Operations Business Analyst

Howden is seeking an Operations Business Analyst to support planning, execution, and governance of programs and projects across its US Retail business. Reporting to the Head of PMO, the role translates business needs into requirements and provides analysis, documentation, and delivery support to Program Managers.

Responsibilities:

• Elicit, document, and validate business requirements for assigned programs and projects in partnership with Program Managers and business stakeholders
• Develop clear functional specifications, use cases, user stories, and acceptance criteria to support technology and process delivery teams
• Conduct current-state analysis and gap assessments to support the design of future-state solutions
• Support the development of business cases and initiative intake documentation in alignment with PMO standards
• Partner with Program Managers to support the execution of assigned programs, including tracking workstream progress, dependencies, risks, and issues
• Develop and maintain program documentation, including project plans, status reports, RAID logs, and decision logs
• Coordinate with cross-functional stakeholders to gather updates, resolve action items, and support meeting preparation and follow-through
• Support UAT planning and execution, working with business teams and technology partners to validate that solutions meet requirements
• Support change management activities for assigned programs, including stakeholder impact assessments, communication planning, and adoption tracking
• Maintain accurate and timely project documentation in PMO tools (e.g., Monday.com) in accordance with governance standards
• Support portfolio-level reporting by consolidating status, risks, and milestones across assigned programs
• Contribute to benefits tracking and lessons learned documentation at program completion
• Assist in the development and maintenance of PMO templates, tools, and standard operating procedures

Requirements:

• Strong analytical and structured thinking skills with the ability to translate complex business needs into clear, actionable requirements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing clear documentation for diverse audiences
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with strong attention to detail
• Collaborative and proactive, with the ability to build effective working relationships across business and technology teams
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity and contributing to solution design in evolving environments
• 3–6 years of experience in a Business Analyst or project delivery role
• Experience supporting technology implementations or business transformation programs
• Familiarity with Agile, waterfall, or hybrid project delivery methodologies
• Proficiency with project management and portfolio tools (e.g., Monday.com, or similar)
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Information Systems, or a related field
• preferably within insurance brokerage or a related financial services environment
• CBAP, PMI-PBA, or equivalent business analysis certification is a plus