Product Analyst

The Verve Group; North East; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial services firm in the North East is seeking a hybrid Business Analyst/Quality Assurance specialist to translate business needs into requirements while ensuring product quality. Candidates should have 2-3 years of experience, strong analytical skills, and be comfortable with tools like Jira and SQL. The role offers a dynamic team environment with opportunities for personal development and flexible work arrangements.

Benefits

21 days holiday plus bank holidays

Personal development budget

Hybrid work options

Health and wellbeing programme

Office snacks and drinks

Qualifications

• Proven ability to write clear, detailed user stories with comprehensive acceptance criteria.
• Strong experience in manual testing, creating test plans, and identifying edge cases.
• Comfortable working with stakeholders to gather requirements.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with stakeholders to understand business requirements.
• Support quality assurance process and validate data accuracy.
• Collaborate with product owners and development teams.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Agile methodologies

Education

2-3 years in business analysis or QA

Tools

Jira

Manual QA

SQL

Confluence

Figma

Job description

About the role

As our platform continues to evolve, we're looking for a skilled business analyst who can also roll their sleeves up with quality assurance. We'd love someone who's brilliant at translating business needs into clear requirements whilst also being meticulous about testing and ensuring everything works perfectly. This is a hybrid role combining business analysis and quality assurance - ideal for someone who enjoys being involved in the full product lifecycle!

Here's some of what you can look forward to in this hybrid role:

• Work closely with stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into detailed user stories and specifications for the development team.
• Support our quality assurance process, making sure releases are bug free and data is accurate.
• Analyse business processes and identify opportunities for improvement and optimisation.
• Support data validation and accuracy checks, making sure our systems deliver reliable information.
• Collaborate with product owners, developers, and key stakeholders to bring ideas from concept to reality.
• Help maintain our documentation and ensure processes are clear and well-defined.

We use a range of tools and technologies to get the job done. You don't need to know them all, but here's an idea of what you'll get to work with:

• Jira – for user story creation, requirements management, and task tracking
• Manual QA – creating test cases, executing testing scenarios, and bug reporting
• SQL – for data validation and quality checks
• Confluence – maintaining clear specifications and process documentation
• Figma – for reviewing designs and understanding user interface requirements

About you

This isn't a pure BA role or a pure QA role, it's hybrid, and we're looking for someone who thrives in both worlds. You'll need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate complex requirements clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• 2-3 years of experience in business analysis, quality assurance, or a similar analytical role.
• Proven ability to write clear, detailed user stories with comprehensive acceptance criteria.
• Strong experience in manual testing, creating test plans, and identifying edge cases.
• Comfortable working with stakeholders to gather requirements and translate business needs into technical specifications.
• Excellent communication skills and experience working collaboratively with development teams.
• A methodical approach to problem-solving with keen attention to detail.
• Happy working in an agile environment with flexibility and fast iteration.

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience with SQL for data validation and testing
• Experience with Power BI for data alignment across the business
• Any exposure to automated testing tools or practices
• Experience in a tech startup or fast-paced environment where you've worn multiple hats
• A background in operations, support, or process improvement roles

Above all, we're after someone who is thorough, communicative, and comfortable bridging the gap between business needs and technical delivery. If you're the kind of person who loves ensuring things work perfectly, asking the right questions, and being the guardian of quality, this could be a great fit!

About us

Verve offers a range of services to financial planners and ultimately works towards two key aims; to help support good quality financial advice firms to grow and develop, and to attract new people into financial services and help train them up, for the benefit of the future of the profession.

Across all departments, we approach financial services with a innovative and positive outlook; our focus is on relentlessly improving and never settling for just doing what has always been done. We're passionate that more people can and should benefit from advice, and it's our mission to make it more accessible for them.

We offer a range of benefits to permanent employees to ensure our team feels supported and motivated. We reward loyalty and offer enhanced benefits to reward employees who choose to grow their career with us, but as standard these include…

Standard benefits (Based on a full-time position)

• 21 days basic holiday allowance (increasing 1 day per year for each year’s service, to a max of 26 days); plus bank holidays; plus Christmas close-down and your birthday off if it falls on a weekday.
• Personal development budget (for exams, training, anything to help you excel!)
  
• Personalised salary structure to reflect your own effort and contribution
• Hybrid or fully remote options available, depending on role and experience.
• Access to lifestyle benefits such as meditation app, high street discount & rewards app and financial wellbeing platform.
• Death in service cover
• Upon completion of a qualifying period, we offer an EMI share scheme, allowing you tobenefit both from declared dividends and long term performance returns.
• At the same time, you will become eligible for our enhanced parental leave benefits.

Anything else?

• We've never been a fan of a dress code. If you're hybrid and coming into the office, dress appropriately for a workplace environment, but have the flexibility for that to be whatever you feel comfortable in.
• Extensive health and wellbeing programme and initiatives, including desk massages, team hikes and yoga / fitness sessions.
• Being part of a company with a higher purpose and strong values.
• Office snacks and refreshments
  
• Open plan ‘living office’ environment – including rocking (or sometimes dubious) playlists, beer/wine fridge, breakout lounge, breakfast club, ping pong table.
• 2 official annual company parties, plus ad hoc team nights out and monthly enrichment sessions
• Office dogs welcome!

Please note that this is a hybrid role and you will be required to be in the Darlington office at least two days per week.