Senior Business Analyst

The Thinking Traveller; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Une entreprise spécialisée dans la gestion de villas de luxe recherche un Senior Business Analyst pour optimiser les solutions technologiques. Dans un environnement Agile, vous collaborerez avec des parties prenantes variées pour traduire les besoins commerciaux en exigences claires, garantissant ainsi l'alignement avec les objectifs stratégiques de l'entreprise.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Health Shield cashplan

Life Assurance

Season ticket loan scheme

Staff Discount on villas

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 ans d'expérience en analyse d'affaires et gestion de produits.
• Expérience dans le secteur du voyage et logiciels de réservation souhaitée.
• Compétences démontrables dans la gestion du backlog produit.

Responsibilities

• Engagement avec les parties prenantes pour identifier des besoins commerciaux.
• Conversion des exigences commerciales en user stories pour l'équipe d'ingénierie.
• Facilitation des cérémonies Agile pour assurer une communication efficace.

Skills

Agile principles

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Jira

Job description

Our Vision and Our Company Etiquette

Our vision is to be the world's most thoughtful villa company. To achieve our vision, we are thoughtful, we work with integrity, and we take a principled, considerate, proactive and passionate approach to what we do.

Every day.

Job Location: London, UK

Job Type: Full Time, 18-Month FTC

Job Purpose: The Senior Business Analyst will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between business needs and technology solutions, optimising processes and systems to enhance stakeholder and client experience, improve operational efficiency, and drive strategic growth. Using your experience, you will translate business needs into clear, actionable requirements within an agile development framework, ensuring alignment with strategic company goals and deadlines.

Reports To: Senior Product Manager

Working Partnerships: Engineering, Quality Engineering, wider business teams

What we do

We manage an exclusive collection of luxury villas around the Mediterranean. Our knowledgeable sales team personally chats with our clients to matchmake them with the perfect villa. We then arrange everything that they need for their stay; including private chefs, experiences, boat trips, cooking courses, wine-tasting, and getting them into the places only locals know. The Engineering team build all the tools that we need to make this as seamless as possible. We're backed by Piper Private Equity (Monica Vinader, Bloom & Wild, Flat Iron, Neom) and have been awarded B Corp status.

Technology & Producct at The Thinking Traveller

Founded more than two decades ago, we've experienced a wide range of technology over the last two decades and currently use a mix of systems to meet our needs. Now we're on a mission to prepare for the future.

Our new stack uses Next.js hosted on Vercel, and Ruby on Rails with PostgreSQL hosted on AWS. Our new systems are developed on a trunk-based repo with CI/CD, and we deploy multiple times per day.

The Product function is responsible for product definition and design. We're in the process of adopting Agile Scrum and organising into 2-to-3 development squads.

Job Accountabilities

Understanding business needs

• Proactively engage with stakeholders across various departments (Sales, Operations, Properties, Finance, Marketing and Engineering) to identify, clarify, and document business needs and opportunities for improvement. This includes understanding the specific challenges and goals related to The Thinking Traveller.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of The Thinking Traveller's business model, current systems, competitive landscape and market trends.
• Ensure that all proposed solutions and requirements directly support strategic objectives.
• Analyse existing "as-is" business processes and identify areas for "to-be" improvements through software solutions, leveraging agile principles for iterative enhancements.

Agile team collaboration & delivery

• Convert high-level business requirements into detailed, clear, and concise user stories with well-defined acceptance criteria, ensuring they are ready for the Engineering teams to pick up.
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Product Manager to define, prioritise, and continuously refine the product backlog.
• Facilitate Agile Scrum ceremonies, ensuring effective communication and alignment within the development team and with stakeholders.
• Provide ongoing clarification and support to the Engineering team throughout sprint execution.
• Work with Engineers to explore potential solutions, ensuring they meet the defined requirements and provide the intended business value.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define UAT scenarios and criteria and support the UAT process to ensure developed features meet user expectations and business needs.

Stakeholder management and improvement

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with stakeholders, managing expectations, facilitating consensus, and effectively communicating progress and challenges.
• Actively gather and incorporate feedback from customers, stakeholders, and the Engineering team to drive continuous improvement of products and processes.
• Proactively identify potential risks and issues related to requirements, scope, or delivery, and work with the team to propose mitigation strategies.
• Maintain clear and up-to-date documentation of requirements, processes, and system functionality, ensuring knowledge is shared and accessible across the team and stakeholders.
• Continuously research and understand new technologies, agile methodologies, and trends within the travel industry to identify opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage.

Person Specification

• Proven track record of successfully managing and launching customer-facing websites, software products, and in-house tools in the travel industry.
• Previous experience with travel reservation software.
• Demonstrable experience working with Agile Scrum and related methodologies.
• Strong understanding of Agile principles, values, and practices.
• Experience with Product Backlog management, prioritisation, and refinement.
• Solid experience with Jira.
• Proven ability to effectively gather and document requirements from diverse stakeholders through interviews, workshops, surveys, and observation.
• Ability to define UX requirements and use wireframes to prototype new functionality.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to think strategically and make sound decisions based on data and analysis.
• Must thrive in a fast-paced, time-compressed and dynamic environment.

Nice to have

• Experience in e-commerce
• An appreciation of good UX and design
• You love travel!

Please still apply even if you don't meet all the 'nice to have' criteria - we value diverse strengths and experiences. We love having a team made up of various strengths from a range of backgrounds, and we'd love you to apply if you bring something different.

What we can offer you

• A modern, spacious and comfortable office environment in the heart of Shoreditch
• Social events organically organised by our Thinkers
• Health Shield cashplan with access to 24/7 Employee Assistance Program
• Life Assurance
• Season ticket loan scheme
• Staff Discount on our villas
• The Truman Brewery Black Card offering discount on local shops around the office
• Flexi-working options such as: hybrid working (3 days' in the office / 2 days' from home); Working From Abroad Allowance; Volunteering Day

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

At The Thinking Traveller, we value and prioritise diversity and inclusion within our workplace, recognising the importance of ongoing improvement in this area. Our goal is to cultivate a thoughtful culture where every individual feels genuinely appreciated, respected, and included.

We firmly believe that by attracting a diverse group of talented individuals, we can benefit from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This diverse tapestry of Thinkers enables us to deliver exceptional results to our esteemed clients. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability.

If you are considering joining our team, we encourage you to apply and inform us if any adjustments are required during our recruitment processes. Your unique perspective and potential contributions are valued, as we strive to create an environment that is inclusive and supportive to all.

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