The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Senior Business Analyst (Enterprise Systems) to join our IT and AV team in the Resources directorate, providing key support in the delivery in the first phase of the Academy’s IT Strategy.

ROLE PURPOSE / OVERVIEW

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in shaping how the Academy uses enterprise systems, automation, data and AI-enabled approaches to improve efficiency, service quality and organisational insight. Working across departments, the postholder will map current processes, identify pain points and duplication, assess opportunities for improvement, and develop a prioritised pipeline of recommendations for future delivery.

The role will also include a particular focus on Salesforce and the wider enterprise systems landscape, helping the Academy understand how its core platforms currently support cross-directorate needs and how they could be developed, integrated or optimised in future.

The role would suit a structured, collaborative and curious business analyst who enjoys working with colleagues across an organisation to understand how work happens in practice and where improvements can make the greatest difference. The successful candidate will be confident engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, able to translate complex information into clear options and recommendations, and comfortable working independently across multiple workstreams.

The ideal candidate will have strong practical experience in business analysis, including process mapping, requirements elicitation, documentation, user stories and acceptance criteria. They will be able to evaluate enterprise systems and service processes, assess feasibility, impact, risk and dependencies, and present evidence-led recommendations clearly.

Experience of CRM or data management systems is important, and knowledge of Salesforce would be desirable. An interest in automation, data readiness and AI-enabled tools would also be valuable, alongside strong communication skills, sound judgement and a collaborative approach to continuous improvement.

OFFICE LOCATION - 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1Y 5AH

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Discovery, process analysis and mapping

• Work with teams across the Academy to understand current ways of working, workflows and service journeys.

• Map key processes end to end, identifying pain points, duplication, manual effort and areas of avoidable complexity.

• Document current-state and future-state options clearly and consistently, using appropriate analytical methods.

• Articulate requirements as user stories and work with business users to refine and establish clear acceptance criteria.

• Identify dependencies between teams, systems and data flows that affect performance and user experience.

• Ensure discovery work reflects how work is experienced in practice, including informal processes and workarounds.

2. Opportunity identification, evaluation and prioritisation

•  Work across directorates to influence ways of working, challenge existing assumptions and promote the adoption of structured, evidence-led approaches to service design, process improvement and technology use.

• Take the lead in shaping and articulating the Academy’s pipeline of enterprise systems and service improvement opportunities, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and available capacity.

• Identify opportunities for improvement through automation, platform optimisation, data enhancement and AI-enabled tools.

• Apply a structured evaluation framework to assess each opportunity for feasibility, impact, risk, cost, and alignment with organisational priorities.

• Develop and maintain a prioritised opportunity register, including recommended sequencing and rationale.

• Highlight candidate quick wins and pilot opportunities that can test approaches once delivery capacity is available.

• Act as an advocate for improved use of enterprise systems, data and automation across the organisation, promoting opportunities that enhance efficiency, insight and service quality

• Produce concise recommendations that enable senior stakeholders to make confident investment and prioritisation decisions.

3. Enterprise systems focus, including Salesforce assessment and roadmap input

• Act as a recognised internal lead on enterprise systems analysis, providing authoritative advice on system design, integration strategy and platform optimisation across the Academy.

• Draw on external good practice, sector benchmarking and emerging trends in enterprise systems, data and AI to inform recommendations and future direction

• Engage stakeholders to clarify future needs for Salesforce and its role in supporting engagement, operations and cross-team working.

• Identify improvement opportunities relating to system design, process alignment, reporting and integration potential.

• Consider Salesforce within the broader enterprise systems landscape and ensure recommendations reflect sustainable, joined-up platform choices.

• Provide evidence-based input to inform decisions on future development, optimisation, or extension of Salesforce capability.

• Assess how enterprise systems across the Academy (including Salesforce, Flexigrant, Graduway, finance and HR systems) are currently used, how they interact, and how data flows between them.

• Map system-to-system dependencies, integration points and manual workarounds, identifying inefficiencies, duplication and risks relating to data quality, ownership and reporting.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of current integration approaches (including manual processes, exports, middleware or APIs where used) and identify opportunities to improve interoperability, reduce duplication and support more coherent end-to-end service journeys.

• Define clear principles for the role of each core platform within the enterprise architecture, including where functionality should reside and how systems should interact to support scalability and maintainability.

• Provide evidence-based recommendations for improving system alignment, including options for integration, consolidation, or process redesign, ensuring that Salesforce development is considered within a coherent, organisation-wide systems strategy rather than in isolation.

4. Readiness assessment, governance support and enabling next-stage delivery

• Operate in a complex and evolving environment, making judgements where information may be incomplete or ambiguous, balancing strategic, operational and technical considerations

• Lead the analytical input into governance and decision-making forums, presenting clear recommendations, risks and trade-offs to support senior-level prioritisation and investment decisions.

• Assess organisational readiness to adopt new ways of working, including automation, improved data practices and AI-assisted tools.

• Develop test scripts to facilitate robust User Acceptance Testing and coordinate testing of system enhancements.

• Assess and sign-off on readiness of system enhancements for transition to BAU.

• Identify capability gaps, training needs, process ownership issues and change impacts that affect delivery success.

• Provide informal leadership and direction across cross-functional teams, setting standards for analytical rigour and structured problem-solving

• Influence senior stakeholders through credible analysis, clear communication and well-evidenced recommendations, supporting effective organisational decision-making

• Support governance discussions by providing evidence, documentation and structured options to inform prioritisation and oversight.

• Work constructively with assurance and governance colleagues where needed, ensuring that feasibility assessments include data protection, security and operational risk considerations.

• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by helping colleagues engage positively with change and structured problem-solving.

 Key Stakeholders

Internal:

Senior Management Team (SMT); Head of IT and AV; IT Operations Manager; Salesforce Administrator & Enablement Manager; Monitoring and Evaluation team (including data and governance colleagues); Head of Research Funding and Research Funding teams; Development Directorate teams (including CRM and alumni engagement stakeholders); Data Protection Officer; Heads of Department across the Academy (as required for discovery and process mapping)

External:

Key suppliers and implementation partners (where relevant to feasibility and platform assessment); Sector peers and benchmarking sources (where appropriate for understanding good practice and comparable approaches)

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

No specific formal qualification is required; however, a recognised Business Analysis qualification or equivalent experience is desirable.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Works and communicates effectively, both verbally and in writing

• Builds trusted working relationships across teams, engaging colleagues constructively and respectfully to understand operational needs.

• Works effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring that discovery and analysis is accessible and usable.

• Acts as a bridge between operational teams and technical leadership, enabling clear shared understanding of problems and opportunities.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Demonstrates and develops appropriate knowledge and skills

• Strong practical experience in business analysis, including process mapping, requirements elicitation and documentation.

• Ability to understand and evaluate enterprise systems and service processes without needing to undertake hands-on technical delivery.

• Sound understanding of how CRM and other data management systems and workflow processes operate in organisational environments (Salesforce knowledge desirable).

• Confidence engaging with concepts relating to automation, data readiness and AI-enabled tools to assess feasibility and impact.

PROACTIVITY AND PLANNING

Manages time and resources effectively in order to achieve own and organisational objectives

• Manages time and workload effectively across multiple workstreams and stakeholder groups.

• Works independently to plan discovery activity, structure analysis and produce outputs on time.

• Maintains clear logs of findings, decisions, assumptions and follow-up actions to support good governance.

PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING

Ensures good decisions are made through a rational and methodical approach

• Uses a rational and methodical approach to problem solving, ensuring recommendations are evidence-led and appropriately risk-aware.

• Assesses and communicates trade-offs clearly and confidently, including feasibility, organisational capacity, data readiness and dependencies.

• Supports good decision-making through clear options, prioritisation and sequencing recommendations

LEADERSHIP

Gives a clear sense of direction while inspiring others with vision and actions 

• Demonstrates professional leadership through clarity, credibility and structured thinking.

• Encourages a culture of continuous improvement by working collaboratively and constructively with colleagues.

• Supports teams to engage with change in a way that is practical, inclusive and sustainable.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• May occasionally be required to support workshops or stakeholder engagement outside standard hours, by agreement.

• A willingness to engage across all Academy directorates and service areas as part of cross-organisational discovery.

WORKPLACE VALUES

The Academy’s workplace values and supporting text are set out below. We share these core values with each other. They guide how we work together and with others. We demonstrate them through our behaviours.

COLLABORATION- We consistently work together to a common purpose, supporting each other, communicating openly and sharing knowledge. We are flexible and adaptable, receiving feedback constructively

CREATIVITY - We bring imagination and curiosity to our work, valuing learning, diverse thinking, and innovation. We are open-minded, receptive, and responsive, taking account of alternative perspectives

EMPATHY-We are understanding, sensitive, compassionate, and considerate, mindful of our own wellbeing alongside that of others

EXCELLENCE - We always do our best, without striving to be perfect, applying our expertise and experience to develop and grow

INTEGRITY - We are open and honest with each other, accepting personal responsibility and demonstrating loyalty. We are reliable and dependable, having belief that we will be transparent and clear

RESILIENCE - We are confident, bold, and tenacious, knowing when to listen as well as when to speak up. We respond positively to challenges and overcome problems

RESPECT - We are inclusive in our regard for each other, showing courtesy and appreciation. We treat people fairly and equally, welcoming everyone’s contribution and difference

APPLICATION PROCESS

We have a two-step approach to hiring, beginning with submitting an application through the Applied platform. This will be followed by a panel interview and may involve a task component.

Please note that we use AI screening software to identify responses that have been copied from AI sources and are not your own work.

The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on 29 June 2026, however, we may close this role sooner if we receive a high volume of applications.  In these circumstances we will give those who have shown interest 24 hours notice of the change of deadline.

Interviews for this role are currently scheduled for w/c 20 July, but this may be subject to change.