SENIOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST

The Senior Business Intelligence Analyst is a key member of the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team, supporting institutional decision-making through advanced data analysis, reporting, and business intelligence (BI) solutions. This role integrates data from financial, academic, and operational systems to develop dashboards, models, and forecasts that inform budgeting, resource allocation, and strategic planning. The analyst plays a pivotal role in automating reporting processes, advancing data governance practices, and supporting the university’s transition to AI-enabled decision support systems.
Employment Group

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Data Science, Computer Science, Business Analytics, or related discipline. Five to seven years in business intelligence, financial modeling, or institutional research. Proven experience designing and maintaining BI solutions using Power BI, SQL, and Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot). Experience with data warehouse systems, ERP platforms, and cloud tools (e.g., Azure, SSIS/SSRS).

• BI & Analytics: Power BI, Excel (advanced), DAX, SQL, Python (NumPy, Pandas)
• ETL & Data: Alteryx, SSIS, data cataloging tools
• Systems: ERP (e.g., Banner, Oracle, Workday), Student Info Systems
• Visualization & Reporting: Dashboard automation, KPI tracking, scenario modeling
• Strong analytical and problem-solving mindset.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of cross-functional teams.

VIU is pleased to offer eligible employees a comprehensive benefit plan; ample paid holiday time; professional development opportunities and a desirable pension plan. As part of the VIU campus community, our employees work with supportive colleagues within an encouraging environment and are provided with the tools and training that promote learning and development. The perks of VIU employment are multiple, and include well-being initiatives and services, strategic discounts, and flexible work opportunities.

NOTE:

• Short-listed candidates must provide original transcripts, or applicable original certifications at time of interview.
• All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
• Vancouver Island University (VIU) is collectively committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive working and learning environment for faculty, staff, and students. In our journey towards greater diversity, we invite applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all gender identities and sexual orientations who bring value to the VIU community through their lived experiences. We encourage members of all equity-seeking groups to self-identify within their application cover letter. When a candidate voluntarily discloses this information in their cover letter, the information will be used only for the fulfillment of the career opportunity. Disclosure and/or self-identification with an equity-seeking group will not lead to advantageous treatment of a candidate who is not qualified.

Financial Reporting & Budget Decision Support

• Develop Power BI dashboards and Excel models to monitor financial performance, support budget consolidation, and enable scenario planning.
• Assist in building rolling forecasts for operating and capital budgets using periodical data integration (monthly, quarterly, yearly).
• Provide ad hoc reporting and variance analysis to support institutional and departmental planning needs.
• Support strategic initiatives such as FTE planning, cost recovery models, and multi-year budget frameworks.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for financial data analytics and budgeting inquiries, providing expert guidance to stakeholders across the institution.

Business Intelligence Development

• Design, implement, and manage end-to-end BI solutions across financial, academic, and student systems and maintains pathways such as dashboards and reports.
• Use Power BI, DAX, SQL, and Python to transform data into actionable insights.
• Maintain and evolve BI datasets, measures, and calculation groups for long-term performance and usability.
• Create relationships in between revenue and cost driver and financial metrics

Data Integration & Governance

• Collaborate with IT and data stewards to ensure secure, accurate, and accessible data.
• Contribute to data quality initiatives and enforce governance standards (completeness, consistency, timeliness).
• Support data migration and integration efforts between legacy ERP systems and new platforms (e.g., Unit 4, Banner, Colleague, Oracle, SAP).
• Build logics & create data connections not enabled within the ERP to solve complex problems. Once tested work with specialist to push it back to the ERP when possible

Institutional Planning & Operational Support

• Analyze enrollment, course demand, retention, and student success data to support academic planning.
• Partner with institutional research and planning teams to build reporting tools for cyclical program reviews and KPIs.
• Collaborate on Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) and other funding model evaluations.
• Create an archive of main queries & reports for the previous 5 years and ONE Reporting model; stage 1 TEAMS/EXCEL & stage 2 POWERBI

Collaboration & Communication

• Act as liaison between Finance, IT, Institutional Planning, and academic departments to translate business needs into data products.
• Present complex analysis clearly to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership and governance bodies.
• Mentor junior analysts and support a culture of data literacy and evidence-based decision-making.