POSITION DETAILS

Executive Support
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,735 to £55,755 with potential progression once in post to £62,728
Grade: 8
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to February 2027
Closing date: 5th May 2025

BACKGROUND

Are you passionate about shaping the future of data and analytics in a leading institution?
The University of Birmingham is undergoing a major digital transformation, with a strong focus on enhancing its data and analytics capabilities as key enablers for the University’s 2030 ambitions. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work within a rapidly expanding team contributing to a university-wide shift in how we use data to inform strategic decision-making.
We are looking for a technically minded Senior Systems Analyst to support the implementation of our Institutional Data Strategy. You will play a key role in gathering business requirements, improving data workflows, and supporting the development of a new Power BI reporting framework. Working closely with IT Services, Professional Services, and academic stakeholders, you will ensure that our data infrastructure and tools meet the evolving needs of the institution.
This role is ideal for someone with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, experience in business intelligence tools like Power BI, and a passion for using data to drive impact. You will need to be a confident communicator who can work effectively across both technical teams and senior stakeholders, translating complex requirements into clear, actionable insights.
If you’re looking to make a real difference in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment, are passionate about demonstrating the value of data and analytics in driving institutional progress, we’d love to hear from you.
The Data and Analytics Team is a new team supporting the delivery of the University’s Data Strategy. Situated within the Strategic Planning and Performance Insight Office and part of the wider Executive Support Division, we have a close working relationship with IT Services. We work with colleagues across the University to connect a range of perspectives to support senior leaders in making well-informed and evidence-led decisions. We aim to provide trusted advice and expertise, insightful analysis, and robust data.

The Strategic Planning and Performance remit can be categorised into four broad themes:

• Data governance, capability and reporting. Our enabler, providing technical data and systems management, and ensuring quality, accurate and accessible data.
• Policy, regulation and compliance. Seeking to understand and interpret the implications of the external environment on the University.
• Institutional planning. Understanding and advising on where we want, and need, to go as a University.
• Performance Insight and Strategy management. Understanding whether the University is on track to deliver to its strategic priorities.

ROLE SUMMARY

The University of Birmingham’s digital and data landscape is undergoing major transformation. One of the underpinning elements of our Digital Strategy is to move our on-premise warehousing and reporting to the cloud, investing in new technologies and services. In this role you will play an integral part in supporting the implementation of the Institutional Data Strategy and data informed decision-making by improving the University’s data infrastructure, analytics capabilities, and institutional reporting. If you are looking to develop your experience of supporting impactful change and are passionate about demonstrating the value of data and analytics in driving institutional progress, this is the role for you!
Reporting to the Head of Data and Analytics and working in close partnership with colleagues in IT Services and stakeholders across Professional Services and Colleges, you will be a technically focussed analyst with experience of gathering business requirements for enterprise reporting and analytics projects. You will be responsible for gathering business requirements, improving system workflows, and supporting data-driven decision-making across academic and administrative functions ensuring that data platforms, analytics tools, and enterprise systems are aligned with institutional needs. You will support the implementation of a new reporting framework encompassing modern technical reporting solutions, clear data models and definitions, and reporting standards within the Power BI environment.
This will be a huge opportunity for the right person to support the delivery of suites of reports from our new Power BI Reporting Platform. The successful candidate will have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data requirements into actionable insights and proficient in data modelling and business intelligence tools. You will be a proactive communicator and collaborator, able to engage with both technical teams and senior stakeholders, demonstrating a keen eye for detail, a strategic mindset, and a commitment to improving data-driven decision-making in a fast-paced environment.

GENERAL DUTIES

• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.