Systems Thinking Business Analyst

Company Description

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future. As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results. We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists.

Our expertise spans consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands. PA – Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Hybrid working – our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. The actual time and location may vary by role, up to 5 days on a client site. Your work base will be whichever of the following offices is nearest:
Cambridge, London, Bristol, Manchester. Apply asap. Closing date 5th January 2026.

Systems Insight & Solutions at PA combines deep industry insights with innovative systems approaches across engineering, architecture and modelling, and methods to help organisations achieve exceptional results. Business Analysts play a key role in delivering practical solutions, providing direction, guidance and support to both clients and PA’s wider business.

Business Analysts at PA work on diverse projects across a wide range of clients, including large‑scale defence platforms, cutting‑edge transport solutions, and strategic client data capabilities.

The scope of your involvement will be vast and varied, helping organisations to define needs and optimise their business. Opportunities include:

• Work with clients to define and steer business analysis work streams across programmes and projects
• Ensure processes are defined and requirements are captured and managed effectively
• Help build a compelling case for change and manage transformation in a controlled and effective way
• Provide support to programme and project implementation
• Unlock better decision making that ensures alignment between strategy and delivery
• Analyse and maximise the complex and connected systems within which clients operate
• Develop personal knowledge and skills by attending and delivering training

Ideal qualifications

• Minimum of two years experience as a Business Analyst or using business analysis skills as a Systems Engineer or Systems Thinker, with experience in Defence and Security, Transport, Energy and Utilities, or Public Services
• Demonstrable experience employing the approaches, tools and responsibilities of a business analyst in complex system and programme environments
• Translate stakeholder needs into clear functional and non‑functional requirements and ensure traceability between business objectives, system requirements and design decisions
• Facilitate workshops and interviews with key stakeholders to elicit requirements and key information
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate complex system and business concepts to wider audiences
• Competence in industry‑recognised tools for data handling, analysis and requirements management
• Desire to support PA’s internal capabilities and develop PA’s Business Analysis expertise

Desirable experience

• Performing gap analyses and devising strategies to tackle complex challenges
• Designing future‑state processes aligned with systems thinking principles
• Mediating between low‑level technical detail and higher‑level objectives
• Understanding test approaches and experience in supporting testing activities
• Certifications in Business Analysis (e.g., BCS)
• Defining the business analysis approach for large‑scale programmes and complex procurements
• Experience coaching and developing teams to adopt business‑analysis approaches and frameworks
• Analysing operational and performance data to identify patterns and inform system design
• Info…