IT Application Analyst/Owner
đ IT Applications Analyst/Owner
Up to ÂŁ60,000 + 10% bonus | Hybrid | Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (2â3 days on site)
This is NOT a technical support or engineering role.
Part of a small team that own the applications that power one of the UKâs most diverse retail & hospitality organisations.
Our retail client is undergoing a technology transformation across a complex multiâbrand estate. With a portfolio of over 140 applications across operational, commercial, HR, finance, and digital teams, they are building a more strategic, businessâaligned Applications function.
To support this, weâre hiring a businessâfacing IT Applications Analyst - someone who understands how applications underpin dayâtoâday operations, can confidently engage with business teams and thirdâparty vendors, and who thrives in a role combining application ownership, lifecycle governance, process improvement, and change adoption.
This is NOT a technical support or engineering role.
This is an applications ownership and business/supplier engagement role.
đ What Youâll Be Doing
Own and Evolve Key Business Applications
- Manage the full lifecycle of core applications â onboarding, enhancements, maintenance, and retirement.
- Assess product roadmaps, upcoming releases, and their impact on operations.
- Coordinate regression testing and support the retirement of legacy systems and introduction of modern SaaS platforms.
Vendor & Partner Management
- Act as the primary liaison for thirdâparty vendors, ensuring strong performance and value for money.
- Support contract oversight, SLAs, licensing structures, performance reviews, and escalations.
Business Process Improvement Across Multiple Brands
- Work closely with business owners (in an environment without a formal BA function) to define requirements, refine processes, and ensure systems support operational needs.
- Advise on application suitability for new initiatives and help shape options with internal and external delivery partners.
Strengthen Governance, Controls & Documentation
- Ensure applications adhere to governance, security, compliance, MFA, and access control frameworks.
- Maintain clear application documentation, lifecycle records, and auditâready artefacts.
Champion Adoption & Continuous Improvement
- Become the SME for your application areas, raising awareness of new features and promoting effective usage.
- Support change projects, digital initiatives, process simplification, and automation opportunities.
Who Weâre Looking For
An ideal candidate will have:
- Experience in a business-facing applications role, ideally in retail, hospitality, or multiâsite environments.
- Vendor management expertise and confidence working with thirdâparty partners.
- Understanding of application lifecycle management, roadmaps, releases, and structured governance.
- Strong communication and stakeholder skills â translating technical topics into business-friendly language.
- Commercial awareness and operational pragmatism.
- A collaborative mindset, comfortable working across multiple brands and business units.
This role is NOT suitable for candidates with predominantly IT support, development, or infrastructure backgrounds.
đŒ Whatâs on Offer
- Up to ÂŁ60,000 salary
- Annual bonus
- Hybrid working: 2â3 days per week in the office
- Travel across UK sites as needed
- Retail & hospitality discounts
- Pension, perks, and continuous development pathways
- A chance to shape a newly created Applications function and influence how technology supports a nationwide retail operation
đ Why This Role Matters
You'll be joining at a pivotal moment, supporting initiatives such as:
- Retiring legacy applications
- Implementing new SaaS and cloudâbased tools
- Strengthening lifecycle governance and maintenance processes
- Enhancing supplier management
- Supporting data, integration, and digital evolution
- Improving operational processes across multiple brands
This is a highâimpact opportunity for someone who wants to shape how a complex, multiâbrand retail organisation uses technology at scale.