Business Analyst | Retail Client Services | Client Experience at Allan Gray Proprietary Limited

About the role

• The Client Experience team is made up of several business analysts and product owners. The main purpose of the business analyst role is to provide in-depth analysis and project support within the Allan Gray Client Experience team. The role will include analysis and project coordination for operational and strategic projects which will involve technology and process changes. The candidate must have a strong interest in delivering and enabling others to deliver exceptional client service by improving our business processes, systems, and service implementation. The successful candidate will be expected to use data to frame problems, test assumptions and inform decisions, and to be comfortable exploring how AI and technology can improve personal productivity, analysis and business outcomes. While the role remains business focused, the candidate should be able to engage credibly with technical teams, translate business needs into practical solution requirements, and contribute to the design of digital-first servicing capabilities. 
• This role offers the candidate exposure to many IT domains with the opportunity to learn how our technology enables our servicing strategy. Additionally, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage with leaders within the business. There are progression opportunities within the business analyst stream, with senior analysts leading high-impact cross-functional projects within the broader Allan Gray business.

Job responsibilities
Understand and support the Client Experience strategy

• Understand our client experience priorities and the role we play in enabling our omni-channel client experience ambition
• Collaborate with client experience BAs and specialists to ensure that our servicing remains relevant to our clients’ needs and that we take advantage of opportunities to delight clients through improvements and enhancements to the solutions we offer
• Contribute to the plan to deliver on the Client Experience strategy – which interventions over what timeline and how we will track, measure and report success

Project management

• Monitor project plans for major campaigns and ad-hoc projects
• Implement, coordinate, and manage projects, engage with relevant stakeholders, and achieve their buy-in and alignment
• Escalate risks, understand dependencies, review project impact, and course correct as necessary
• Perform user acceptance testing and training of solutions where appropriate
• Stakeholder reporting on project progress and success

Business analysis and problem solving

• Perform detailed data, systems, and process analysis for projects relating to the Client Experience strategy 
• Use data to identify opportunities, size impact, prioritise interventions, test assumptions and measure outcomes 
• Accurately interpret data, perform root cause analysis, surface trends, and clearly communicate insights for action
• Work closely with IT, data and business stakeholders to translate client, adviser and operational problems into clear business, data and technology requirements.
• Use AI tools appropriately to support problem solving, improve analysis, synthesise insights, automate routine work and drive efficient ways of working
• Create solution requirements and contribute to implementation, with enough technical fluency to understand system constraints, interrogate solution options and engage constructively in design discussions

Relationship and stakeholder management

• Build and cultivate a network of relationships across the business, particularly with key stakeholders interacting with Retail Client Services
• Serve as a point of contact for major Retail Client Services issues and enhancements related to systems, processes and/or staff training related projects that fall within the Client Experience team
• Maintain relationships with our service providers so that we have a stable and sustainable partnership
• Manage change management and cross-functional stakeholder engagement
• Escalate issues for resolution and work with business stakeholders to ensure that interventions are correctly prioritised in backlog

Skills, competencies and experience

• Excellent problem-solving skills: ability to research, analyse, synthesise, and present information in an effective manner   
• A self-starter, with the ability to work independently as well as within a team
• Professional and friendly, with strong interpersonal skills
• Strong personal organisational skills, including time management and planning skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong client advocacy and ability to find solutions that solve clients’ pain points
• Strong negotiation skills
• Comfort working with data and analytical tools to draw insights, building business cases and support evidence-based decisions
• Curiosity about AI, digital servicing trends and how emerging technologies can improve client, adviser and operational experiences
• Basic technical fluency, for example the ability to understand system logic, data flows or simple code, would be advantageous

Qualifications and knowledge

• Relevant qualification/degree in an analytical or quantitative field such as computer science, engineering, business science, or similar
• Minimum 3 years experience in a similar or relevant field 
• Exposure to data analysis, automation, AI tools, BI/reporting tools or basic coding would be highly regarded