Business Analyst

Position Summary

Under the leadership of the Director of Strategic Analytics, the Business Analyst will be responsible for conducting analyses on various fundraising and communications strategies that will lead to success in meeting the donor participation and dollar goals of Rice University’s annual giving efforts. The Business Analyst will serve as a premier consultant to the Rice Annual Giving team and will partner with the Development Information Services team to implement systems allowing for extensive analytical evaluation of Rice’s alumni and donor populations. The Business Analyst will also give input on an integrated marketing and communications strategy and plan for tracking direct marketing results.

The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable about industry standards, will understand potential business opportunities and their impact, will be able to collaborate with other departments within Development and Alumni Relations, and will be able to facilitate an ongoing dialog with constituents and stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Three years of experience in data analytics, business analysis, data modeling, and/or statistical modeling
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
• Skills Required
  • Proficient analytical skills to arrange information or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules
  • Problem sensitivity to know when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong; natural curiosity to understand the possible underlying issues and suggest potential mitigations
  • Active listening to give full attention to what is being said, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate
  • Proficient verbal and written communications skills including report preparation and presentation to gather information and share recommendation and outcome
  • Proficient document and specification skills to share information in a clear and concise manner

Essential Functions

• Plans and conducts analyses and studies of business processes, functions, organizations, and teams
• Interviews business leaders, stakeholders, staff, and subject matter experts to gain an understanding of their needs and objectives
• Advises supervisors, managers, and other business stakeholders on technical, systems, or process related topics
• Identifies, analyzes, creates, and recommends solutions to improve business processes and operations
• Designs and develops models and practices to support sound business decisions
• Participates in the design and modification of business and IT systems
• Creates and manages project plans, including change management and technical implementation
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Facilitates rigorous goal setting, monitors and evaluates ongoing results, and implements strategies to ensure success in meeting fundraising goals of the Rice Annual Giving team
• Tracks, analyzes and reports on Rice Annual Giving solicitations across all communication channels (direct mail, email, phone, in-person meetings)
• Partners with the Marketing & Communications team to develop and implement an integrated solicitation strategy leveraging learnings from historical data
• Identifies long term strategic topics for analysis such as audience segmentation, donor behavior patterns, and communication tests/targeting
• Studies, recommends, and implements new techniques to improve overall annual giving results
• Is responsible for mining data, capturing insights, and creating a story that aligns with Rice fundraising positioning and messaging
• Designs, evaluates and implements changes of reporting and dashboards for the Rice Annual Giving team (Tableau and Excel)
• Is able to clearly communicate analytical findings to non-data savvy colleagues
• Collaborates with the Development Information Services team on reporting and data needs in support of stated goals
• Tracks return on investment for specific programs within the Rice Annual Giving program, in particular those associated with direct marketing initiatives
• Implements and maintains ongoing dialogue mechanisms with constituents/stakeholders (surveys, interviews, forums, focus groups) to improve the effectiveness of Rice’s fundraising
• Maintains knowledge of industry trends and standards in fundraising
• Serves as a premier business analyst/consultant to staff
• Has extensive contact with upper-level administration, alumni, parents, and friends of Rice, predominantly to report on analysis of past, current and future state of annual giving and alumni participation at the university
• Open office environment
• Long hours in front of a computer

Preferences

• Experience
  • Working for an institution of higher education or non-profit organization, especially in fundraising or data analytics
  • Experience with Tableau or other data visualization tools
  • Experience working in Excel
  • Some experience writing SQL queries
  • Familiarity with marketing analytics, including A/B testing
• Skills
  • Has strong problem-solving skills and a curiosity for uncovering insights through data analysis
  • Demonstrates the ability to work well in a team environment
  • Displays good judgment in dynamic situations
  • Values attention to detail
  • Displays confidence as a mentor and collaborator
  • Utilizes strong time management skills
  • Has knowledge of fundraising database software concepts and related programs

Rice University HR | Benefits

https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values

Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Faculty and staff are expected (but not required) to have completed a full vaccination series for COVID-19, currently defined as full course COVID-19 Vaccine (typically two shots of a WHO-approved COVID-19 Vaccine or one J&J) and a COVID-19 booster. Rice does not require documentation for COVID-19 vaccination at this time for faculty and staff. More information can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies