Lead Business Analyst

Job title: Lead Business Analys Hours: 37 Contract: Fixed‑term 2 years (with the option to extend if required) Salary: PO6 £51,356 - £54,495 Location: Leeds / hybrid working Start: From April 2026 Join Leeds City Council’s Customer Transformation Programme Leeds City Council is embarking on a 3.5‑year Customer Transformation Programme (CTP) to modernise customer contact, improve experience for residents and colleagues, and deliver significant, recurring savings as an Invest to Save initiative. We are building a skilled internal delivery team and are recruiting three posts that are critical to programme success. Why join These roles provide specialist capability to deliver complex transformation at pace - reducing avoidable demand, streamlining processes, and supporting digital self‑service -while strengthening internal capacity and reducing reliance on external consultants. You’ll help ensure benefits are realised and sustained beyond the life of the programme. The opportunities Lead Business Analyst (PO6) Drive discovery and analysis across services. Define problem statements, shape requirements, and provide the insight and assurance needed to redesign end‑to‑end journeys and implement accessible, efficient digital solutions. You’ll work with service leads, architects and delivery partners to align change to measurable outcomes. What You’ll Bring • Proven experience in your discipline (business analysis, service design, or contract/performance management) within transformation programmes. • Strong stakeholder engagement and the ability to translate strategy into deliverable, measurable change. • A commitment to public service, inclusion, and continuous improvement. What We Offer • The chance to make a tangible difference for Leeds City Council customers and colleagues by modernising customer contact and delivering savings that support the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan. • A collaborative environment working alongside a strategic delivery partner and skilled internal teams, with opportunities for knowledge transfer and professional development. Ready to help shape services that work better for everyone in Leeds? Apply now and be part of a programme that combines insight, design and disciplined delivery to create lasting impact. We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people. This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying. Job Description Job Purpose: The Lead Business Analyst, will have a good understanding of the enterprise arena and works on multiple, highly complex projects and bring together different views and perspectives, determine business priorities, develop, and mentor high performing teams, own multi-discipline roadmaps and lead agile delivery of excellent products and Digital Services. Responsibilities • Play a key role in developing and leading the Business Analysis community across Leeds City Council, the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and Partners • Functional management, or people management accountabilities, or a combination of both • Proactively share knowledge and will be seen as a go-to person in their field while also mentoring others and owning the main stakeholder relationships • Lead in the discovery, definition and appraisal of digital opportunities and efficiencies across LCC and • Partners, assist with their implementation where necessary. • Support the development of LCC digital strategy using standard business analysis techniques and approaches. • Lead or assist with any redesign activities, working with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation. In addition to the discovery work, to work to time/cost/quality constraints within established change projects. • Work independently on assignments and to work as an effective part of a team, as appropriate • Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade • Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills • Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes. • To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice. • Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested. • Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person • Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council. • Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures. • The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters. • The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post. Qualifications: Degree level or equivalent knowledge gained through experience in the relevant service area is essential. Essential requirements: Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements. Essential Requirements: • It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements. • Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate. Skills Required • Identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes. You know how to help the team to decide the best approach. You can help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and work to agreed minimum viable product • Able to investigate, analyse, visualise, articulate and solve complex problems and concepts, and make disciplined decisions based on available information. Such skills include applying thinking, gathering and analysing information using comprehensive tools and techniques; using data to formulate both short-term day-to-day and long-term strategic plans; and identifying and analysing options to assess feasibility and operational impact • Able to identify and explore opportunities for service and business improvement. You know how to drive analysis and identify, prioritise and implement improvements and efficiencies, ensuring that the organisation derives maximum value from services This includes recognising the potential for automation of processes, determining costs and benefits of new approaches and managing change or assisting implementation where needed • Able to plan, design, manage and report business process tests and usability evaluations. You know how to apply evaluation skills to see how appropriate or useful the defined process is going to be. This can be done through synthesising test tasks, selecting user samples, analysing performance and sharing results with the development teams. • Able to represent real-world situations to aid the communication and understanding of different scenarios (existing, conceptual or proposed). You focus on the representation of organisational processes, roles and data models and whether they can be used to represent subjects at various levels of detail or complexity • Able to understand how the digital economy is changing user behaviour, and how digital can be applied, make informed decisions based on user needs, available technology and value for money. • Able to identify and pinpoint business opportunities to allow organisations to perform more effectively. This allows businesses to look at new ways of tackling business processes or to establish new services from scratch. • Able to understand users and identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You put users first and can manage competing priorities • Demonstrate excellent listening skills • Possess strong interpersonal skills and demonstrate high emotional intelligence – you will interact with a wide variety of stakeholders from Suppliers, developers, service leads, citizens, internal users, and leaders from across the organisation. This means that being empathetic and understanding others' perspectives is key to success. • Skilled at developing yourself and others, creating a high performing culture and team • Skillset will include making effective, evidence-based decisions and explaining them. • Strong attention to detail when working with data and be skilled at using that data to inform evidence-based decisions • Skilled at analysing large data sets using appropriate tool sets • Able to balance competing prioritise using effective delegation techniques. • Able to work within the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy both in employment and service delivery. Able to provide advice and guidance to junior staff on this policy. • Able to work within the governance arrangement of the division and the council and to provide advice and guidance to other staff on their application. • Able to work on own initiative and take accountability for area of responsibility. • Able to represent the division in customer meetings in a professional manner. • Able to influence and negotiate with senior officers. Knowledge Required • Appropriate professional qualification at level 6 or equivalent substantial knowledge gained through significant managerial experience across the service area and that you use your diverse knowledge and expertise to plan and enable the highest levels and standards in the delivery of work relating to Leading Business Analysis. • Good knowledge of agile, hybrid and waterfall working practices, with the ability to evaluate and decide on the best processes or delivery methods to use • Demonstrate good knowledge of design, technology, and data principles, as well as of translating user needs to technical requirements • Demonstrate a good working knowledge of project management methodologies • Good working knowledge of managing risk relating to project delivery. • Commercially astute, able to understand and have knowledge of business or service areas, and realise benefits through digital for the city • Demonstrate a good working knowledge of local government procurement procedures and policies • Good knowledge of local government decision making frameworks and IDS governance procedures Experience Required • Of taking full responsibility for investigative work to determine business requirements and effective new business processes, through improvements in information systems, information management, practices, procedures, and organisation change. • Demonstrate extensive experience working as a Business Analysis (or similar role) in a digital enabled service provision dealing with software, web-based technologies or mobile applications in secure hosting environments on and off premise. • Of managing and delivering change or service transformation related activity • Of supplier and contract management • Of delivering at pace with multi-disciplined teams with conflicting priorities • Of managing the delivery of digital projects • Operational experience of managing digital products throughout their lifecycle • Of communicating key information to stakeholders • Of taking full responsibility for investigative work to determine business requirements and effective new business processes, through improvements in information systems, information management, practices, procedures, and organisation change. • Of preparation of business cases which define potential benefits, options for achieving these benefits through development of new or changed processes, and associated business risks • Of leading and motivating a team to achieve results (either direct management or matrix management). • Of contributing to the setting of policy and/or strategy. • Of providing advice and guidance on council policy and/or strategy. • Of developing robust Business Case which articulate services requirements, supporting digital transformation • Of accurate estimating for inclusion in Business Case/Specifications. • Of disseminating complex, strategic and contentious information to a range of diverse audiences, including non-specialists using clear concise language and appropriate media. • Of developing and sustaining constructive working relationships both internal and external personnel. Essential behavioural and other characteristics • Committed to continuous improvement. • Ability to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equal Opportunities Policy. • To carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health & Safety Policies. • Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development • Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct. Desirable Requirements: • It is desirable that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates. • Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate. Skills • Data analysis skills using SQL. • Software development skills • Scrum Master, Prince2 or APM project methodologies Knowledge Required • Of how to use tools such as Excel for statistical analysis • Of software development such as knowing about data structures, algorithms, security issues • Of data structures and algorithms • Of local government services and their interface with communities • Contract Management and Access to Procurement Frameworks Experience • Of prototyping with stakeholders • Of running workshops with stakeholders to inform decisions • Of database management • Of business case development • Of commissioning and implementing a product or service • Of Service Design