Data Analysis Lead (Finance) at Save the Children

ROLE PURPOSE:

Save the Children International (SCI) is looking for a Senior data analyst (Finance) to lead on developing visual, self-service information assets for Finance on Power BI.

The current Finance Reporting suite predominantly consists of SQL reports drawing data from the transactional Finance system. These reports challenge the performance of the Finance system, are inflexible, and in many cases data in-or exclusions and calculation of the reported measures are not fully understood.
Over the next 1-2 years, we are planning to move the majority of Finance reporting away from the Financial system to a Data Warehouse solution (Azure), with Power BI as analytics and visualisation tool

 This role will:

• Lead on developing visually intuitive information assets for Finance end users on Power BI
• Introduce best practices for information visualisation in the Finance context
• Educate the Finance Reporting team and Finance super users in developing information assets
• Provide input and play a significant role in moving Finance Reporting to the DWH
• Help transform the Finance Reporting team into an innovative central information service for Finance that anticipates Finance information needs and provides options for all Finance stakeholders to access available information.
• Contribute to the wider SCI data analytics community and SCI’s data analytics maturity
• Be accountable for providing key financial information which informs far-reaching decisions by senior decision makers on Programmes, in Country, Regional and Centre (e.g. investment decisions or rightsizing decisions by CDs/ CFOs/ Operations Directors; RDs/ RFDs / Regional Ops Directors; SCI CFO, COO)

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of Finance Strategy and Transformation

Role Dimensions:

The information assets the post-holder will design and produce will serve a wide range of stakeholder groups, predominantly in Finance (SCA, SCI centre, regions, countries, programmes, potentially on-boarded members), but also including budget holder’s country and regional / functional leadership;

These tools will provide key financial information to inform financially critical decisions, and will improve the organisation’s capability to manage the approx. $2bn SCI programme portfolio. The role holder will also interact with leaders of the SCI/SCA’s data analytics community and support the development of BI standards.

Staff directly reporting to this post: none presently, but with a potential to lead 1-2 junior staff:
But this role will be guiding 2 senior team members in using new techniques introduced by this role, and will be supervising the output of 2 junior team members and super users.

Team size: currently 3, with a potential to grow to 5-6 over the next 1-2 years

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

 Finance information strategy: 

• Introduce innovation to improve data visualisation and information sharing and to make information intuitive and easily understandable for all skill levels
• Develop best in class formats to convey information effectively to stakeholders (Board, Senior leadership teams in Centre, Region, Countries, operational Finance teams, budget holders
• Drive data democratisation through self-service
• Continuously improve reporting and information sharing processes and tools

Data modelling, analysis and visualisation with Power BI: 

• Review data modelling approach in DWH and advise on optimising the overall data modelling approach between DWH and Power BI
• Design visually intuitive, flexible Power BI assets, aligned to audience needs; assets include dashboards and reports for end users ranging from senior management to operational staff, as well as and self-service tools (data marts / data flows) for more advanced Finance analysts;
• Apply best practice UX (User experience) visualisation principles, optimizing Usability, Usefulness, Accessibility, User delight, potentially including visualisation on mobile devices
• Build proof of concept tools
• Be accountable for high quality and timely delivery of key Finance information to senior decision makers on programme, country, regional and Centre leadership teams

Education and community

• Take a leading role in cross-functionally developing and aligning design and visualisation principles and data templates, working with the wider SCI data analysis community (Various functional data analytics teams, BI team, Data governance team, …)
• Instruct Finance reporting team members / Finance super users in building information assets and tools via Power BI, including data modelling, data analysis, data visualisation, UX (User Experience) design best practices
• Advise on best practice training methods for end user audience groups
• Create an active Finance BI community, driving data democratisation, establishing standards and supervising outputs to ensure high reporting quality using DWH data via Power BI

Reporting suite and processes: 

• Analyse existing reporting needs and identify opportunities to meet existing information needs or to adding additional value (new information, more accessible information) via Power BI
• Advise on how to replace existing reports through visually intuitive, flexible tools with the objective to replace multiple Agresso reports through BI tools
• Guide and advise MI solution managers in their data visualisation outputs, supervise and review outputs of Junior data analysts, any Finance super users once self-service is established

Project Support

• Provide support to strategic finance projects (e.g. HPO)
• Support the on-boarding of BAU reporting changes driven by strategic projects

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (SCI Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, budget holders, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

Qualification:

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Management, Business Information Systems or similar disciplines.
• Professional qualifications or related certificates in the following in Data analytics, Finance (e.g. bachelor) and qualifications on Power BI would be an added advantage

 Skills:

• 7 years+ experience in designing and building data assets for business stakeholders
• Expert knowledge of techniques, best practices and trends in
  • data modelling, data base design and data warehousing
  • data analysis and data reconciliation
  • data visualisation and UX
• Expert knowledge of Power BI Platform including Power Apps, DAX, Integration with Office 365 apps, Desktop and Mobile, Report Server, Report Builder
• Good understanding of Finance processes, stakeholders and related information requirements
• Demonstrated leadership and passion for advancing BI in an organisation; future orientated, strategic thinking
• Demonstrated ability to translate Finance requirements into specifications required for their production, and to manage production stakeholders across Finance and IT
• Analytical approach to problem solving, excellent prioritisation and time management skills
• INGO Sector knowledge would be an added advantage
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Experience with training approaches for roll-out of Finance BI tools

Closing: 4 April 2023