Lead Business Analyst

  • HMRC
  • Manchester, Lancashire
  • Nov 02, 2026
Full time I.T. & Communications Management

Job Description

About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

Candidates who wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available and will be considered in line with business need. Any request to work an alternative working pattern should be discussed with the vacancy holder following the selection process.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

Job description

This role is an exciting opportunity to join HMRC's CDIO Borders and Trade (B&T) working as a leader for the Business Analysis Practice in CDIO B&T.

You will lead and build capability across a multi-grade, geographically dispersed Team of around 35 BA's.
Within CDIO, BA professionals play an essential role in delivering high-quality analysis using different methodologies and techniques to define technical requirements. You will be responsible for leading the BA function in CDIO B&T, setting standards, managing resourcing and ensuring quality analysis within the technical delivery function.

You will use your knowledge and experience of Business Analysis to coach and mentor teams and colleagues, use OKRs, KPIs, AI capability and other leadership and management techniques to drive delivery and improvement. You will encourage and facilitate continuous improvement and identify and remove blockers to delivery. You will help ensure that CDIO applies the latest in innovation and ways of working and help spread those practices across the wider estate. In particular, you will define the BA role and set direction for the team as we transition to product ways of working.

You will be comfortable parachuting into priority deliveries to either lead remediation of complex issues and put product deliveries on a 'path to green', and or driving early life cycle delivery to establish product delivery teams on sound foundations to deliver outcomes successfully.

For those who thrive in a fast-paced, exciting, and motivational environment, we offer unique and unparalleled opportunities to work with some of the latest technologies and make a real, lasting difference.

Person specification
  • Directly manage a team of BA's ensuring effective deployment to meet demand as well as managing performance, setting direction and role-modelling inclusive Leadership.
  • As a member of Senior Leadership Group, you will support the Deputy Director in wider leadership activities which support the needs and priorities of BSD, including People, financial, commercial and risk management where appropriate.
  • Supporting CDIO B&T Product ways of working transformation through application of new BA resource model and roles, impacting and landing Change through visible leadership
  • Building relationships and collaboration with B&T Guilds and the wider BA community, sharing best practice to enable alignment on GDD Standards and tooling, Delivery and functional integration
  • Developing and shaping strategies to drive awareness of the BA profession, promoting the BA Service Offer, building the influence of the team and supporting services across the organisation by embedding the practice.
  • Responsible for shaping the Business Analysis practice and improving ways of working by embedding a consistent and high-quality professional framework and standards, utilising AI capabilities.
  • Overall Accountability for BA work across CDIO Borders and Trade, including Quality Assurance, including driving a data and evidence led approach using OKRs, KPIs and tooling to improve performance, delivery and quality outcomes.
  • Managing relationships with delivery leads to ensure business analysis is contributing to successful delivery, stepping in to support where required.
  • Accountable for workforce planning and capability development to ensure the BA profession meets current and future organisational needs.
  • Champion professional development, mentoring, and career progression for BAs, ensuring alignment with GDD capability frameworks.
  • Establish and maintain governance for BA standards and assurance across all delivery portfolios.
  • Use data and insight to measure BA contribution to delivery outcomes and continuously improve practice.
  • Represent HMRC in cross-government and industry BA communities to share learning and influence best practice.
  • Act as a visible leader for cultural change, embedding product-centric ways of working across BSD.
Essential Criteria
  • Significant experience in a BA role and leading teams of geographically dispersed BAs within an Agile and Product-led environment, with a track record of direction setting, building capability, working practically and strategically, resolving challenges, pursuing opportunities, anticipating and mitigating risks and finding creative solutions.
  • A track record of working collaboratively with others, identifying and analysing stakeholder views, providing constructive challenge and successfully influencing decisions using data and insight.
  • Degree level qualification or equivalent experience
  • Experience in workforce planning and capability development, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and future skills needs.
  • Experience in establishing and maintaining governance for professional standards and quality assurance across multiple programmes, including use of OKRs and KPIs.
  • Proven ability to lead cultural and behavioural change, embedding new ways of working across complex organisations.
  • Experience in engaging with cross-government or industry professional communities to share best practice and influence standards.
  • Ability to use data and insight to measure professional impact and drive continuous improvement.
  • Understanding of financial and commercial considerations in a digital delivery context
Desirable Criteria
  • Understanding of Borders and Trade Sub regimes, services and Products and Platforms
  • Balancing multiple priorities and employing techniques to deal with ambiguity.
  • Leading a community of practice.
  • Understanding of customs and trade regulations and policies
Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office closures

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it's important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

These sites are:
  • Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
  • Telford Plaza, Telford - moving to Parkside Court, Telford
You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £71,725, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £20,778 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
  • Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
  • Family friendly policies.
  • Personal support.
  • Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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