BI LEAD JOB DESCRIPTION

A BI Lead owns the full reporting ecosystem - from raw data governance to the dashboards executives rely on. Not glamorous by default. What makes it hard is that the role must speak fluent SQL to a data engineer on Monday and present clean KPI narratives to non-technical business unit managers on Friday. The BI Lead sits above the analyst tier and below the data director, holding accountability for both the technical integrity of data models and the usability of the outputs they produce. Governance frameworks, peer review processes, and self-service enablement are the structural machinery this role builds and maintains.

As the BI Lead, you will define and execute the enterprise reporting strategy, ensuring that dashboards, data pipelines, and visualization standards serve consistent, decision-ready insights across all business units. You will operate within the data and analytics function, coordinating with data engineers, business stakeholders, and technology leadership to set priorities, govern output quality, and grow team capability.

Career Impact: Leading a BI function with scope across multiple business units - including domains like Supply Chain, Finance, and CRM - builds the kind of cross-domain data authority that moves professionals toward Director-level roles in analytics.

Business Impact: The BI Lead's governance frameworks and dashboard standards determine whether senior leaders make decisions from accurate, aligned numbers or from inconsistent reports built independently across teams.

Growth Opportunity: Owning the BI roadmap and expanding it from on-premise reporting into cloud-native pipeline architecture gives you hands-on experience with the data infrastructure competencies most valued at the senior analytics market level.

• Define the BI reporting strategy and roadmap, aligning dashboard standards and data access across all business units.
• Design relational and dimensional data models supporting interactive reports and enterprise data warehouse structures.
• Develop and govern ETL processes and data pipelines that move data accurately from source systems into reporting layers.
• Lead a team of analysts and developers, setting performance benchmarks and supporting hiring, training, and workflow direction.
• Collaborate with business unit managers and subject matter experts to translate requirements into data structures and visual outputs.
• Establish peer review processes ensuring all new reports meet accuracy, consistency, and governance standards before deployment.
• Monitor data quality across upstream and downstream channels and implement control structures to resolve integrity issues.
• Mentor team members on BI best practices, self-service reporting enablement, and evolving industry standards.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Statistics, Business Analytics, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of BI reporting and data warehousing experience, with at least 2 years leading a team or managing BI delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to design dimensional data models including star schema and snowflake schema architectures.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining ETL pipelines and governing data quality across enterprise environments.
• Strong SQL skills including complex querying, database design, and working with structured data at scale.
• Ability to translate technical data findings into clear, non-technical narratives for senior stakeholders and executive audiences.
• Experience developing BI governance frameworks, peer review processes, or reporting standards within a large organization.
• Track record managing multiple concurrent projects with shifting priorities across cross-functional teams.

• Experience with cloud data platforms and migration from on-premise server environments to cloud-based data architecture.
• Background in data governance policy development, data catalog management, or data lifecycle management.
• Exposure to agile delivery methodologies within a BI or analytics product team setting.
• Experience operating within or building a data analytics Center of Excellence.

• Dashboard adoption rate across business units, measuring how broadly governed reports replace ad-hoc outputs.
• Data pipeline error rate per reporting cycle, tracking integrity of ETL processes owned by this role.
• Mean time to delivery for new BI requests, measuring throughput against stakeholder SLAs.
• Peer review pass rate on first submission, reflecting governance standard adherence across the team.
• Report accuracy audit score, measuring alignment between dashboard figures and validated source data.
• Typical tools: BI and Visualization (commonly Power BI or Tableau), query and modeling (commonly SQL Server or Snowflake)

• Base Salary Range: $110,000 to $145,000 annually depending on experience and location.
• Bonus: 8 to 15 percent annual performance bonus tied to team and individual delivery.
• Equity: RSUs or stock options offered at mid-to-large employers, less common at SMBs.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, typically employer-subsidized.
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually plus federal holidays.
• Common Perks: Remote or hybrid flexibility, professional development budget, conference attendance.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process and in the performance of job functions - please notify the recruiting team to initiate a request. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, and local law. A background check is required as a condition of employment. Candidates must hold current authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

The BI Lead owns the stability and continuous improvement of enterprise server infrastructure, coordinating upgrades, recovery planning, and training programs to maintain system availability across multi-data-center environments with approximately 2500 servers. Working alongside system administrators, database administrators, and application support teams, this role ensures architectural integrity, backup reliability, and data lifecycle management to safeguard business operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan for recovery or fallback to prior versions in the instance of unforeseen issues or substantial delays in upgrade duration.
• Develop training materials and train application support staff on database changes and assist in development of application test plans.
• Plan and estimate system downtimes necessary to execute system upgrades and identify alternative approaches to minimize downtime.
• Mentor other staff members and teams regarding applications and business operations as they relate to the system.
• Train new IS staff in system functions and operations to maximize user effectiveness and ensure cross-training on multiple applications and systems.
• Review the need for refresher or update training at least once annually and provide or coordinate training as required.
• Propose and implement creative solutions to operational and infrastructure issues with follow-through to resolution.
• Identify opportunities for data archiving, purging, and deduplication and ensure such activities are implemented per company business decisions.
• Verify validity of backups by performing regular recovery drills ensuring all databases are fully recoverable.
• Analyze root cause and ensure preventive measures are implemented to avoid future integrity issues.

Required Qualifications

• BS or BA in Computer Science or related field, or 3 of the listed certifications including HP CSE, OpenVMS, IBM Certified Advanced Technical Expert, BCSM, SCSN-E, NCEC, NCSE, Microsoft Certified IT Professional, CCEE, or CCIA.
• 10 years of experience architecting, implementing, managing, and supporting server infrastructure within a 7x24 enterprise environment including support of multiple data centers with approximately 2500 servers.
• Strong understanding of IT architecture and engineering, system sustainability, system development lifecycle, and structured analytical and diagnostic skills within a high availability enterprise environment.
• Deep knowledge and operational experience with server technologies including MS Windows OS on HP, IBM, and Cisco UCS hardware platforms.
• Experience with Unix platforms and development of Unix scripting for reporting and automation.
• Experience implementing and operating VMware virtualized and physical server environments.

Embedded within the Data and Technology function, the Reporting and BI Lead develops and executes a company-wide BI strategy that ensures consistent, accessible reporting across a large multinational organization. Working closely with the Global Technology team and Data Governance Lead, this role translates stakeholder needs into governed self-service reporting solutions that improve business decision-making at scale.

Core Functions

• Provide company-wide support on Reporting and BI initiatives ensuring requirements are understood and best practice is followed to drive consistency and usefulness across the business.
• Collaborate with the Global Technology team and Data Governance Lead to understand available data sets and any limitations or nuances to be considered in analysis.
• Manage existing BAU Reporting and BI requests and work to instil consistency while understanding future needs from stakeholders.
• Oversee and define best practice around design, creation, and maintenance of reports and dashboards delivering critical data insights for the business.
• Ensure timely delivery of reports, dashboards, and insights and build alerting capabilities to flag whenever data behind reports is incomplete or unavailable.
• Enable the business to self-service and meet BI demands through provision and management of appropriate tools coupled with relevant training.
• Agree processes for peer review to ensure new reports are built in an accurate and consistent fashion.

Qualifications and Experience

• 5 years of experience in a senior Reporting and BI role in a large multinational organisation with 3 years as a team lead or manager.
• Expertise in complex datasets management and high-level programming languages including SQL for interrogation and analysis of data sources.
• Extensive experience building reports within Power BI and experience of Microsoft Azure ecosystem including Microsoft Databricks.
• Proficiency in one or more programming or scripting languages such as Python, R, or Matlab.
• Extensive experience bringing Reporting and BI to life either agency or client side with a proven track record of delivering high-quality BI solutions.
• Proven experience turning raw data sets into simple, usable reports that are easy for less technical members of the business to understand and use.
• Skilled at explaining difficult concepts in simple terms across all levels from operations managers to executive leaders with clear recommendations back to stakeholders.

Reporting to the EB Solutions Architect, the BI Lead designs relational and dimensional data models and develops the full BI architecture including data warehousing, ETL, and SSAS Tabular Models to support end user reporting through Power BI. Partnering with business users, stakeholders, and database administrators, this role translates requirements into analytical solutions that drive reliable, high-performance reporting across the organization.

Primary Duties

• Design and participate in development of data integration from source to interactive reports and data visualizations.
• Develop SSAS Tabular Models, Power BI Dashboards, and other data access objects for end user reporting based on business need.
• Work with business users to understand and translate user stories and requirements into data structures, models, and reports.
• Work with EB Stakeholders and EB Solutions Architect to define features for product backlog projects and implement self-serve Power BI reporting updates.
• Find answers to business questions through hands-on exploration of data sets via SQL for dashboards, statistical analysis, and data visualizations.
• Work with database administrators to ensure databases feeding reporting platforms are tuned for optimal performance.
• Stay current with latest BI industry trends and software versions and drive architectures, tools, and technologies for innovative solutions.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 to 15 years of experience in a data warehousing and BI reporting environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of system integrations and database structures.
• Proficient in Microsoft Business Intelligence tools and Office as well as knowledge of other BI tools in the industry.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.

Sitting at the intersection of client delivery and technical leadership, the BI Lead heads the HSO Power BI team across the full project delivery lifecycle, from requirements capture through data model development and custom visual production. Operating across internal and external engagements, this role builds team capability, drives best practice adoption, and serves as the primary Power BI authority for both HSO and its customers.

Duties

• Lead the HSO Power BI team and its related project pipeline across all elements of the BI project delivery lifecycle including capture of reporting requirements, development of data models, and production of custom visuals.
• Deliver Power BI training and demonstrations for customer staff and provide best practice guidance on building Power BI reports.
• Ensure the Power BI team is productive in the development and delivery of BI elements whether reporting, data modelling, or analysis.
• Build and maintain an effective Power BI team that adheres to company standards and processes to give traceability, accountability, and a high level of quality.
• Serve as the face of Power BI internally within HSO and externally with customers.

Experience and Qualifications

• Complete understanding of Power BI delivery covering requirements gathering, analytical and problem-solving skills for translating data into meaningful insights, and development of tabular and multidimensional models following industry best practice.
• Technical expertise in Power BI including Power Query, DAX, and Power BI Service with ability to design, develop, and test Power BI solutions.
• Experience managing analysts, developers, and data engineers in Power BI solutions delivery.
• Experience as a team lead with demonstrated ability to build capability across Power BI teams including management of Power BI Centres of Excellence.
• Exposure to other Microsoft stack technology including .Net, Office, BizTalk, SharePoint, Dynamics CRM, and Mobile.
• Good knowledge of general and core business processes with good English language skills both written and spoken.

A key member of the data and analytics function, the BI Lead develops and manages KPI dashboards in Power BI while designing and implementing ETL processes and data architecture across enterprise data warehouse and Azure cloud environments. Collaborating across business units to gather reporting requirements and oversee data pipeline operations, this role ensures the accuracy, timeliness, and usability of BI solutions for internal users.

Accountabilities

• Develop and manage KPI dashboards and report server in Power BI as a BI solution for internal users.
• Handle and analyze data inquiries and business processes from internal users within tight deadlines.
• Create and maintain documentation including requirements, design, and user manuals of BI solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational processes and strategies with technology solutions.
• Design and implement ETL processes and data architecture for enterprise data warehouse and data lake.
• Implement and maintain ETL pipelines for transferring data from Azure cloud service and monitor the quality of data transferred.
• Construct and manage data pipelines for the dataflow of KPI DataMart.

Technical Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in a Technical Lead or Consulting role leading Information Management-related initiatives including system integration, data warehouse build, and data mart build.
• Responsible for successful technical delivery of Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence projects using a formal project management methodology.
• Strong understanding of data warehouse concepts and architecture such as star and snowflake schema, OLAP cubes, and tabular cubes.
• Skilled in using Microsoft SQL Server including advanced SQL queries, T-SQL, database design, and stored procedures.
• Experience utilizing or leading implementations leveraging ETL tools with experience in Power BI reporting.

Consistent, high-quality data insights depend on the BI Lead, who facilitates business intelligence processes from roadmap development through dashboard delivery, resolving complex data quality issues and translating visualization requirements into long-term reporting strategies for the retail industry. Based within a cross-functional analytics team, this role supports stakeholders at all levels and guides internal and external vendors on data elements and reporting tools to enhance business decision-making capabilities.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Facilitate business intelligence processes including roadmap development and implementation.
• Manage projects, prepare updates, and implement all phases of a project.
• Identify, research, and resolve complex data quality issues to ensure utilization of business intelligence applications and enhance business decision-making capabilities.
• Perform assessments on all visualization and reporting requirements and develop long-term strategy for various dashboard and reporting solutions.
• Develop and refine various dashboards based on established priorities and communicate effectively with business partners to understand their needs.
• Identify and make recommendations to management regarding performance metrics.
• Support other team members including internal and external vendors with learning data elements and reporting tools.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or above in Statistics, Business Analytics, Mathematics, Econometrics, or relevant field with training in data and analytics.
• 5 years of hands-on experience in data visualization tools with Tableau preferred.
• 5 years of experience in data analytics for the retail industry specialized in marketing, CRM, and membership.
• 2 years of experience in managing data projects preferred.
• Expert at developing reports and PowerPoint presentations with ability to present to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent planning, analytical, organization, and problem-solving skills with strong logical thinking and business sense.
• Proficient in oral and written English communication to effectively collaborate with senior stakeholders and international collaborators.

As the BI Lead, this role leads the administration, automation, and analysis of data across platforms including Salesforce, Google Analytics, Metabase, and custom PostgreSQL databases to deliver KPIs, dashboards, and actionable insights to all teams across the company. The analytics function relies on this work to support managers and decision makers with trend analysis, weekly and monthly reporting, and consistently improved data quality in a high-growth environment.

What You'll Do

• Lead, administer, analyze, and automate data from various systems including Salesforce, Pardot, Google Analytics, Metabase, Pendo, and custom analytics databases.
• Collaborate with all teams to optimize and develop KPIs and metrics.
• Develop actionable analysis and provide insights to assist managers and decision makers.
• Identify and analyze trends and develop potential solutions.
• Implement and maintain procedures to arm the company with data and insights.
• Produce weekly and monthly reporting, analysis, and insights.
• Create and maintain dashboards.
• Serve as the primary administrator of Salesforce.

Background and Experience

• Bachelor's degree with preference for analytical or mathematical fields.
• 5 years of analytical work experience in tech, consulting, or finance.
• Experience with BI tools such as Metabase, Looker, Tableau, and Qlikview.
• Advanced MS Excel skills with proficiency in SQL including PostgreSQL and MySQL and knowledge of relational databases.
• Salesforce administration experience and experience in a startup or high-growth environment.
• Able to distill and convey insights from complex data sets with strong communication skills and ability to work with all teams across the company.
• Excellent time and self-management skills with ability to prioritize and multitask.

BI Lead delivers enterprise-level BI solutions by designing and developing dashboards across domains including Supply Chain, Sales, Finance, and Operations while supervising and developing a global team of analysts and developers. The work directly supports senior business leaders and stakeholders across time zones by translating complex data into innovative, interactive scorecards and actionable insights that drive operational performance.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Design and develop dashboards that cater to business requirements and work closely with BI developers to understand data flow and visualization needs.
• Supervise team performance including support for team member hiring, training, and directing workflow.
• Monitor and benchmark team performance to stated goals.
• Work with multiple Business Unit managers, Engagement Managers, subject matter experts, business leaders, and technologists to understand business problems.
• Manage talent by retaining good talent and building strong progression paths for the team.
• Create innovative, interactive dashboards and scorecards for key performance indicators tailored to customers.
• Manage simultaneous projects across multiple domains including Supply Chain, Sales, Travel and Expenses, Finance, and Operation Excellence.
• Collaborate with product managers to find the best way to present results and share knowledge with peers.

Professional Experience

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Computer Science, Statistics, or Business Analytics with 5 years of experience managing visualization projects.
• 10 years of post-bachelor's degree experience presenting and providing meaningful business insights from data using Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik Sense.
• 2 years of experience in technology operations, reporting, and leading a team of 8 to 10 members including global teams across time zones.
• Experience leading large-scale enterprise-level implementation of BI projects and managing BI teams.
• Experience leveraging cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services.
• Experience working in a data analytics Center of Excellence.
• Ability to build relationships with stakeholders, facilitate needs definition sessions, and serve as the point of escalation for customers.

The BI Lead owns the data quality, governance, and analytical architecture functions of the organization, driving policies and control structures that ensure consistent and accurate data across all upstream and downstream channels while implementing Power BI and Azure Landscape solutions including ADF, Data Catalogs, and Data Pipelines. Working alongside Sales, Marketing, and Operations stakeholders as well as cross-functional teams, this role delivers documentation, analytical solutions, and recommendations that support sound data management decisions.

Ownership Areas

• Identify, drive, and implement the core discipline that maintains the overall quality and integrity of data.
• Develop control structures to ensure the accuracy and quality of data through all upstream and downstream data channels.
• Provide thought leadership in defining policies and processes to ensure consistent and accurate data and information.
• Assist in developing POV and supporting material for Azure Landscape including ADF.
• Architect and implement Analytics using Power BI and implement Data Catalogs and Data Pipelines using tools like Informatica and Azure Landscape.
• Prepare documentation and designs for Power BI and Azure Landscape.
• Explore and examine data from source systems, Data Lake, Data Warehouse, and business partners to find and implement analytical solutions.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, MIS, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 years of experience leading and managing cross-matrix, cross-functional teams.
• 5 years of experience implementing Power BI across different industries and business functions.
• Solid understanding of Azure Landscape, Power BI, ADF, and strong working experience in SQL and stored procedures.
• Solid understanding of data management, data structures, and data governance frameworks and processes.
• Experience and business acumen in Sales, Marketing, and Operations domains with project management skills and proven success in leading customer and business projects.
• Analytical and time management skills with experience comparing technologies and making recommendations to senior team members.

Reporting to the Leadership team, the BI Lead manages the development of scalable automated reporting solutions, dashboards, and models that give Global Affairs stakeholders accurate, real-time visibility into key operations and processes. Partnering with Engineering and other technical teams who maintain upstream data resources, this role builds and nurtures a team culture focused on translating stakeholder data into actionable insights that support the organization's strategic priorities.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead, build, and nurture a team culture where people can thrive.
• Set and communicate team priorities and ensure appropriate metrics and people are in place to support the broader organization's goals.
• Serve as consultative experts on data-related topics and build reports, dashboards, models, and tools to analyze stakeholder data that translates into actionable insights.
• Develop and enhance datasets, data pipelines, queries, and other data resources.
• Partner with Engineering and other technical teams who maintain upstream data resources to ensure the broader organization's needs are met.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 3 years of experience managing, coaching, and developing a team.
• Experience managing Legal data or other sensitive datasets.
• Experience with data visualization tools such as Data Studio, Tableau, and Power BI.
• Experience with SQL, database development, and query.
• Statistical knowledge including Pandas, Numpy, R, Stata, and Matlab.
• Ability to adapt messaging to diverse audiences and work cross-functionally with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to use data to inform recommendations and influence stakeholders.

Embedded within the data and analytics function at MECCA, the BI Lead shapes a business intelligence roadmap covering Tableau governance, scalable data model development, and capability building across reporting teams and the wider organization. Working closely with analysts, data engineers, and data scientists, this role champions data accessibility solutions and translates business processes into functional reporting frameworks that increase analytical self-sufficiency.

Areas of Ownership

• Quickly learn new skills and technologies where required and take ownership to expertly manage business expectations.
• Manage Tableau Server and Tableau Online to ensure security, governance, and reliability.
• Develop a business intelligence roadmap of training and engagement required across MECCA.
• Translate business processes and requirements into practical and functional solutions.
• Develop governance frameworks to ensure scalability of the solution.
• Lead, manage, and build capability in reporting across MECCA.
• Lead the development of scalable data models for use in reporting.
• Champion solutions that will increase data accessibility across MECCA.
• Lead a team of reporting analysts.

Position Requirements

• Experience working within and providing leadership in data and analytics teams alongside analysts, data engineers, and data scientists.
• Leadership of technical teams, squads, or projects ideally within an agile framework.
• Experience scoping, planning, and writing data analytics roadmaps.
• Expert knowledge of reporting and visualization tools with preference for Tableau Server.
• Expert ability to analyze problems using data and guide others to do the same.
• Proven track record of solving business problems using analytics.