Senior Business Analyst

The Senior Business Analyst is a catalyst for smarter, simpler and more scalable ways of working at SolarAfrica Energy. Working at the intersection of people, process, data, and technology, this role partners with business leaders to uncover the real problems behind operational pain points, challenge established thinking, and turn promising ideas into practical solutions people embrace. This role is responsible for enabling scalable business growth through strategic use of technology and continuous improvement.

The role owns the full journey from problem discovery and process redesign through solution design, implementation, change adoption to handover into business-as-usual with measurable benefit realisation. The role develops and implements RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and AI-enabled automation using Copilot Studio, Foundry, Power Automate, Power Apps and Power BI. As a trusted advisor and coach, the role builds confidence in new ways of working and helps SolarAfrica harness technology intelligently to grow without unnecessary complexity.

Position of the job in the organisation:

The Senior Business Analyst will report directly to the Head of Business Enablement.

Principal responsibilities:

Lead business analysis for system implementations

• Partner with stakeholders to drive the analysis, design and implementation of system enhancements across the business.
• Translate business needs into practical, scalable and integrated system solutions.
• Ensure business requirements are visible, understood, and prioritised.
• Facilitate requirements gathering and document functional requirements, processes, user stories and solution designs.
• Assess solution options, integrations, dependencies, impacts and risks.
• Coordinate UAT, implementation, handover and system adoption.
• Support solution evaluation and configuration decisions by ensuring business requirements are understood, prioritised and traceable.

Drive continuous improvement across business processes

• Act as an advisor to teams, guiding the understanding of current problems, challenging assumptions where appropriate, and facilitating solution ideation.
• Review existing processes to identify pain points, duplication, control gaps, and manual workarounds.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, controls, standardisation and scalability across the business.
• Develop and implement appropriate AI tools, digital agents, workflow automation and digital solutions.

Project manage assigned business improvement and system projects

• Lead assigned initiatives from planning through implementation and closure.
• Manage scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, risks, dependencies and project plans.
• Coordinate stakeholders, including business, technology teams and external implementation partners.
• Manage change, communication, training, handover, progress reporting and benefits tracking.

Enable reporting and data-driven decision-making

• Translate reporting and decision-making needs into data structures and system requirements.
• Establish master data, ownership and quality controls.
• Develop automated Power BI reports and dashboards for Business Intelligence.
• Support operations with automated data monitoring.

Coach the business to build sustainable business analysis capability

• Coach business users in structured problem-solving, process mapping, requirements definition, root cause analysis and practical solution design.
• Provide guidance on problem-solving, process mapping, requirements and solution design.
• Mentor junior analysts and key process owners.
• Build business confidence in AI-enabled tools through practical guidance and training.

Any other job duties associated with this role.

Education requirements

• Bachelors Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Business analysis certification, such as IIBA, CBAP, CCBA, ECBA, Agile Business Analysis or equivalent, would be advantageous.
• Project management certification, such as PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, Scrum or equivalent, would be advantageous.
• Certification in data analytics or Power BI would be advantageous,
• Certification in Power Automate or other Robotic Process Automation would be advantageous,
• Certification in Copilot Studio or Agentic AI & AI Orchestration tools would be advantageous.

Experience & Skills

• Minimum of 6 years’ business analysis experience, preferably in a growing, project-driven or operationally complex organisation, with in-house development.
• Proven experience leading business analysis activities for new system implementations, digital transformation or AI-implementation initiatives.
• Experience defining business requirements, functional requirements, user stories, process maps, future-state processes, test scenarios and solution documentation.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders, including business process owners, technology teams, implementation partners, vendors and end users.
• Experience managing own projects or initiatives from initiation to closure, including scope definition, planning, stakeholder coordination, risk management, change management and handover.
• Experience designing or defining data structures, reporting requirements, data capture fields, business definitions and key reporting dimensions before system implementation.
• Exposure to business intelligence, dashboard design, operational reporting, data quality improvement and decision-support reporting, preferably utilising PowerBI.
• Experience identifying automation opportunities and applying workflow automation, RPA, AI tools, or digital agents where appropriate.
• Experience supporting user adoption through training, documentation, communication, change readiness activities and post-implementation support.
• Experience coaching business users, process owners or junior analysts in structured problem-solving, process thinking, requirements definition and effective use of implemented solutions.
• Exposure to Dynamics 365 is advantageous.

Specific attributes:

• Strong business analysis capability, including requirements elicitation, stakeholder facilitation, process mapping, gap analysis, root cause analysis, solution assessment and documentation.
• Strong process improvement mindset with the ability to identify inefficiencies, control gaps, duplication, manual workarounds and opportunities for standardisation or automation.
• Strong project coordination and self-management skills, with the ability to manage timelines, actions, risks, dependencies, decisions and communication across multiple initiatives.
• Good understanding of system implementation lifecycles, including design, configuration, testing, user acceptance testing, deployment, change management and business-as-usual handover.
• Strong communication, facilitation and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to challenge assumptions constructively, simplify complexity, present options clearly and make practical recommendations.
• Coaching and mentoring ability, with the confidence to guide business users and junior analysts in structured analysis, process ownership and adoption of new ways of working.

Desirable attributes:

• Strong data literacy, including the ability to define data requirements, interpret reporting needs, understand data quality implications and translate decision-making needs into system and reporting requirements.
• Ability to work with AI-enabled tools, digital agents, workflow automation and reporting tools in a responsible and practical way to support improved business outcomes.
• Strong documentation discipline, attention to detail and ability to maintain clear requirements, process, decision and handover records.

What Does Success Look Like?

By 3 Months

• I will have built a strong understanding of SolarAfrica’s operating model, strategic priorities, key systems, current business processes, and the role Business Operations plays in enabling scalable growth.
• I will have established working relationships with key stakeholders across business teams, technology, implementation partners, and process owners
• I will have taken ownership of at least one priority initiative, with a clear view of current pain points, priorities, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• I will have identified practical opportunities where systems, automation, AI-enabled tools, or digital agents can reduce manual effort, improve control, or improve quality of output.

By 6 Months

• I will be independently leading assigned business improvement or system-related initiatives.
• I will have delivered clear, high-quality solution documentation, including future-state processes, requirements, data requirements, user stories or functional specifications, test scenarios, adoption impacts, and handover requirements.
• I will have supported measurable improvement in at least one business process, demonstrated through reduced manual effort, improved standardisation, clearer ownership, better controls, or improved stakeholder experience.
• I will have contributed to improved reporting and decision-making for relevant initiatives.
• I will have started coaching business users, process owners, or junior analysts in structured problem-solving, process mapping, requirements definition, solution thinking, and responsible use of AI-enabled productivity tools.

By 12 Months

• I will be recognised as a trusted specialist who can translate complex business problems into practical, scalable, technology-enabled solutions.
• I will have successfully delivered or materially progressed assigned system implementation, automation, reporting, or continuous improvement initiatives within agreed scope, timelines, quality expectations, and governance requirements.
• I will have helped embed sustainable adoption of new systems, processes, reports, or automations through effective stakeholder engagement, training, documentation, UAT coordination, change management, and business-as-usual handover.
• I will have contributed to SolarAfrica’s integrated and automated systems ambition by improving process discipline, data quality, reporting availability, system adoption, and the intelligent use of AI, automation, or digital tools.
• I will have strengthened business analysis capability across the organisation by coaching others, introducing practical analysis standards, improving documentation discipline, and enabling teams to solve problems more effectively.

Core Values:

We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.

• We are passionate and proud of what we do.
• We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult
• We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together
• We are dependable and take accountability
• No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.

We are currently only considering candidates based in South Africa with valid working rights. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications from outside the country at this time.