Lead Business Analyst, Business Analysis

About the Role

As the Lead Business Analyst for the Markets Delivery team within Digital, Data and Technology (DD&T), you will provide 6 month maternity cover (FTC or secondment) for a critical role supporting NESO’s Reformed National Pricing (RNP) programme.

 

RNP was established following the Government’s July 2025 decision to retain a single national wholesale electricity price and progress a package of reforms intended to improve asset siting, system operability and constraint management. The programme includes significant reforms to balancing, settlement and dispatch arrangements, requiring coordinated changes across NESO’s systems, processes, data and people.

 

You will lead DD&T business analysis across the programme, coordinating discovery, impact assessment, requirements definition and delivery planning. The immediate focus will be supporting policy recommendations, developing cost and implementation assumptions, and preparing for detailed design and delivery once Government decisions are taken.

Using Agile and customer-centred approaches, you will translate evolving policy into clear business and technology outcomes, manage dependencies and stakeholders, and maintain continuity through a critical transition period for the programme.

 

This role requires strong analytical, influencing and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to operate across policy, business, operational and technology teams in a complex and evolving programme.

 

This role is based in the UK, from Wokingham or Warwick, with an expectation of two to three days per week in the office and potential travel to NESO offices in Wokingham, Warwick, London and Glasgow.

We continue to offer hybrid working from office and home. We are open to full-time and part-time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements.

Key Accountabilities

Responsible for ensuring alignment to desired business outcomes and benefits:

• Understand, develop and maintain up-to-date knowledge of NESO, the RNP programme and relevant directorate priorities, translating these into clear project outcomes and deliverables.
• Lead detailed discovery and impact assessments to inform RNP policy recommendations, delivery planning and implementation decisions.
• Assess the impacts of proposed balancing, settlement and dispatch reforms across systems, processes, data, people and operating models.
• Apply business-modelling techniques to understand the business domain and stakeholder perspectives, establishing how processes, systems, data and people interact and the impact of proposed changes.
• Work with policy, operational, architecture, engineering, data and delivery teams to develop robust cost, implementation and delivery assumptions.
• Identify dependencies, risks, constraints and opportunities across the programme and support their effective management.
• Identify opportunities to improve business performance through business-process engineering and digital transformation.
• Gather and analyse qualitative and quantitative information to create insights that support informed decision-making.

Responsible for Requirements Definition and Management:

• Establish and communicate the complete perspective of a proposed change, using appropriate techniques and diagrams for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Translate evolving policy proposals into clear business, user, functional and non-functional requirements.
• Conduct user research to identify user needs and end-to-end journeys that must be considered during development.
• Define epics and features that can be understood by technical and non-technical stakeholders, including appropriate acceptance criteria.
• Create supporting documentation and diagrams where necessary, including process maps, operating-model views, data models and wireframes.
• Refine epics and features through Agile ceremonies and stakeholder engagement, using negotiation and influencing skills to achieve agreed outcomes.
• Own and maintain the relevant project backlog, working collaboratively with Product Owners, Product Managers and delivery teams to define and prioritise features, epics and user stories.
• Maintain traceability between policy outcomes, business requirements, solution requirements, delivery scope and intended benefits.
• Support testing by reviewing test scenarios and scripts to ensure appropriate coverage of agreed requirements.

Responsible for establishing and demonstrating the standard for collaboration across all work areas:

• Build and manage trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders across policy, business, operations and technology.
• Work closely with DESNZ, Ofgem and other RNP programme partners, where required, to support alignment between policy development and deliverability.
• Clearly communicate complex issues, trade-offs and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Coordinate the activity and workload of other business analysts supporting the programme.
• Support effective handover, knowledge transfer and continuity throughout the maternity-cover period.
• Actively contribute to the growth and development of the Business Analysis Community of Practice by sharing knowledge, tools and experience.
• Attend and contribute to Agile ceremonies, working with team members to identify and implement continuous improvements.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK by the start of employment. Visa sponsorship may not be available for this role and will be considered in line with business requirements.

About You

• Takes initiative, acts proactively and can establish themselves quickly within a complex programme.
• Is curious about the future of the electricity system and motivated to understand how evolving markets, technologies and customer needs will shape NESO’s role.
• Has substantial experience analysing complex business situations, including problem identification, stakeholder engagement, impact assessment and solution evaluation.
• Can translate policy intent and business outcomes into clear requirements and implementable changes.
• Is comfortable working where policy, scope and delivery assumptions are still developing.
• Has experience assessing change across processes, systems, data, people and operating models.
• Has strong stakeholder-management and influencing skills, including experience working with senior stakeholders.
• Has solid experience using appropriate business-analysis tools and techniques, such as process modelling, value-stream mapping, design thinking, user research, impact assessment and wireframing.

Qualifications

• Significant demonstrable experience as a Business Analyst working within an IT / Digital environment.
• Applicants should ideally possess a bachelor’s degree or have the equivalent digital, data or technology specific industry experience.
• Experience working as a Business Analyst in an Agile delivery environment   
• Strong experience of requirements definition, impact assessment, process analysis and stakeholder management.
• Ideally: Experience working in utility sector or regulated organisation. Experience of application lifecycle management tools, e.g. Azure DevOps. Experience of wireframe creation using appropriate tools, e.g. Balsamiq, Lucidchart.

What You'll Get

A competitive salary of £57,500 - £65,000 dependent on experience and capabilityAs well as your base salary, NESO's core benefits are the essential perks and advantages that form part of your employee package. - You will receive a bonus based on company performance- 26 days annual leave as standard - A competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. - Annual Enrollment to NESO Savings Plan, when you save between £20- £500 a month from your take-home pay, we will pay a 50% matching contribution. NESO's flexible benefits programme provides you with more flexibility around your health, lifestyle and protection benefits, here's just a few available: - Flexible Bank Holidays & Holiday Trading - Additional Birthday Day Off - Cycle to Work Scheme, Retail & Gym Discounts - Private Medical Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance & Personal Accident Insurance  

About Us

At the National Energy System Operator (NESO), we play a vital role in tackling climate change and securing Great Britain's energy future. We already operate the world's fastest decarbonising electricity system and are working towards our ambition to run it carbon-free for a short period this year - provided the market supplies electricity exclusively from renewable sources. Alongside this, we provide expert advice to government on how to deliver a clean power system by 2030.

In autumn 2024, the Electricity System Operator (ESO) transitioned to become NESO - an independent, expert public corporation with a whole-system view across electricity, gas, and hydrogen. NESO operates independently and transparently, always acting in the best interests of all energy users.

Licensed and regulated by Ofgem, we make impartial decisions that balance sustainability, affordability and security. Our organisation is fully independent from government, the regulator and all commercial interests, with a clear focus on system-wide benefit, long term thing and public value.

The time to deliver is now. Join the energy transformation and help shape the future. Your energy. Our future. Together

National Energy System Operator (NESO) recognises the potential of bright and talented individuals, and we encourage you to join us as Great Britain’s energy system undergoes an ambitious, exciting, and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

More Information

This role closes at 23:59, on the day before date shown above, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.Research shows that some people may hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement. At NESO, we believe potential comes in many forms and we're committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential. If this role sparks your interest but you're not sure you tick every box, we still want to hear from you. process where everyone has the opportunity to show their talents. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds.