Principal Business Analyst

When we started Kensington we were the first specialist lender to offer mortgages to people the high street turned down. Over 25 years later, we're the UK's leading specialist mortgage lender still blazing a trail offering people the chance to get a mortgage. Where high street lenders see black and white, we've always used our expertise and manual underwriting capability to see the shades in between. In a market where changing lifestyles mean more people are falling outside the traditional mortgage criteria, it's an approach that can make a real difference to people who want to own a property.
It's what we call the Kensington Difference.
Kensington Mortgage Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Bank UK PLC from 1 March 2023, and the principal activity of the Company is the origination and servicing of mortgage assets. The Company is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority for regulated activities.
Overall Purpose of Job
The Principal Business Analyst leads the review and analysis of the business intentions, services, processes and information needs to identify changes that lead to business improvements. The role takes the lead from a Business Analysis perspective on larger, more complex, higher risk projects and programmes, often leading a team of Business Analysts in the project/programme. The role contributes to a high-performance team environment, provides excellent customer service and enables continual service improvement practices.
Key Accountabilities
Lead the approach and planning within projects/programmes, working with the Project Manager and Senior BA
Lead planning workshops and project teams to capture and define user requirements and data / information specifications Facilitate requirements elicitation and subsequent analysis and document high level and detailed business requirements.
Undertake Impact Assessments and identify operational and technical gaps in operating processes, functionality and operating models
Provide support to the IT Team during system functional specification, design and construction processes, ensuring requirements are met
Oversee and/or prepare thorough analysis and documentation of business processes, work flow and requirements for new systems and tools and/or changes or enhancements to existing systems, tools and processes
Develop business requirements and scope process/systems change proposals and statements to support the organisations strategic objectives
Support the development and documentation of business cases for proposed new and/or enhanced changes across organisational functions
Contribute technical and thought leadership to assist business functions to document business processes and procedures
Provide input into System, User Acceptance and Operational Acceptance Testing, including the set up and
Participate in cross-team business process improvement processes to ensure business applications and processes are integrated and maximise the use of existing information, infrastructure and architecture
Contribute to planning processes to ensure timeframes for development, implementation and support take account of user needs and constraints; ensure all change management issues are thoroughly researched and resolved prior to implementation
Support the business in implementing change through Change Management, assessing the benefit of the change and how it has been adopted; Work with the business and Business Implementation Team to ensure change is effectively implemented and success criteria met.
Work closely with the Senior Business Analysts and the Lead BA in developing the BA function to ensure ongoing improvement and evolution in order to meet business strategy and objectives
Experience, Knowledge, Skills
Experience in a Principal/Senior Business Analyst role, within a relevant or transferrable industry
Experience in leading on large, complex, and/or regulatory projects and programmes
Working experience of formal and hybrid analysis techniques and supporting tools for requirements definition and documentation within complex change programmes
Experience in working with different delivery models and teams ¿ agile, waterfall, hybrid
Experience in a financial services related industry or regulated environment
Experience of managing 3rd party relationships
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including facilitation, presentation and training
Previous senior stakeholder, client and customer relationship management experience
Strong knowledge of IT operations, systems and development practises.
Candidates will be effective at:
Logical and analytical thinking with the ability to formulate strategies and solutions to complex issues
Planning, prioritising and time management skills across Projects, Team and own work
Creating action through leadership and influencing skills
Energetic and enthusiastic with a can-do attitude, tenacious and resilient
Self-motivated and requiring little support
Managing workload to tight deadlines
Strong commercial acumen and business awareness
Ability to articulate vision in a way that ensures understanding
Ability to liaise, influence, communicates and negotiates at all levels of management and work synergistically with other departments
Qualifications
Degree or International Diploma in Business Analysis preferred (if not already held, should be working towards the diploma)
Project Management accreditation beneficial