Business Application Specialist (SaaS)

Business Application Specialist

Newcastle upon Tyne - Hybrid role - Full time perm role

We are looking for an experienced Business Application Specialist to take ownership of the support, management and improvement of a portfolio of cloud-based business applications.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone currently working in Application Support, Business Systems Support or SaaS Application Management within a larger organisation who is looking for greater responsibility, autonomy and the chance to make a real impact within a smaller team.

The role combines hands-on technical application support, systems integration, automation and supplier management. You'll work closely with business stakeholders, technical teams and external suppliers to ensure applications are secure, reliable and fit for purpose.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide 2nd and 3rd line technical support across a portfolio of SaaS and business-critical applications.
• Take ownership of application incidents, troubleshooting issues and implementing long-term fixes.
• Administer and maintain applications, including configuration, permissions, upgrades and patches.
• Support and troubleshoot APIs, system integrations and data flows between applications.
• Manage technical relationships with software vendors and external support providers.
• Identify opportunities for automation and process improvement to reduce manual tasks.
• Manage application security, user access, authentication and single sign-on (SSO).
• Monitor application performance, licensing and utilisation, recommending improvements.
• Work alongside business analysts, project managers and technical colleagues to deliver system enhancements.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and contribute to application improvement plans.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in Application Support, Business Systems Support or SaaS Application Management.
• Strong experience supporting multiple cloud-based SaaS applications.
• Experience providing 2nd/3rd line application support and resolving complex incidents.
• Good understanding of APIs, web services and system integrations.
• Experience with Microsoft Entra ID or Active Directory, including access management and SSO.
• Knowledge of application security, permissions and change management.
• Experience working with software suppliers and managing technical escalations.
• Exposure to automation, scripting or workflow tools.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of technical issues.

Desirable Skills

• Microsoft Power Platform, particularly Power Automate.
• Microsoft Fabric and SQL.
• Azure or AWS cloud experience.
• ITIL knowledge or certification.
• Experience with application lifecycle management, licence optimisation and supplier SLAs.
• Experience supporting applications within education, healthcare or social care environments.