Scottish Funding Council
Senior Business Analyst (Grade E3)

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Senior Business Analyst (Grade E3)
Department: Corporate Services
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Edinburgh - Hybrid
Reporting To: Mark Molloy, Service Delivery Manager
Compensation: Add Grade Minimum and Maximum Salary. Civil Service Pension with Employer Contribution of 28.97%. Flexible Working Hours. Hybrid Working.
Description
The purpose of the role is to support SFC business owners become more actively involved in the design of the digital solutions that will, automate manual processes, drive up efficiency and empower them create measurable added value.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct research and analysis of the Scottish Funding Council's operations, processes, and systems to identify areas for improvement and optimisation that align with our digital goals and strategic ambitions.
- Gather, analyse, and document business requirements from stakeholders and develop functional specifications.
- Collaborate with cross-directorate teams to develop and implement new processes and systems to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- Identify and analyse trends, patterns, and insights to make informed decisions and develop actionable recommendations for process improvements that support digital and modernisation.
- Work with IT to design, develop, and implement automated workflows and reporting solutions to support business operations that align with the goals of the Scottish Funding Council.
- Working with a project manager to support the development of project plans, timelines, and deliverables that align with the strategic goals of SFC (Scottish Funding Council).
- Develop and maintain project and process documentation, including requirements, design, test plans, and user manuals, that support the delivery of Digital Transformation.
- Support the development and maintenance of key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor business performance that quantifies value and return of our digital investments.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
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Why you're a good match
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
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Person specification
It is important through your CV / Cover Letter that you give evidence of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria:
- Extensive experience in business analysis, project management, or related fields.
- Effective analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify trends and insights from complex data sets.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
- Excellent project management skills, with the ability to develop and manage project plans, timelines, and deliverables that align with the goals of the Scottish Funding Council.
- Experience with process improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel and PowerPoint.
- Degree level education (SCQF Level 9) or equivalent experience, preferably in business, finance or a related field.
- Experience with SQL and/or data visualization tools such as PowerBI would be an advantage.
Terms and Benefits
- Normal full-time hours of work are 35 per week. We will consider flexible working arrangements. A flexi-time system is in operation.
- Annual leave entitlement of 30 days pro-rata, plus public and privilege holiday entitlement of 13 days pro-rata.
- A flexible approach to hybrid working, giving you flexibility to work from home anywhere in the UK for some of the time while also maintaining regular in-person contact with colleagues.
- Annual pay review: approved within the framework of the Scottish Government’s Public Sector Pay Policy and negotiated with our recognised trade union, Unite. Salaries are reviewed annually in April for employees who commence employment prior to 1 October in the preceding year.
- Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme. With its low member contribution rates and generous employer contributions, this gives you a secure, inflation-proof pension for life with no investment uncertainty. Details of contribution rates together with further details of the pension benefits are available on the Civil Service Pensions website. There is also the option of a Partnership pension account.
- Support for continuous professional development: as a part of SFC, we are dedicated to providing comprehensive support for continuous learning and professional development. Civil Service-Learning curriculum has thoughtfully designed to cater to various learning preferences, allowing employees to engage in a manner that best suits their needs. All our educational resources are conveniently accessible through the CSL website.
- Support for health and wellbeing, including generous occupational sick pay, free access to confidential advice and support through our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Special Leave (paid and unpaid), a contribution to learning outside work through our Lifelong Learning Fund, free winter flu vaccination, and access to occupational health support.
- We provide support to SFC employees with Volunteering Days.
- Support for travel to and from work, including a salary sacrifice cycle loan scheme, cycle storage and shower facilities, an interest-free loan for bus or rail season tickets and free office car parking for employees on a first-come basis.


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Although most salaried roles are advertised as full time positions (35 hours a week), we are happy to discuss part-time or compressed hours to suit a candidates circumstances. We also operate a flexible working scheme to work around a candidate's other commitments such as caring responsibilities.
We will consider secondment applications for most salaried fixed-term or temporary positions and in many cases also for salaried permanent positions. If you are interested in applying on a secondment basis and this option is not explicitly mentioned in the job advert, please contact recruitment@sfc.ac.uk for further information.
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