Strategy, Innovation & Enterprise

Location:  Other
Salary:   £30,942 to £34,804
Full Time Fixed Term (2 years)
Closing Date:  Wednesday 25 August 2021
Reference:  1443421TR

A Graduate Digital Business Analyst* is required to work with a specialist security consultancy and to deliver a strategic upgrade to their systems and processes.

Spearfish Security (https://www.spear-fish.com/) and the Southampton Business School (SBS) are looking to appoint a high calibre Associate as a Digital Business Analyst to take a leading role in developing and implementing data applications. 

The role will be based at Spearfish, an independent SME that provides security risk management for a number of large UK foreign aid programmes in such places as Nigeria, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Kenya. Spearfish currently deliver advice to clients utilising a network of in-country advisors to distribute timely, accurate and relevant information to manage their risk. The post-holder will also have access to staff at SBS and the Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) department at the University of Southampton which is a Russel Group university with international excellence and reputation for business and data analytics. This role presents a unique and exciting opportunity to collaborate with industry and leading academics, to apply knowledge and business innovation to Spearfish’s processes, and to identify new market opportunities and improve productivity.

This position is part of the Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership (mKTP) programme co-funding by a grant from Innovate UK. mKTP provides high calibre jobs working with business across the UK and offer a wide range of benefits including access to a £4,000 Personal Development budget to upskill during the project (for more information on mKTP, please see https://www.ktp-uk.org/).

The successful candidate will be employed by the University and will be based at Spearfish Security (Winchester), where they will lead on the business and data analytics of the project and be supported by academics from SBS and ECS at the University of Southampton.

The position is for 24 months. The start date is as soon as practical.

The Graduate Digital Business Analyst will be required to undertake the following activities and responsibilities: 

• Working across company to ascertain and validate the business needs analysis. 
• Engaging with customers to understand their requirements in detail. 
• Ownership of the Project Management and communication of the project progress. 
• Represent Spearfish Security Ltd in identifying and selecting Software Development providers. 
• Produce technical specifications referencing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
• Embedding a strategic and technical knowledge transfer into business. 

The successful Graduate Digital Business Analyst will have the following skills, experience and attributes: 

• BSc and/or MSc in Business Analytics, Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering or similar. 
• Planning and Organising skills – confident in conducting own research appropriate to the business task. 
• Strong communication skills and knowledgeable about the appropriate methods of communications. 
• An understanding of project management tools and techniques, for example Gantt charts, risk registers, benefits log. 
• An understanding or interest in AI or Machine Learning (Beneficial) 
• Confident and knowledgeable regarding working across different cultures.  

*Within the University, the title of the post will be Enterprise Fellow - Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Application Procedure 

You should submit your completed online application form at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Sam Stubbs (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 2380 592750 or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk  Please quote reference 1443421TR on all correspondence.