What a business intelligence analyst does
A business intelligence analyst designs and maintains the dashboards, reports and data models that give your organization a consistent view of performance. They gather requirements from managers, define key measures, build data models in tools such as Power BI or Tableau, manage refresh schedules and access and train users to find answers on their own. They also maintain the definitions that keep departments reporting the same figures.
When every department builds its own spreadsheets, meetings turn into arguments about whose numbers are right. A strong BI analyst replaces that with trusted, well-designed reporting. Finch screens candidates for depth in your BI platform, SQL and data modelling skills, dashboard design sense and how they work with stakeholders to define measures, so your shortlist includes people who can build reporting that managers actually use.
Typical responsibilities
- Gather reporting requirements and define key performance measures with stakeholders
- Build and maintain dashboards and reports in BI tools
- Design data models and calculations, such as DAX measures in Power BI
- Manage data refreshes, workspace security and row-level access
- Validate dashboard figures against source systems
- Train users and document report definitions
Qualifications and credentials
- A degree or diploma in business, information systems, computer science or a related program
- Advanced experience with Power BI, Tableau, Looker or a similar tool
- Strong SQL and data modelling skills
- Microsoft Power BI certifications are often listed as assets
- Good dashboard design sense and clear communication
Who hires a business intelligence analyst
- Mid-sized and large companies in most industries
- Hospitals, health networks and public sector organizations
- Financial services firms
- Retail, distribution and manufacturing companies
- Consulting firms delivering BI projects for clients
Where we recruit business intelligence analyst candidates
We fill business intelligence analyst roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Depth in your BI platform, including data modelling and calculations
- SQL skills and experience connecting to your data sources
- Dashboard examples, reviewed for clarity and design
- How they define and validate measures with stakeholders
- Experience with security and access in shared reporting
Interview questions to ask
- Show me a dashboard you built. Who used it, and what decisions did it support?
- Sales and finance report different revenue numbers. How do you resolve it?
- How do you decide what belongs on an executive dashboard and what does not?