BUSINESS CONTINUITY SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION

Few corporate disciplines demand a wider internal network. A Business Continuity Specialist works across Facility Administration, Legal Affairs, People and Culture, IT, and Logistics to build the plans that determine whether an organization survives a disruption intact. Anchored in frameworks such as ISO 22301 and DRII standards, this role owns the full chain from Business Impact Analysis through plan publication, exercise design, and post-incident review. It is not advisory work with a light touch.

As the Business Continuity Specialist, you own the development, testing, and ongoing maintenance of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plans that protect critical operations across a global or multi-site enterprise. You operate within a resilience or security function, partnering with Incident Management Teams, regional recovery leads, and senior stakeholders to translate risk exposure into tested, executable response procedures.

Career Impact: Owning enterprise-wide BIA and recovery plan portfolios across business functions builds a depth of program management credibility that transfers directly into senior BCM roles or Chief Resilience Officer tracks.

Business Impact: When a disruption event occurs, the plans, exercises, and trained Incident Management Teams this role produces are what determine whether the organization recovers in hours or weeks.

Growth Opportunity: Exposure to cross-functional risk governance, ISO 22301 compliance cycles, and adaptive BCM methodology positions this role as a natural path toward Business Continuity Manager or Global Head of Resilience.

• Develop and maintain Business Continuity Plans and Emergency Response Plans across business units, incorporating findings from annual Business Impact Analyses.
• Lead and facilitate DR and BC exercise programs including tabletop, walkthrough, and full simulation scenarios, documenting gaps and driving corrective action to closure.
• Conduct Business Impact Analyses with stakeholder groups to identify critical functions, recovery time objectives, and interdependencies.
• Coordinate with IT infrastructure and project management teams to validate that disaster recovery solutions meet defined recoverability standards.
• Design and deliver training and awareness programs for business continuity planners, executive sponsors, and Incident Management Teams.
• Monitor organizational changes across business units to ensure continuity plans remain current, tested, and audit-ready.
• Manage emergency communications tools and support Incident Management Teams during live events, including status updates, conference call scheduling, and post-incident reporting.
• Maintain the Business Continuity Management System, ensuring integration of assessment data, recovery procedures, and compliance documentation.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Systems, Risk Management, or equivalent work experience.
• 3 or more years of business continuity or disaster recovery experience, with demonstrated ownership of BIA and plan development in a multi-site or global organization.
• Working knowledge of BC frameworks and standards including ISO 22301, DRII, NIST, or ITIL.
• Proven ability to facilitate exercises and training across diverse stakeholder groups at all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical and documentation skills, with experience developing process maps, recovery strategies, and formal incident reports.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present program status to executive sponsors.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects under time pressure and shift priorities during active incident events.
• Demonstrated experience performing formal and informal risk assessments and translating findings into actionable recovery strategies.

• Active business continuity certification such as CBCP, MBCP, CBCI, or MBCI from DRI or BCI.
• Experience implementing or administering a Business Continuity Management System platform at enterprise scale.
• Familiarity with adaptive BCM methodology and its application in organizations undergoing rapid structural change.
• Background in a regulated or operationally complex environment such as financial services, logistics, retail, or manufacturing.

• BCP and ERP currency rate, measuring the percentage of plans reviewed and updated within the annual cycle.
• Exercise completion rate, tracking scheduled tabletop and full-simulation events delivered on time against the annual program calendar.
• Corrective action closure rate, reflecting how consistently gaps identified in exercises are resolved within agreed timeframes.
• BIA coverage ratio, measuring the proportion of critical business functions with a current, validated impact analysis on file.
• Incident response activation time, tracking how quickly the Incident Management Team is mobilized from initial alert to first status update.
• Typical tools: BC management systems (commonly Fusion Risk Management or BC in the Cloud); notification platforms (commonly Everbridge).

• Base Salary Range: $75,000 to $105,000 annually
• Bonus: 5 to 10 percent annual performance bonus
• Equity: Not standard at this level; occasional RSU grants at enterprise employers
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision; employer contribution varies
• PTO: 15 to 20 days plus federal holidays; some roles include on-call relief days
• Common Perks: Remote or hybrid flexibility, professional certification reimbursement, emergency response stipend

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background check completion, including criminal history and where applicable drug screening, is a condition of employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, and local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring and employment process upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Business Continuity Specialist owns outreach tracking, impact reporting, and business continuity plan development, coordinating projects across cross-functional partners within the department. The role builds stakeholder stewardship through clear documentation and supports training and exercise initiatives that enable the organization's operational resilience.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage outreach tracking, impact and outcome reporting, coordinating business reviews, and updating metrics.
• Assist team with stakeholder management and coordination, including calendaring.
• Coordinate the delivery of projects across the department.
• Take clear meeting notes, data collection, and stakeholder stewardship.
• Provide support for training and exercise initiatives, including eLearning, in-person, and forums.
• Assist in the development and conduct of BC training and exercises.
• Track the team's compliance with BC guidelines.
• Develop spreadsheets, diagrams, process maps, presentations, and documentation.
• Assist in business continuity plan (BCP) development by researching BC plans and documenting changes and best practices.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in operations, project coordination, consulting, or an equivalent environment, including coordinating projects with cross-functional partners.
• Experience communicating to a variety of audiences and developing and documenting procedures and workflows.
• Experience with collaborative tools such as Confluence, SharePoint, and Wiki.
• Distinctive problem-solving and analytical skills combined with strong business acumen and technical ability.
• Excellent written, verbal, and client-facing communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively and adapt quickly.

Embedded within the IT and business continuity function, the Business Continuity Specialist delivers disaster recovery and business continuity solutions by developing, implementing, and sustaining DR and BIA plans and coordinating risk assessments with required stakeholders. Working closely with IT technical teams, third-party vendors, and auditors, the Specialist ensures recoverability is maintained and tested in alignment with business objectives.

Core Functions

• Support operational and day-to-day activities of business continuity and disaster recovery efforts for the firm.
• Interface with the IT project management office to ensure new and ongoing projects sustain recoverability consistent with business objectives.
• Work with the IT technical team to ensure DR solutions are adequately in place, maintained, and tested.
• Establish and maintain overall plans for executing all DR procedures and understand their interdependencies.
• Develop, implement, and sustain Disaster Recovery and BIA plans and procedures.
• Coordinate risk assessments with required stakeholders.
• Schedule, lead, and participate in DR test exercises and generate test report documentation.
• Coordinate with all internal teams, third parties, vendors, and auditors for the execution of DR activities.
• Ensure proper maintenance of BC/DR plans through regular reviews and identify DR best practices for broad adoption.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's or bachelor's degree relevant to the role.
• 5+ years of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery experience.
• Knowledge of the ISO 23001 standard preferred.
• Strong technical knowledge of IT recovery processes and BC/DR administration.
• Ability to solve practical problems with limited information and interpret instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Strong judgment and decision-making ability, with the capacity to include appropriate stakeholders in the process.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Continuity and Emergency Planning and Preparedness, the Business Continuity Specialist shapes enterprise-wide continuity by developing and managing Business Continuity Plans and Emergency Response Plans across global business units, including Facility Administration, Legal Affairs, and Global Communications. Partnering with regional recovery team leaders and the Global Security Office, the Specialist conducts Business Impact Analyses and facilitates mock exercises that sustain organizational readiness and resilience.

Primary Duties

• Develop continuity and emergency response plans in collaboration with regional and local recovery team leaders.
• Conduct Business Impact Analysis (BIA) with multiple stakeholder groups.
• Coordinate plan approval, then publish and distribute plans to appropriate team leaders, backups, staff, and offsite storage.
• Collaborate with Global IT on Business Continuity activities and dependencies.
• Maintain enterprise-wide visibility into business continuity and emergency preparedness issues and trends.
• Develop and deliver internal presentations and training to ensure continued readiness and awareness.
• Review and reconcile recovery plans, conduct planned tests, document gaps, assign corrective actions, and monitor resolution.
• Facilitate and develop business continuity and emergency response mock exercises.

Skills & Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience developing and executing business continuity and emergency response plans for a large global corporation or government institution.
• Demonstrated experience performing formal and informal risk assessments and Business Impact Analyses in a global enterprise.
• Good working knowledge of security operations and safety practices in a business environment.
• Knowledge of Fusion Risk Management is a strong plus.
• Ability to handle multiple projects with tight deadlines across a global enterprise while working under pressure.
• Self-motivated and detail-oriented with strong analytical, interpersonal, and written communication skills.

Sitting at the intersection of business continuity planning and IT recovery, the Business Continuity Specialist leads the creation and oversight of Business Impact Analyses, Business Continuity Plans, Technical Recovery Plans, and Incident Response Plans in support of management across all levels. Operating across the Business Continuity Management System and collaborating with BC planners and executive sponsors, the Specialist ensures planning, assessment, and recovery procedures are integrated and training is delivered on schedule.

Duties

• Provide expertise and support to all levels of management to ensure planning and preparation are in place to respond to a business disruption.
• Coordinate development of schedules for annual BC and technical recovery documentation maintenance, exercises, and independent review.
• Oversee the creation and completion of Business Impact Analyses, Business Continuity Plans, Technical Recovery Plans, and Incident Response Plans.
• Recommend recovery strategies and assist with the implementation of recovery solutions.
• Work within the Business Continuity Management System to integrate planning, assessment, and recovery procedures and data.
• Develop training schedules and deliver training to BC planners, executive sponsors, and key stakeholders.
• Assist with ongoing emergency notification system updates, validation, and exercises.
• Create, implement, and manage ad-hoc projects and perform routine administrative activities as assigned.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or equivalent experience.
• Active Business Continuity certification such as ABCP, CBCP, MBCP, CBCI, MBCI, ARM, or CRM.
• 10+ years of experience in financial services business continuity or related fields.
• Working knowledge of industry frameworks including DRII, COBIT, NIST, ITIL, and ISO 22301.
• Experience with business continuity management systems such as BC in the Cloud or Fusion.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Strong analytical, organizational, decision-making, and administrative skills with the ability to coordinate effectively with remote business partners.

A key member of the IT organization, the Business Continuity Analyst leads the planning and execution of business continuity and IT Disaster Recovery programs, performing business process analysis, business impact analysis, and risk assessments of essential functions and information systems. Collaborating across key infrastructure teams and coordinating with BC and DR stakeholders, the Analyst enables the organization to prepare for and recover from major technology disruptions.

Functions

• Support organizational planning to address disasters, interruptions of business functions, and enterprise resilience.
• Assist with the development of plans for continuity of essential functions and resumption of complete business operations.
• Monitor business and operational changes to ensure plans remain current and valid.
• Perform business process analysis and business impact analysis (BPA/BIA) and risk assessments of essential functions and information systems.
• Collaborate with key infrastructure teams to identify gaps, set recovery time objectives, and convey business needs.
• Ensure accurate documentation of system resilience and redundancy is maintained.
• Design, facilitate, and lead BC plan tests, exercises, and IT Disaster Recovery exercises.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university, preferably in a job-related field.
• CBCP certification.
• 2+ years of relevant professional experience in Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Project Management, Business Analysis, or Systems Analysis, including 3 to 5 years of IT-related BC/DR planning experience.
• Strong writing, research, and organizational skills with the ability to initiate and execute projects independently.
• Proven project management and time management skills with the ability to quickly pivot.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with excellent teamwork and collaboration ability.

Sustained organizational preparedness depends on the Business Continuity Specialist, who ensures Business Continuity program components, including Business Impact Analysis, Risk Assessments, plans, and strategies, are current, tested, and aligned to business requirements. Based within the incident management function, the Specialist administers emergency communications tools, conducts annual incident management training, and supports Incident Management Teams through scheduling, communications, and post-incident reporting.

Accountabilities

• Ensure Business Continuity program components, including Business Impact Analysis, Risk Assessments, plans, and strategies, are current, tested, and address business requirements.
• Coordinate and prepare post-incident reporting on business testing and recovery exercises including walk-throughs, full exercises, and remote formats.
• Conduct annual incident management training with all Incident Management Teams, including tabletop exercises with location-based risks.
• Develop schedules and materials for BC training and awareness activities.
• Administer and manage content on Business Continuity Teams and Intranet sites.
• Manage emergency communications with employees and administer emergency communications tools.
• Support the Incident Management Team by scheduling calls, managing communications, preparing status updates, guiding decisions, and creating post-incident reports.

Experience & Qualifications

• 5 to 10 years of experience in business continuity planning.
• An understanding of Information Technology concepts.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and SharePoint.
• Strong analytical and administrative skills, including the ability to develop project plans and achieve target dates.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to interact effectively across the organization.
• Ability to work both independently and as a productive team member with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to be on call for off-hour incident management events.
• Willing to travel domestically and internationally up to 10%.

As the Business Continuity Specialist, this role develops business continuity strategies and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation, supporting the Business Continuity Management System across diverse business partners. The corporate BC team relies on this work to drive continuous improvement, conduct and debrief regular exercises, and coordinate projects with internal functions and external third parties in a complex, fast-evolving environment.

Activities

• Develop business continuity strategies and solutions including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation.
• Plan, conduct, and debrief regular exercises to test the adequacy of existing plans and strategies, updating procedures and plans regularly.
• Assist in the implementation of the Business Continuity Management System with different business partners.
• Produce project reports independently and control delivery quality by evaluating the efficiency and adequacy of proposed solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement of the Business Continuity Management System by identifying, analyzing, and preventing critical conditions that could compromise BC results.
• Support the Line Manager in coordinating projects and interfacing with internal functions and external third parties.

Technical Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Business Management, or comparable education.
• DRI, BCI, and/or Lead Auditor (ISO 19011) certifications considered a plus.
• 5+ years of experience in corporate-level Business Continuity, Emergency Management, or Crisis Management.
• Experience in the Luxury sector and/or Supply Chain considered a plus.
• Experience with applicable Security Controls in a logistics work environment considered a plus.
• Executive-level technical and interpersonal communication skills with strong problem-solving ability in fast-evolving environments.
• Fluency in Italian and English required; French is a plus.
• Willingness to travel when required.

Business Continuity Specialist builds and sustains business continuity procedures and processes across Head Office, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Retail functions for Morrisons Group, capturing Business Impact Analysis requirements and creating and maintaining Business Continuity Plans. Success in the position means developing effective stakeholder relationships across all sites and BC leads, delivering training and awareness sessions, and supporting incident management requirements to meet recovery expectations across the Group.

Operational Focus

• Assist in the delivery, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of all Business Continuity procedures and processes across Central, Manufacturing, Logistics, and Retail business functions.
• Capture and document Business Impact Analysis requirements, and create, review, and maintain Business Continuity Plans.
• Schedule and support delivery of BC workshops, meetings, training sessions, awareness briefings, exercises, and Work Area Recovery Facility exercises.
• Support Incident Management requirements including live incidents, incident meetings, post-incident reviews, and maintenance of incident logs.
• Develop templates, methodologies, procedures, documentation, bulletins, and processes to support the BC program.
• Build effective working relationships with key stakeholders across all functions, sites, and BC leads across the Group to resolve problems and meet recovery expectations.
• Raise awareness and understanding of Business Continuity across all business areas.

Position Requirements

• Proven experience in Business Continuity, Risk Management, or other resilience disciplines.
• Business Continuity Institute membership or accreditation desirable.
• Experience in the Retail sector desirable.
• Maintained subject matter expertise in Business Continuity processes and best practice, including an understanding of Incident Management practices.
• Strong analytical, project management, and presentation skills.
• Ability to transfer and analyze business and technology requirements.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive, flexible, and self-developing approach to work.
• Able to function independently and within cross-functional teams.
• Full clean driving licence with flexibility to travel.

The Business Continuity Specialist owns the development, implementation, and ongoing administration of the Business Continuity Program, managing the business impact analysis process and serving as owner of BC policies and standards across the organization. The role delivers program reporting, drives corrective action resolution, and collaborates with Regional Security Managers, IT, Finance, and Legal to maintain audit-readiness and advance the business continuity framework.

Key Deliverables

• Provide input in the development and execution of the Business Continuity Program and serve as owner of BC management materials, including policies and standards.
• Identify and influence the adoption of business continuity best practices aligned to client culture and unique business needs.
• Manage the business impact analysis process to determine program focus priorities.
• Maintain a state of audit-readiness to support regulatory and partner requirements and identify program improvement opportunities.
• Support business units in identifying critical processes, formulating disruption responses, completing BIA updates, and performing ongoing maintenance and testing.
• Provide periodic reports on program status and track and drive resolution of all corrective action activity.
• Manage BC service provider contracts and vendor BC/DR compliance programs, and incorporate new business units, systems, and processes into the program.
• Collaborate with Regional Security Managers, IT, Finance, Legal, and other service functions.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of ITDR principles and strategic program management and consulting skills.
• Ability to identify risk and define mitigation measures across multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities.
• Strong client orientation with effective independent judgment and decision-making ability.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively at all levels and across diverse cultures.
• Ability to analyze complex situations, recommend solutions, and facilitate progressive change.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.

Embedded within global BC leadership, the Business Continuity Specialist delivers an Adaptive Business Continuity Strategy to prepare the company for potential disruptions and mitigate risk, leading and coordinating continuity efforts before and after disruption events in collaboration with BC Leadership and Local Response Teams. Working closely with all departments and external emergency response organizations, the Specialist builds a culture of preparedness through regular drills, awareness training, and reporting on BC preparedness progress across a complex global environment.

Areas of Ownership

• Lead Business Continuity efforts by building out an Adaptive Business Continuity Strategy to prepare the company for potential disruptions and mitigate risks.
• Develop, maintain, and implement BC solutions including risk assessments, business impact analysis, and continuity frameworks and guidelines.
• Plan, conduct, and debrief regular BC drills and exercises, testing technical components of BC plans and documenting results and enhancements.
• Lead and coordinate continuity efforts before and after disruption events in collaboration with BC Leadership and Local Response Teams.
• Identify, prepare, and deliver awareness training to staff with and without BC responsibilities.
• Build a culture of preparedness across all areas of the company, ensuring resources, procedures, and competencies are in place to respond and recover.
• Support all departments in exercising, updating, and maintaining their specific BC plans and coordinate with external emergency response organizations.
• Prepare regular reporting on BC preparedness progress and track current and future risks.

Professional Experience

• 10+ years of experience in an Operational, Service Management, or BCM role including crisis and emergency management, business impact analysis, and risk assessment, with at least 3 years in a global company.
• BCP certification considered an asset, with knowledge of Adaptive BCM methodology.
• Knowledge and experience in risk identification, mitigation, and change management in complex global environments.
• Outstanding negotiating, interpersonal, and diplomacy skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships across all stakeholder levels.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate strategic objectives.
• Exceptional ability to remain calm under stress, with strong emotional intelligence, resourcefulness, and a servant leadership mindset.

Reporting to the Business Continuity Manager, the Business Continuity Specialist shapes the business continuity program by coordinating, monitoring, and ensuring implementation of crisis management and BC plans to resume operations following disruptions, protecting Primark's brand and reputation. Partnering with Global, National, and Functional Crisis Management Teams and line management, the Specialist designs and tests Business Continuity Plans, coordinates business recovery simulation exercises, and manages emergency communications across the organization.

Role Responsibilities

• Coordinate, monitor, and ensure implementation of crisis management and BC plans, providing response, recovery, and tactical plans to resume operations following a disruption.
• Analyze company-wide initiatives and contingency plans to ensure the stability of critical business functions, processes, and systems within a specific timeframe and minimize financial risk.
• Develop schedules and materials for BC training and awareness activities to ensure teams are trained and proficient in implementing BC plans.
• Design and test Business Continuity Plans in collaboration with line management and the Business Continuity Manager.
• Coordinate business recovery simulation exercises including walk-throughs, tabletops, and remote formats.
• Manage emergency communications with employees and administer communications tools.
• Support Global, National, and Functional Crisis Management Teams through scheduling, communications, status updates, decision support, and post-incident reporting.
• Support on-call monitoring of global events and other BC-related initiatives, including site selection and strategy development.

Background & Experience

• Ability to collect, process, and perform data analyses using BI tools with strong skills in data interrogation across a variety of business data.
• Critical thinking and commercial instinct with the ability to quickly understand the implications of situations on commercial performance and present solutions methodically.
• Ability to build stakeholder relationships across all levels, being commercially aware and numerically savvy.
• Strong storytelling and communication skills with comfort working cross-functionally throughout the business.
• Effective planning and organization skills with the ability to prioritize work and operate in an agile, project-based environment.
• Strong emotional intelligence and action-oriented mindset.
• A passion for identifying risks, overcoming challenges, and formulating growth scenarios.