Business Analyst jobs

Business analysts are agents of change. They bridge the gap between the IT function and other departments, driving efficiencies by ensuring the work carried out by software developers is most applicable and beneficial to the needs of the wider organisation. Using data analytics, they assess existing business processes, deliver recommendations to business leaders and other key stakeholders, and determine the requirements of key technical projects.

Expected job role tasks

The key responsibilities of a business analyst revolve around discovering issues or inefficiencies within their organisation, then providing recommendations to overcome them, predominantly through technical, IT-related solutions. Practically, this may involve working with data sets to identify improvements in hardware, software, systems, and processes. To deliver the most effective, impactful outcomes, the business analyst must dig into the underlying factors behind a specific issue, taking the time to discover as much information as possible about any given project. To this end, they must work closely with senior leadership and also technical staff to ensure they are truly tackling the root cause, not just a symptom. When providing a suggested course of action to solve a specific issue, it is important that business analysts are able to balance the benefits of their recommendation against technological, financial, and functional practicalities. Those recommendations must be presented in formats that are easily disseminated and understood across the business, by technical and non-technical stakeholders alike. Because data is so key to their role, they must also pay close attention to quality metrics and ensure reporting is up to standard.

Primary function

Ultimately, the business analyst role exists to create new models and systems of working that help the organisation work more efficiently and effectively, while considering practical challenges such as available budget, technical resource, and whether their recommendation is in line with their organisation’s current priorities.

Necessary hard/soft skills

Given their pivotal role in connecting business challenges with technical solutions, the business analyst requires a combination of hard and soft skills. To effectively analyse data to make strategic decisions, they must as a minimum be highly proficient with Microsoft Excel, while knowledge of a programming or data language can also be beneficial. Business Analysts use business intelligence tools like Looker and Tableau to analyse and visualise data, so knowledge of these products is important, as is a practical understanding of agile working methodologies.

As they communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, the business analyst must be able to speak to present recommendations and solutions effectively to both audiences. Because these two parties may have different priorities and objectives, business analysts also find themselves negotiating between the two and resolving conflicts to achieve the best possible outcome for the organisation. Strong listening skills are essential to ensure they have a clear understanding of a given business challenge or technical limitation. They must be able to solve problems and think strategically to balance priorities and identify recommendations that may not be immediately obvious. While the business analyst is not a project manager, they will often have to use project management skills to ensure actions are delivered on time and are in line with original specifications.

Qualifications required

Business analyst job descriptions almost always stipulate that the candidate must have at least a bachelor’s degree. This can be in any discipline, although those that are most relevant include anything to do with business, computing, economics, or numeracy. Examples include business studies, business administration, management, and information technology. A number of professional qualifications are also available through organisations like the International Institute of Business Analysis and the Chartered Institute for IT.