Department Overview
A Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Analytics team transforms raw data into actionable insights to drive strategic decision-making. They collect, organize, and maintain data, analyze trends, and create reports and dashboards for real-time monitoring. By tracking key metrics, forecasting trends, and ensuring data accuracy and security, they help optimize performance and business outcomes. Collaborating with stakeholders, they provide data-driven recommendations to enhance efficiency and support growth.
What requirements and technical training is needed to get into this position?
Structured Query Language(SQL) is a firm requirement to access data and connect it across our database(s).
Data visualization. We use Tableau as “front-end” tool, and while not a requirement we’d like you to have experience sharing/explaining data through visuals.
Languages like R and Python are more nice-to-haves, but are becoming more necessary with each passing year.
What do you do on a day-to-day basis?
We work with stakeholders to help solve business questions (why do we see a decline in a certain metric), put together new proposals or ideas (perhaps to open or loosen credit standards) and create reporting to help monitor and evaluate business performance and tests.
What days/hours does your team work?
“9-5” Monday through Friday. Though depending on deadlines or level of urgency around a particular matter we may work after hours or on weekends.
Who are the key stakeholders and who is impacted by your work (who’s your client)?
Our stakeholders are all internal and scale from managers to the SLT. Particular teams serve particular areas within the business, but, in general, we work with all business units. Marketing, sales, credit risk, underwriting, servicing, product and engineering.
What are the metrics/KPIs used to define success?
Like many areas of shared service, we work with our management to establish quarterly OKRs. Our success if often tied to other departments as we are likely to look to measure operational changes or product implementations.
Define the micro-culture of the department and what makes it special/unique?
The culture is definitely one of curiosity. Not only should you take into account the question initially posed by a stakeholder, but you should be doing your best to think of the questions that will follow once you’ve provided an “answer.”
I think what makes us unique within the business, is we really sit in the middle of tech and operations. Allowing us to have a unique and often broader understanding of process and technical implementation.
How is the work structure – independent work or more collaboration?
Collaboration with stakeholders, but often independent within the team. We operate fairly lean, meaning we often only have one resource for a given area of support.
What does the future in terms of growth opportunity look like for this department?
We do not have any immediate plans to hire, but our queue is often larger than we can handle. We’re hopeful to grow some teams in 2H if the business performs well.
What systems are used in the core roles?
Google BigQuery
SQL
R
Python
Tableau
Google Sheets
Google Slides