Data Operations Analyst

Role: Data Operations Analyst

Location: UK, London

Job type: Full time, Permanent – Hybrid

This position offers a hybrid work model, allowing flexibility between working from home and our office.

Typically, employees are expected to work 2 days in the office per week.

Why QS?

At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst flourishing personally and professionally. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other.

It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives.

Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.

At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.

We’re confident you’ll feel right at home here. QS was named as one of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® in the UK (October 2023), recognising the respect, trust and appreciation that drive our culture every day. And as a gold-accredited Investors in People organisation – putting us among the top 28% of workplaces globally – it’s official: QS is a place where everyone can thrive.

As a Data Operations Analyst, this is what you’ll be doing:

We are looking for a talented DataOps Analyst (with a touch of Data Engineer flair) to join our dynamic team and play a pivotal role in our university rankings production process. You'll collaborate with various teams to ensure timely and accurate delivery, making a significant impact every step of the way.

As a hands-on contributor in an Agile environment, you'll be at the heart of our operations. 

We believe in growth and development, and we expect you to transform into a university rankings expert over time. If you're passionate about data and eager to make a difference, we want to hear from you. 

Key Responsibilities

• University Rankings Production: Engage in the coordination, planning, hands-on analysis, and compilation of university and business school rankings initiatives. This involves close collaboration with a variety of technical and non-technical departments to ensure the timely and accurate delivery of rankings.
  
  
• DataOps & Development: Engage in the design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of DataOps tools and platforms used for processing data, building ranking models, and automating workflows.
  
  
• Collaboration & Support: Work alongside data engineers and analysts to streamline processes and improve ranking delivery. Leverage tools like ELT platforms, Snowflake, and other systems in the QS Data Lake to enhance efficiency.
  
  
• Rankings Data Management: Assist in the collection and enrichment of data from various sources, ensuring it meets established standards and is loaded into designated storage. Provide feedback to data source owners and set quality requirements for data collection teams.
  
  
• Reporting & Delivery: Develop and maintain routines for generating reports and delivering ranking results in various formats to institutions and internal stakeholders. Provide analytical insights and communicate data work effectively.
  
  
• Customer Support: Provide advanced technical support to customers and stakeholders, and assist in upskilling the institutional support team.
  
  
• Quality Assurance: Contribute to the design and execution of procedures to ensure the quality of underlying data, intermediary results, and final rankings deliverables.

General Responsibilities

Support ELT Pipeline Development:

• Assist in the creation and maintenance of ELT pipelines to integrate data from various sources into Snowflake.
• Help automate the extraction, transformation, and loading of data from formats such as Excel, CSV, XML, Parquet files, and databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.

Contribute to Data Quality and Governance:

• Participate in implementing data quality checks and transformation standards to ensure high data integrity within the Data Lake.
• Collaborate with team members to uphold data governance policies and practices.

Assist in Data Architecture Optimization:

• Work alongside data engineers to support the development of a scalable data architecture considering performance, security, and cost factors.

Aid in Data Operations Automation:

• Identify and support the development of automation opportunities in data management processes to enhance the efficiency of ELT workflows.

Help Troubleshoot Data Issues:

• Assist in diagnosing and resolving data quality and pipeline issues under the guidance of senior team members.

Implement Automated Quality Assurance Tests:

• Develop, maintain, and integrate automated QA tests to validate data integrity and consistency, ensuring adherence to predefined quality standards before deployment.

Maintain Data Documentation:

• Actively contribute to creating and updating technical documentation for data pipelines, transformations, and data models, ensuring clarity and accessibility for all stakeholders.

Collaborate with Cross-functional Teams:

• Work with data engineers, analysts, and business stakeholders to understand data requirements and contribute to technical solutions within the Data Lake environment.
• Learn from senior colleagues and actively participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Agile Collaboration:

• Promote the adoption of Agile practices within the DataOps team to enhance collaboration and efficiency.

Key skills and experience

• A relevant university degree in a quantitative field or demonstrable experience in a similar capacity.
• At least 2 years of experience in data analysis, data engineering, or a related technical role, with demonstrated success in managing data systems and contributing to technical projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Strong foundations in SQL.
• Experience with Snowflake and/or KNIME (or similar tools) is a plus.
• Experience with Python, and/or other scripting or programming languages relevant to data operations is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with ELT tools like Talend, DBT or Informatica is advantageous.
• Practical knowledge of mathematics and statistics, including but not limited to regression analysis, statistical testing, linear transformation functions, and mathematical modelling/simulation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective data visualisation and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively document and share information to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Please note, if you don't meet all the criteria but believe you have the skills and passion to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.

So, who are we and what do we do?

QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.

We’re behind the world’s most widely read university rankings (Meltwater 2023). Our QS World University Rankings® reach hundreds of millions, shaping decisions and guiding futures.

Since launching in 1990, our impact and influence have only grown. Today, we work with more than 2,000 of the world’s leading higher education institutions, over 12,000 employers, and governments seeking change and socioeconomic development through higher education.

Join QS and you’ll join an 800-strong community of problem-solvers, creators, collaborators and change-makers based in 40+ countries and 11 international offices, including Australia, Malaysia, India, Romania, Singapore, France, Germany, the USA and our headquarters in London.

With every talented new hire, business acquisition and bold initiative, we’re strengthening our reach and delivering even greater value to institutions and learners worldwide. Are you ready to shape the future of higher education?

We take investing in our people very seriously.

As standard you will have:

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Access to QSmiles – a discount scheme that actually makes a significant difference
• Cycle to work scheme
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture

But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:

• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme    

Like what you’ve heard? Great, apply now!

As a candidate, we know the application and interview process can be daunting and so it’s important that you have a great experience with us. Our dedicated Talent Team will work hard to ensure you are fully informed at all stages and you are really excited by this opportunity to do meaningful work in the education space.

Equal opportunities

QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive. 

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