Graduate Data Consultant 2024

Jisc is the UK digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research, and innovation. We are a not-for-profit organisation with a big ambition to improve lives through education and research by providing hardware, software, and networking solutions. Our talented people bring their own unique skills and experience to empower our members and customers with the technology they need to succeed. Take your next career step with us and you can make a real difference to the education and research sector.

About the role

The Data Analytics division supports members and customers by providing data analytics and services to enrich the student experience and advance higher and further education with powerful business intelligence and analysis. The Data Analytics division focuses on three business delivery areas – analytics, business intelligence and digital.

The Business Intelligence space offers a range of services and products that support our members and customers’ needs; including a business intelligence consultancy offering, Tailored Datasets, Heidi Plus and Interactive insights.  This role will be part of the Business Intelligence team delivering Tailored Datasets and business intelligence consultancy.

The purpose of this role is to build extensive education data knowledge and apply this to provide advice, guidance, support and consultancy to our customers. This may include written reports, the delivery of on-site consultancy through workshops and using the latest visualisation techniques.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

• Contribute to numerous pieces of work, offering specialist advice and expertise to customers and ensuring the analyst team have the specifications and steer to meet Tailored dataset customer requirements.
• Build strong relationships with customers to ensure service delivery is effective.
• Resolve queries and issues raised by customers, escalating as appropriate in order to ensure an effective response is delivered.
• Specify and create specialist data reports in order to ensure the Consultancy customers’ requirements are met.
• Using the latest visualisation techniques (when required) by developing an advanced technical knowledge of the data streams and the techniques required to extract and prepare it.
• Peer review (including but not limited to) specifications, contractual terms, reports and data visualisations.
• Testing, manipulating and quality assuring data using the appropriate tools.
• Delivery of data intelligence consultancy services to FE, HE, research and commercial customers.
• Use of analytics tools (e.g. Tableau or PowerBI) to generate data visualisations for use in reports, data products and in the customer service delivery.
• Develop subject matter knowledge of the various data sources, including but not confined to: HE, FE and research data.

Experience

Need to have

• Experience of working with groups and individuals to understand their aims, needs, current position and other relevant information and identify tailored solutions.
• Experience in applying business intelligence solutions to solve problems
• Experience of manipulating and/or analysing complex data
• Customer facing experience

Nice to have

• HE, FE or Research sector experience
• Experience in developing and delivering reports.
• Experience of using Tableau or Power BI
• Experience to synthesise data and develop meaningful conclusions and (predictive) insight.

Skills & personal qualities:

Need to have

• Ability to synthesise data and develop meaningful conclusions and (predictive) insights
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, growth environment and comfortable with juggling different projects at the same time.
• Ability to exercise initiative and effectively prioritise a busy workload.
• Methodical and accurate working processes with a high level of attention to detail.
• Excellent oral, written communication and inter-personal skills with a strong professional ethic when dealing with customers, ensuring they receive excellent customer experience
• Proactive, work on own initiative with a best practice approach to pragmatically solve problems.
• Enthusiastic team player prepared to work flexibly across a matrix, and multi-site organisation.
• Strong organisational skills, time management skills and the ability to work to and meet deadlines.
• Able to assimilate information and to disseminate effectively.
• Able to negotiate and resolve conflicting priorities
• Ability to make sound decisions fast and work in a high paced, high pressure environment.
• Calm under pressure able to maintain a positive outlook.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset

Nice to have

• Statistical knowledge is not required, but the postholder will need the ability to understand general statistical concepts
• Thorough understanding of the principles of the Data Protection Act and GDPR

Qualifications & training

Need to have

• Degree and/or considerable relevant experience

We are constantly changing and evolving at Jisc, so this job description just gives a flavour of what the role involves. It will change as our operations develop.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

Why work for us?

At Jisc, everyone plays a key role and gets the chance to feel part of it, that to us is the definition of a meaningful career. We want to create a culture of lifelong learning. You can look forward to a rewarding job with opportunities to develop and make a real difference to the education and research sectors.

We believe a balance between your personal and professional life is essential to your happiness and fulfilment. We work flexibly at Jisc and focus on outputs rather than presenteeism and are open to a whole range of ways of working.

It isn’t about how many hours you spend at home or at work; it’s about the flow you establish that brings energy to both parts of your life. Our hybrid working policy is flexible, and the frequency of time spent in your nominated office will vary across teams and job roles.
Take a look at our fantastic benefits!

We offer

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes an additional three closure days over Christmas plus the opportunity to buy up to an additional 5 days
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• Protection benefit – life cover
• Annual Jisc performance award
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, employee assistance programme, mental health first aiders and support
• A generous budget to support you with external learning and Continuous professional development
• Allocated allowance of up to £250 to equip your home office
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• The opportunity to donate to charity tax-free with our Payroll Giving benefit
• Electric Car Lease Scheme and option to purchase SmartTech – spreading the cost of your everyday white goods and technology
• A wide range of discounts from retailers and big-name high-street stores and CSSC membership
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity leave and opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave
• Cycle to work scheme and eye care scheme including free eye test vouchers and £70 towards new glasses for VDU use
• Free flu vaccinations
• Employee recognition awards and travel loans
• A company culture which supports and promotes personal learning and development, including access to thousands of courses on LinkedIn Learning

Equity, diversity and inclusion

At Jisc, we don’t look for ‘sameness’, but to truly include people who can add unique perspectives and experiences to our culture, and we are working hard to achieve progressive change. ‘Always inclusive’ is one of our six guiding principles which actively encourages us to bring our whole authentic selves to work. We believe that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to our success.

Jisc believes our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging. We work with passionate colleagues to strengthen knowledge and awareness, provide learning and development opportunities, and foster multiple employee networks which create a sense of community and influence our policies and practice.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.

Application process

We want you to showcase your talent throughout the recruitment process. Please let us know how we can best support you to do that; for example, if there are any reasonable adjustments we may be able to put in place. We will be happy to help you.

Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it. However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls.

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.

Location

Hybrid

A blend of working from home and your nominated hub office, we have hubs in London, Bristol, Manchester and Oxford. Specific patterns for working in the office are not mandated, and the frequency of time worked in the office is agreed with your manager. Meeting in person is something we value so you may need to travel on occasion to any of our hub offices.