Business Analyst

Business Analyst

The Works is a unique place to… well… work!

We’re the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over 530 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality.  

We’re a proactive and hardworking bunch. We’ve built an environment that’s busy, fast-moving and full of energy. Our atmosphere is welcoming, friendly and inclusive. If you’re the kind of person who’s as crafty, caring and can-do as we are, then this is the kind of culture for you.

The bit “About You”

Reporting into the Head of Projects and Programmes you will play a pivotal role in shaping and refining business requirements to be fed into our project and development teams. These will be across all function including E-commerce, Retail and Supply Chain.

You’re a natural communicator that can build up a rapport with internal and external stakeholders to effectively capture requirements and feed these into the development pipeline.  You can identify problems in business areas, through process work or conversation and can work with the relevant area to propose a solution. You are comfortable liaising with senior and exec stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity to be able to help shape the future change in a large UK retailer and to join a relatively New IT function as they grow their internal skills and influence.

The bit "About the Role"

The purpose of the role is to help refine business requirements working with the various business functions to shape the change and feeding that into the project and development teams. Ensuring we are focusing on value add projects and delivering fit for purpose solutions and that all internal stakeholders are aligned and in agreeance.

The key responsibilities are:

Process and UX Journey Mapping

Working with the business to create process maps and user journeys for both existing and new functionality. Highlighting the value add and non-value add steps that we can look to improve or remove, this includes examining conversion for web journeys, data transfer  for in house processes and repetition for inefficiencies. These will help to shape future work or bring to attention flaws in core processes that we need to address.

Facilitating Workshops and Delivering Presentations

Facilitating workshops with various functions, either to help with the requirements gathering process or for managing a specific issues. Being able to steer the meeting and ensuring that the outcomes are obvious and are not deviated from. Presentations should ensure key messages are conveyed and the tone is correct for the audience.

Knowledge Management

Ensure that all knowledge is centred somewhere and handed off to the relevant member of the business, ensuring smooth handover from Project to Operations. This includes creating entries into Confluence our central WIKI for knowledge, creating handover documentation for service and facilitating demonstrations to business users.

Requirements Gathering

Using various techniques and methodologies to enable succinct capture of business requirements. Transforming these into the relevant collateral (User Stories, Process Maps, Statements of Work, and Presentations).  This will require engagement with the business in conversation, asking questions to understand, clarify and challenge the needs and help to define business workflows, rules, measures, KPIs and controls.  Then to work with business owners to present the potential changes in proposals, with business cases, DCF based Investment Appraisals and documented requirements.

Behaviours:

• PASSIONATE – In everything you do – you want to learn, you want to grow and you want to develop the service we offer.
• STRONG COMMUNICATOR – You enjoy building and developing relationships with people, keeping everyone up to date.
• HIGHLY ORGANISED – You can prioritise your workload, set expectations and keep your promises.
• INNOVATIVE THINKING – You are able to “think outside the box” and are always looking for the next opportunity.
• PROACTIVE - You always look for the next thing to pick up and are willing to help out where you might be needed
• ENGAGING – You are active in meetings, asking questions and ensuring constructive discussions when required.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

Mandatory

• In-depth understanding of analysis techniques and approaches.
• Demonstrable experience working with either an in house or outsourced development team
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills
• Strong organisation and planning skills
• Strong process mapping skills
• Strong problem solving and investigative skills

Desirable

• Retail technology experience.
• Experience utilising outcome driven planning
• Experience working in the Retail Sector
• Salesforce or other website platform experience
• Experience working as part of an AGILE team
• Experience of point of sales software such as Enactor
• Experience of working with Business Information tools or in a data transformation project

What we will give to you…!

·       25% discount off our products in store!

·       33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays).

·       Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.

·       Hybrid working

·       Company pension contribution.

·       Cycle to Work Scheme.

·       Employee Assistance Programme.

·       Life Assurance.

·       Healthcare Cash Plan.

·       Free Car Parking.

·       Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over  500 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud  to be a Sunday Times 2020 Top 25 “Best Big Companies” to work for. 

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.

And if you can roll up your sleeves, get on with any job, and meet any challenge, it’s also somewhere you can thrive.

Business Analyst

The Works is a unique place to… well… work!

We’re the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over 530 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality.  

We’re a proactive and hardworking bunch. We’ve built an environment that’s busy, fast-moving and full of energy. Our atmosphere is welcoming, friendly and inclusive. If you’re the kind of person who’s as crafty, caring and can-do as we are, then this is the kind of culture for you.

The bit “About You”

Reporting into the Head of Projects and Programmes you will play a pivotal role in shaping and refining business requirements to be fed into our project and development teams. These will be across all function including E-commerce, Retail and Supply Chain.

You’re a natural communicator that can build up a rapport with internal and external stakeholders to effectively capture requirements and feed these into the development pipeline.  You can identify problems in business areas, through process work or conversation and can work with the relevant area to propose a solution. You are comfortable liaising with senior and exec stakeholders.

This is an exciting opportunity to be able to help shape the future change in a large UK retailer and to join a relatively New IT function as they grow their internal skills and influence.

The bit "About the Role"

The purpose of the role is to help refine business requirements working with the various business functions to shape the change and feeding that into the project and development teams. Ensuring we are focusing on value add projects and delivering fit for purpose solutions and that all internal stakeholders are aligned and in agreeance.

The key responsibilities are:

Process and UX Journey Mapping

Working with the business to create process maps and user journeys for both existing and new functionality. Highlighting the value add and non-value add steps that we can look to improve or remove, this includes examining conversion for web journeys, data transfer  for in house processes and repetition for inefficiencies. These will help to shape future work or bring to attention flaws in core processes that we need to address.

Facilitating Workshops and Delivering Presentations

Facilitating workshops with various functions, either to help with the requirements gathering process or for managing a specific issues. Being able to steer the meeting and ensuring that the outcomes are obvious and are not deviated from. Presentations should ensure key messages are conveyed and the tone is correct for the audience.

Knowledge Management

Ensure that all knowledge is centred somewhere and handed off to the relevant member of the business, ensuring smooth handover from Project to Operations. This includes creating entries into Confluence our central WIKI for knowledge, creating handover documentation for service and facilitating demonstrations to business users.

Requirements Gathering

Using various techniques and methodologies to enable succinct capture of business requirements. Transforming these into the relevant collateral (User Stories, Process Maps, Statements of Work, and Presentations).  This will require engagement with the business in conversation, asking questions to understand, clarify and challenge the needs and help to define business workflows, rules, measures, KPIs and controls.  Then to work with business owners to present the potential changes in proposals, with business cases, DCF based Investment Appraisals and documented requirements.

Behaviours:

• PASSIONATE – In everything you do – you want to learn, you want to grow and you want to develop the service we offer.
• STRONG COMMUNICATOR – You enjoy building and developing relationships with people, keeping everyone up to date.
• HIGHLY ORGANISED – You can prioritise your workload, set expectations and keep your promises.
• INNOVATIVE THINKING – You are able to “think outside the box” and are always looking for the next opportunity.
• PROACTIVE - You always look for the next thing to pick up and are willing to help out where you might be needed
• ENGAGING – You are active in meetings, asking questions and ensuring constructive discussions when required.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

Mandatory

• In-depth understanding of analysis techniques and approaches.
• Demonstrable experience working with either an in house or outsourced development team
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills
• Strong organisation and planning skills
• Strong process mapping skills
• Strong problem solving and investigative skills

Desirable

• Retail technology experience.
• Experience utilising outcome driven planning
• Experience working in the Retail Sector
• Salesforce or other website platform experience
• Experience working as part of an AGILE team
• Experience of point of sales software such as Enactor
• Experience of working with Business Information tools or in a data transformation project

What we will give to you…!

·       25% discount off our products in store!

·       33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays).

·       Holiday Purchase Scheme to increase your annual leave entitlement.

·       Hybrid working

·       Company pension contribution.

·       Cycle to Work Scheme.

·       Employee Assistance Programme.

·       Life Assurance.

·       Healthcare Cash Plan.

·       Free Car Parking.

·       Charity Giving - Pennies from Heaven and Give as you Earn.

Finally, the bit "About The Works"

We are people who do!

Here at The Works, we are building a working environment that’s fun, friendly, and supportive - all at the same time. It’s somewhere that’s designed for people who love getting busy, whether that’s helping customers, meeting new challenges, or building a rewarding career.

It’s a place for people who know how to roll their sleeves up, get creative, and put their passion and imagination to work…People who do!

We are the UK’s leading family friendly retailer of value gifts, arts, crafts, toys, books and stationery. With over  500 stores nationwide together with a brilliant online store, we’re here to offer our customers a unique and enjoyable shopping experience, built on our core principles of value, variety and quality. You will find our stores in a huge and diverse range of locations; on high streets, in shopping centres, on retail parks, and as concessions (usually in garden centres). We are also one of the few value retailers with a full featured online store that helps our customers to shop how they want, when they want, 7 days a week.

Oh....and we are super proud  to be a Sunday Times 2020 Top 25 “Best Big Companies” to work for. 

It all means that we have built the kind of working environment that is the perfect place for people who love our products to build a career. It is somewhere you can put your proud and passionate, inclusive and accessible, confident and honest, fun and creative, and nimble and driven approach to work.

And if you can roll up your sleeves, get on with any job, and meet any challenge, it’s also somewhere you can thrive.