Data Analyst

Data Analyst - Higher Education - 6 Month Contract - £700 Per Day A leading organisation within the education sector is seeking an experienced Data Analyst to support a significant data architecture and migration programme. The role sits within a dedicated Data Architecture and Migration workstream and will play an important part in transitioning from legacy student record systems to a modern SaaS platform. The successful candidate will analyse, validate, and reconcile data across multiple environments to ensure integrity, consistency, and continuity of reporting throughout the migration process. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a transformative project that will shape future data capabilities within the institution. Key Responsibilities Data Analysis & Validation • Query, explore, and reconcile data across migration and live systems using SQL and tools such as Power BI, Python, Excel, and Banner Insights. • Identify, investigate, and visualise data quality issues, presenting findings to business stakeholders to support data cleansing and transformation activities. • Work closely with data architects and departmental teams to validate mapping logic and transformation rules for key education data assets. Stakeholder Collaboration • Engage with academic and professional services stakeholders to investigate and resolve data-related queries. • Translate technical analysis into clear insights for colleagues across the institution. • Build positive and productive relationships across faculties, student services, IT, and project teams. Reporting & Insight • Support the review of existing reports, identifying dependencies on legacy data sources. • Develop new Power BI (or equivalent) reports to monitor cleansing progress, migration readiness, and data quality. • Assist in ensuring that essential education data - such as student records, enrolment, progression, and assessment information - remains visible post-migration. Collaboration & Continuous Improvement • Work closely with data engineers, architects, and governance teams to enhance data quality, metadata, and documentation. • Contribute to improved data models and support the institution’s long-term data strategy. • Help design and maintain dashboards tracking migration progress, data quality metrics, and business readiness. Essential Skills & Experience • Strong SQL skills with experience querying complex data models. • Experience working with Higher Education data structures and student record systems (e.g., SITS, Banner). • Demonstrated ability to work with data from multiple systems, ideally within a migration or transformation project. • Skilled in developing and analysing reports in Power BI. • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a strong attention to detail. • Effective communicator with experience engaging both technical and non-technical stakeholders. • Understanding of data quality principles and data governance frameworks within an education setting. Desirable Skills & Experience • Familiarity with ETL or data pipeline tools (e.g., Pentaho, MuleSoft, dbt Labs). • Knowledge of data warehousing and reporting best practices. • Understanding of data modelling and metadata management. • Awareness of GDPR and data protection, particularly in relation to student data.