and excellent skills in requirements gathering and process improvement. Responsibilities include managing stakeholder expectations and facilitating change delivery. The role includes a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Pension scheme matched up to 10%

Company performance related bonus up to 5%

Life assurance policy

Wellbeing programme

Colleague discounts on travel services

Access to Saga Academy for learning and development

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a business analyst in a lead or senior position.
• Experience in the travel industry, preferably with air experience.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Elicit and document business requirements from stakeholders.
• Facilitate workshops and meetings to gather requirements.
• Manage change delivery through defined processes.

Skills

Excellent communication

Ability to manage changing priorities

Curiosity and inquisitiveness

Precision in work

Mentoring and guidance experience

Requirements gathering

Process modeling

Education

Level 4 Business Analyst qualification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Visio or Draw.io

Job description

Job Introduction

Lead Business Analyst (Travel)

Salary – £40,000 to £45,000

Permanent

Folkestone Hybrid

As our Lead Business Analyst within Saga's Travel Business you will be responsible for analysing requirements of new/changed product and systems offerings or strategic change to any part of the travel business and undertaking process reviews and re‑engineering, including implementation.

You’ll lead as a Business Analyst on a project, planning the business analysis effort, determining how requirements will be managed whilst providing structured, documented requirements that provides a framework to support both the business and technical teams to produce systems that accurately meet the business needs.

This role requires you to be working from our Folkestone office a minimum of 3 times a week. We have designated office space for colleagues in our Travel business, allowing us to collaborate and share success as a function.

Role Responsibility

As our Lead Business Analyst you will be responsible for eliciting, interpreting, and translating business requirements from change owners and subject matter experts and turning that into requirement documentation for use in change delivery through sprint cycles and other change methodologies across the Travel Business.

• Engineering requirements to ensure they are relevant, accurate, validated, and signed off within the business before being passed through to technical analysis, development, and test.
• Assisting with business case development, including solution modelling where appropriate.
• Creating a centre of excellence for requirements.
• Facilitating effective workshops and meetings using smart questioning to draw out requirements, options, and outcomes.
• Identifying system and operational process gaps, pro‑actively raising these to the relevant department, supporting in the creation of their change requests and looking for opportunities as part of continuous improvement. Be an advocate for process improvement, learning and business analysis within Travel.
• Maintaining and enhancing key relationships with the Change community, Development Teams, Project, and Change Teams.
• Ensuring swift progress across multiple concurrent projects through organisation and time management skills, whilst being able to adapt quickly to changing priorities and workloads.
• Effectively managing stakeholder expectations around scope, delivery, and timescales.
• Ensuring actions, risks, issues, and decisions are raised for the appropriate documentation to be updated in accordance with the best practice requirements of Change Management.
• Reporting and tracking progress across my assigned projects, identifying and escalating any blockers hindering progress where necessary.
• End‑to‑end management of change as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

As our new Lead Business Analyst you will have proven experience working as a business analyst in a lead or senior position.

It is essential that you have experience within the wider Travel industry, and having Air experience would be an advantage.

Skills and Experience required include:

• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities.
• Proven experience of excellent communication at various levels.
• Shwn curiosity and being naturally inquisitive and happy to provide challenge where necessary.
• Proven track record of working with precision.
• Usage of Microsoft applications – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio/Draw.io (or similar).
• Proven experience of being in a position with mentoring, guidance and support responsibilities.
• Relevant toolkit and minimum level 4 Business Analyst qualification, Lean Six Sigma experience an advantage.
• Proven experience of gathering and documenting requirements.
• Proven experience of process modelling.

Saga Values

Make it Happen, Do the Right Thing, Customer First, Excellence Every Day, Our People Make Us Special

Package Description

At Saga we recognise that our people make us special. We believe our colleagues deserve rewards for the excellence they demonstrate every single day, that's why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.

Benefits available to all colleagues:

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional leave – 5 extra days
• Pension scheme matched up to 10%
• Company performance related annual bonus – up to 5%
• Life assurance policy on joining us, 4 × salary
• Wellbeing programme
• Colleague discounts including family discounts on cruises, holidays and insurance
• Range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Grandparents leave
• Income protection
• Access to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platform

About the Company

Over the past 70 years we have become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. We're one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for its high-quality products and exceptional standards of service. Our product portfolio includes cruises, holidays, insurance, personal finance products and our Saga Magazine.

We aim to be the most‑trusted brand for older people in the UK. Our focus on delivering exceptional products and service empowers our colleagues to create moments that are personal and special for our customers and for each other. Our values underpin our approach and help guide us to deliver our purpose.

We're committed to making sure that colleagues can be their best, be themselves and make a difference – more than anywhere else. We do this by creating a truly inclusive culture, where all colleagues can bring their full and authentic selves to work and be treated with dignity and respect in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

Thanks to our people, Saga has been ranked 6th in the UK's Best Employers 2025 by the Financial Times and Statista. This recognition, based on the voices of 20,000 employees across the UK, is a testament to the great culture we've built together. This award belongs to all our colleagues who collectively make Saga a fantastic place to work.

We are champions of age inclusivity and signatories of the Age‑Friendly Employer Pledge, we are proud of our multigenerational teams we have in place. We're also a committed Disability Confident employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible.

Your application will have fair consideration, and you'll receive personal communication throughout your applicant journey when you apply to join Saga.

For more information on our DEI policies, colleague stories and other opportunities across the business, please visit Jobs and careers with Saga.

Recruitment Policy

Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.

Employment Status

This role is a permanent position based in Folkestone with a hybrid working arrangement.