Business Analysis Practice Lead

Key purpose:

The purpose of the Business Analysis Practice Lead role is to enable and accelerate business analysis capability within the group, partnering with the Business Analysis Practice Manager to ensure the BA community have the required knowledge, skills and understanding to perform their roles efficiently while ensuring the function remains fit-for-purpose and future ready.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Deliver the BA Development Program including planning, developing and executing training curriculum for the participants of the program.
• Develop and deliver learning interventions tailored to the specific needs of the BA community.
• Coach business analysts on methods used to analyse and benchmark business cases, ensuring these align with the business strategies of the organisation (including feasibility and business benefits).
• Coach business analysts to drive / shape input into the scope of solution and ensure understanding of scope by business user.
• Coach and mentor BA's in BA tools, standards, best practices, processes and delivery.
• Quality assure BA deliverables and coach individuals and teams regarding any quality issues identified.
• Act as an SME in CoPs to share knowledge and expertise with the community.
• Create the necessary organisational structures and processes for the sharing of knowledge and expertise. Position knowledge sharing as an organisational priority.
• Foster collaborative partnerships between business stakeholders, delivery teams, architecture and the BA community.
• Promote and drive the adoption of best practices and cultivate a culture where stakeholders are encouraged to change and embrace new practices and consider alternatives.
• Assist to identify development needs across the BA teams and ensure individuals and teams are aware of the resources available for their learning and development. Connect individuals and team with learning and development contacts.
• Engage in industry wide and cross-industry discussions and events, seeking to advance own and the organisations current and future thinking.
• Support the rollout of new initiatives, ways of working or modelling practices generated and deployed by the BA Practice.
• Support with identifying, attracting and recruiting high calibre talent.
• Act as a responsible corporate citizen and member of the Shoprite Technology team.

Qualifications and experience:

• Degree or Diploma in Information Technology or a related field (essential).
• Business Analysis certification at an advanced level (CBAP, AAC) or similar (essential).
• +6 years experience in a Lead or Senior Business Analyst role with a strong technical background, proven track record of successful delivery in a BA environment and extensive experience working within all aspects of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) (essential).
• Demonstrated experience executing large-scale and complex projects from conception to implementation (essential).
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience of Agile and Design methodologies with success employing these in a pragmatic way to achieve business outcomes (essential).
• Strong coaching and facilitation skills and experience with a suitable related qualification (essential).
• Retail industry experience (essential).

Key competencies and work ethic: 

• Agile mindset Embodies an Agile Business Analysis mindset. Is value focused and guided by Lean-Agile principles with a solid understanding and application of design thinking and process optimisation to remove waste from the process.
• Motivated self-starter with strong integrity, energy and drive and a passion for business analysis.
• Analytical and critical thinker - Able to collect, organise and assimilate disparate and multiple pieces of complex data to guide decision-making. Deals comfortably with ambiguity and able to quickly analyse a situation and organise the team around a solution.
• Decisive with strong organising and prioritisation skills, doing whatever is necessary to deliver on outcomes especially when multiple trade-offs are involved, and fast decisions are required. Works smartly, efficiently and effectively. Stayson topof the detail while prioritisingand delivering urgent and important tasks.
• A change agent - Energised by working both independently and interdependently within the SDLC and across functions.
• Personal influence and demonstration of strong leadership in service of positive outcomes, products, people and processes. Promotes a collaborative approach and enables high performing teams while building methodologies and embedding practices that delivers value.
• Coaching skills Coaches teams to collaborate; provides constructive feedback, instruction, and development guidance to help others excel and deliver value. Shares knowledge and expertise openly and freely.
• Collaborative partner with good negotiation skills Able to work independently and collaboratively. Builds credibility quickly while able to establish strong networks and relationships internally and externally. Manages conflict and challenges well and understands how to drive a high level of focus and achieve agreements
• Communication skills Communicates effectively while being able to convert complex concepts into well-articulated verbal, written and visual messages to non-technical and business audiences.
• Business acumen Understands business principles in the retail environment, what the key processes, issues and risks are that drives success; and how they impact on commercial viability and profitability.
• Ability to work under pressure and navigate periods of high demand in a fast-paced environment.