Business Data Analyst

Job Description

The Business Data Analyst will play a critical role in transforming raw data into actionable insights that drive enrollment growth, optimize marketing spend, improve student outcomes, and guide strategic decision-making for this high-growth initiative. This position requires exceptional analytical capabilities, business acumen, and the ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations for non-technical stakeholders operating at startup velocity.

Reporting to the Exec Dir of Operations, this role will collect, analyze, and visualize data from diverse sources including enrollment systems, marketing platforms, student information systems, learning management systems, CRM tools, and financial systems. This role demands proficiency with data visualization tools, statistical analysis, and the ability to identify trends and patterns that inform strategy across enrollment, marketing, student success, and operations. The ideal candidate thrives in ambiguous environments, asks probing questions to uncover insights, builds scalable reporting frameworks, and partners cross-functionally to ensure data integrity/accessibility. This is an opportunity to build analytics infrastructure from the ground up and shape how SU Global uses data to achieve its mission of democratizing access to world-class education. This is a campus-facing, on-campus position requiring daily in-person presence to fulfill essential job functions, coordinate with stakeholders across the university, and maintain real-time collaboration with team members to respond effectively to dynamic operational needs.

Syracuse University is building something new. We’re launching SU Global to reimagine how we support and scale accessible online pathways for non-traditional learners, in a dynamic, innovative, and data-driven environment. That means rethinking how we work.

This role requires on-campus presence because the best ideas emerge from real-time collaboration, the mentorship that happens in hallways, and the spontaneous problem-solving that defines startup culture. You’ll work non-traditional hours when needed – evening and weekend coverage, whatever it takes to deliver the best-in-class experience.

We’re looking for team members who thrive in:

• High-energy, in-person environments where innovation happens face-to-face
• Flexible scheduling that follows student needs, not the clock
• Startup intensity within a world-class university structure

We’re not looking for people who want a job. We’re looking for builders who want a mission. Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required in data analytics, statistics, business analytics, economics, information systems, mathematics, or related quantitative field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 2-4 years of experience in business analytics, data analysis, or business intelligence roles, preferably in higher education, enrollment management, online education, or high-growth organizations.
• Demonstrated experience working with large datasets, building visualizations, conducting statistical analysis, and translating data into business recommendations.
• Experience in fast-paced environments managing multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines.

Skills and Knowledge Technical Proficiency:

• Advanced Excel skills including pivot tables, formulas, and statistical functions.
• Expert proficiency with Tableau/Power BI.
• Experience with statistical analysis/predictive modeling. SQL knowledge preferred.
• Familiarity with CRM systems, student information systems (PeopleSoft preferred), and marketing analytics platforms.
• Understanding of web analytics and survey tools.

Analytical & Problem-Solving:

• Highly analytical mindset to identify patterns and trends in datasets.
• Strategic thinking to connect insights to business strategy.
• Strong quantitative reasoning with statistical concepts and forecasting.
• Critical thinking to evaluate data quality and determine analytical approaches.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Excellent communication skills to explain complex concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Strong data storytelling capabilities.
• Ability to create clear visualizations.
• Collaborative work style building relationships across organizational boundaries.

Work Style:

• Extremely organized with attention to detail.
• Independent self-starter thriving in fast-paced environments.
• Manages many concurrent projects.

Work Environment and Availability:

• Required to maintain regular in-person presence on campus to ensure accessibility and responsive support.
• Ability to adapt work hours to meet the operational needs of the organization.

Higher Ed & Domain Knowledge:

• Understanding of enrollment management, student lifecycle, and online education preferred.
• Knowledge of FERPA compliance and ethical data practices.

Responsibilities Data Analysis and Strategic Insights

• Translate data into action-oriented strategies to drive enrollment growth, improve conversion rates, optimize student outcomes, and enhance operational efficiency.
• Aggregate and synthesize data from multiple sources to develop insights, identify trends/anomalies, surface opportunities/risks, and provide evidence-based recommendations to leadership.
• Conduct analyses on enrollment funnels, application conversion, student progression, course completion, and retention drivers to inform strategic priorities.
• Build predictive models and forecasting tools to anticipate enrollment trends, identify at-risk students, project revenue scenarios, and support resource planning.
• Perform cohort analyses, segmentation studies, and comparative assessments to understand program performance, student behavior, and competitive positioning.
• Partner with marketing teams to analyze campaign performance, attribution modeling, ROI, audience segmentation, and channel optimization.
• Collaborate with student success teams to identify early warning indicators, intervention effectiveness, engagement patterns, and completion factors.
• Translate analytical findings into clear narratives that inform decision-making for executives, program directors, enrollment teams, and operational staff.

Performance Measurement and KPI Management

• Collect, standardize, and analyze data from diverse platforms including PeopleSoft, CRM, learning management systems, marketing automation tools, web analytics, data warehouses, and survey platforms to create unified performance views.
• Establish and maintain KPIs aligned with SU Global strategic objectives including enrollment targets, conversion metrics, student success measures, financial performance, and operational efficiency.
• Develop comprehensive dashboards and automated reporting systems using Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools that provide real-time visibility into critical metrics for stakeholders at all levels.
• Create standardized analytics frameworks that enable consistent measurement, benchmarking, and goal tracking across programs, channels, and student cohorts.
• Monitor data quality and integrity across source systems, identifying and resolving discrepancies, establishing validation protocols, and ensuring reporting accuracy.
• Lead recurring performance review meetings with stakeholders to discuss trends, investigate variances, identify root causes, and develop action plans based on insights.
• Build self-service reporting capabilities that empower teams to access relevant data independently while maintaining governance and consistency standards.

Reporting and Data Visualization

• Standardize performance analytics and develop reporting frameworks that transform raw data into accessible, visually compelling insights for diverse audiences from executives to frontline staff.
• Design and maintain executive dashboards that provide leadership with at-a-glance understanding of enrollment health, financial performance, student success metrics, and strategic initiative progress.
• Create program-level reporting tools that enable academic directors and enrollment managers to monitor their specific performance, identify improvement opportunities, and track goal attainment.
• Develop ad hoc reports and analyses in response to strategic questions, urgent business needs, and exploratory research priorities with rapid turnaround and high accuracy.
• Translate complex data sets into intuitive visualizations, charts, and infographics that facilitate understanding and drive informed decision-making across the organization.
• Document methodology, data definitions, calculation logic, and assumptions to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and knowledge transfer.
• Present analytical findings to stakeholders through compelling storytelling that connects data insights to business implications and recommended actions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Process Improvement

• Work collaboratively across SU Global functions including enrollment, marketing, student success, finance, operations, and academic programs to understand data needs, align on priorities, and deliver analytical support.
• Serve as an analytical advisor to project teams, strategic initiatives, and process improvement efforts, providing data-driven perspective on feasibility, impact assessment, and success measurement.
• Identify opportunities to enhance data collection, improve system integrations, automate manual processes, and build scalable analytics infrastructure as SU Global grows.
• Partner with University central offices including but not limited to Institutional Research, Registrar’s Office, Enterprise Analytics, Enrollment Management, and IT to leverage existing data resources, ensure compliance with governance standards, and share best practices.
• Lead meetings to review performance trends, discuss analytical findings, facilitate data-driven planning discussions, and build organizational capacity for evidence-based decision-making.
• Establish best practices for data management, analysis methodology, visualization standards, and reporting cadences that support operational excellence.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Support special projects, ad hoc analyses, and emerging priorities as SU Global scales and evolves.

Physical Requirements Not Applicable Tools/Equipment Not Applicable