Principal Business Analyst

Taylor & Francis (T&F) is continuing its digital investment with a focus on the needs of academic researchers and institutes. Realising the long-term value of these investments depends on rigorous, coherent business analysis - understanding how the business works, framing the right problems, and ensuring that what we build reflects a shared, well-modelled view of our capabilities, processes and data. The Principal Business Analyst is one of two senior BA practitioners aligned to the Taylor & Francis Business Architecture function, reporting to the Enterprise Business Architect. The role leads the largest and most complex cross-domain analysis in its domain group, actively builds up the T&F business architecture, and jointly with the other Principal BA owns the standards, methodology, community and capability of business analysis across T&F. They enable the broader BA community by providing quality oversight, operated through standards, peer review and coaching, not management authority.

Responsibilities

Personally scope the largest, most complex and strategically significant analysis initiatives in the domain group; Coordinate Domain BAs through design and implementation; Own requirements coherence across domain boundaries; Lead requirements elicitation and facilitation for high-ambiguity or senior-stakeholder initiatives; Lead feasibility and options analysis for significant initiatives; Manage stakeholder relationships across domain teams and senior product, delivery and engineering stakeholders; Contribute to UAT planning across domains; Maintain analytical quality and act as senior escalation point; Act as primary BA point of contact for the Business Architect; Ensure BA work feeds the business architecture; Lead documentation of capability-level processes, organisational structures, systems and data flows; Support creation and analysis of Business Decision Records; Validate alignment with target architecture and domain model; Jointly define and maintain T&F BA methodology, standards, templates and shared vocabulary; Jointly define BA competency framework and progression model; Jointly run the T&F BA community of practice; Jointly define requirements governance and UAT standards; Provide quality oversight of BA outputs; Coach Domain BAs on technique, standards and approach

Requirements

Hold authority through expertise, not position; Comfortable leading large, ambiguous initiatives while coordinating Business Analysts not formally managed; Confident raising standards of a mixed BA team with varying skills and backgrounds and coaching generously; Communicate clearly in writing and in person with senior business and engineering audiences; Patience to build business architecture and BA capability incrementally; Nurture open environment and work across silos; Willing to challenge constructively, including pushing back on delivery pressure when it conflicts with BA practice standards; Exceptional ability to analyse complex problems and drive towards decisions with customer in mind; Degree-level education or professional experience where equivalent knowledge gained; Substantial track record of business analysis in complex, multi-domain organisations; Demonstrated experience scoping and leading large, complex or cross-domain analysis initiatives end-to-end, including coordinating multiple BAs through design and implementation; Demonstrated experience setting BA standards and methodology in a federated or distributed delivery environment; Direct experience working alongside enterprise or business architects on capability-driven analysis and design; Strong track record of engaging at senior stakeholder level; Coaching and developmental experience with junior or mid-career BAs; Demonstrated experience working with colleagues in multiple locations and time zones; Right to work and live in UK; Live within a commutable distance of London office; Minimum 3 days per week in-person time

Nice to have

Business analysis certification (e.g. BCS/ISEB, IIBA CBAP) desirable but not essential; Publishing, content or platform business experience is an advantage

Benefits

Competitive salary + bonus; 24 days annual leave; 4 volunteering days annually; Day off for your birthday; Pension contributions; Medical insurance for self and dependants; Life cover and personal accident cover for self; Seasonal social and charitable events; Training and development; Tools and equipment for remote working; Flexibility to work from home or remotely