Data Analyst (must have experience with Semantic Models)

If you have read my job descriptions before, welcome back. If you are new, welcome to the party....you will notice that I like to add humor to my job descriptions...so you will see (hopefully) some chuckles as you read this.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tom. I am Partner & VP at RSM Solutions, Inc. I have been recruiting technical talent for 23 years and been in the tech space since the 1990's. The reason I say this is not to 'gloat' or to say I am this great guy...it is just to set something of a framework. I am far more focused on 'fit' than anything else.

You will be working at a firm that has grown, quite substantially over the last 7-8 years from a small company with roughly 16 employees to one that now has just about 200 employees (and $1B in annual revenues). You cannot have that kind of growth without a true 'team spirit'. A lot of people will say 'oh, we work together', or 'we work as a team'. However, when you have this kind of growth, you absolutely need to have people who have each other's backs, and truly do work together. This growth was not due to one person, but the whole team. I mention all of this, because that social fit I mentioned is - truly - important.

So, what creates a good 'social fit' here? Well, I am glad you asked...here are some of those characteristics:

• There is an expectation that you know what you are doing. So, there is limited - if any - micro management here. There are people here to help you, so you won't be an island. But, there is an expectation that - if you have questions with regard to how to do x, y or z, that you will already have tried a few potential solutions first as opposed to just asking 'how do I do this?'.
• This is an environment where you are encouraged to try stuff. No one is going to chastise you or belittle you if you fail...that's how we all learn (I don't know about you, but I learn far more from my mistakes then my successes).
• I mentioned the growth of the firm earlier in this job description, this leads me to one of the most important aspects of social fit for this role. If you believe the world revolves around you or that you are God's (or whatever higher power you believe in) gift to IT, then you should probably look elsewhere. This is an environment with limited ego and limited drama.
• It seems that a lot of job descriptions will say 'fast paced environment', or 'ability to multi task'...I roll my eyes when I see that and I bet you do as well. So, I won't state those here. However, if you have a keen understanding of that Pareto principle (that 80 / 20 rule) you will be off to a great start here. Their is a saying with these guys 'when everything is urgent, nothing is urgent'... So, that keen understanding of what is really important (that 20% that creates 80% of the value) will be needed here. Yep, you will only learn that over time here...so, no one expects you to know all this on day 1.
• If you follow that famous Steven Covey habit of 'first seek to understand, then to be understood', we will be off to a great start. This is not an environment where the answer is 'build another dashboard'...instead, it is one where you will understand what is needed and then work off of that understanding.

This role is permanent and fully benefitted. The client is located in Riverside Plaza in Downtown Chicago. So, preference will be given to Chicago-based candidates for this role. If you are closer to Dallas, Texas, that would work as well. This role is being done in a hybrid manner with 3 days onsite and 2 days remote.

I can only work with US Citizens or Green Card Holders for this role. I cannot work with H1, F-1, OPT or EAD Visa holders for this role. In other words, I can only work with you if you are already a US Citizen or a Green Card Holder.

Here is what we are seeking: We are looking for a Data Analyst to join the analytics team. You will be responsible for producing the data reports and analytics that the rest of the firm will rely upon for strategic decision making and day to day operations. So, you will be definitely making an impact here.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing Power BI and owning the data modeling. You should have ample experience producing sophisticated reports in Power BI and managing the Power BI Service. Knowledge of DAX, M, SQL, Star Schema, and Semantic Models are an absolute must. Python/ Pandas/ Matpotlib and the rest of the Python data science universe experience is a plus. A subset of the role will involve master data management as well.

You will work, closely, with the Data/Dev teams to make sure that data is reachable, consistent, updated, and ready for the different Data models. A significant part of this role will entiail working with this team to create a data model in PBI for non-technical users. They would like non-technical users to be able to create reports off of 300 different variables. This is where the semantic models in that previous paragraph will play a role. As anyone involved in reporting knows, reporting requires nuance. So, you will be working with users, determine the main queries and the main variables that someone would like to report off of (as well as create the data model). So, a good example of this would be for - lets say - a motor parts manufacturer would like to know their GP numbers on particular parts in the northeast in Q4...the report should give them the option to determine part numbers, include other part numbers that may be associated with those parts, give options to determine if repaired or OEM parts should be included, etc...

Here are some of the key responsibilities:

• Maintain Power BI Data models.
• Support the monthly metrics reporting efforts.
• Produce statistical analysis on this client's data to allow senior leaders to identify advance trends.
• Control access to data in the data models via Row Level Security.
• Produce Ad hoc data reports on demand.
• Stay in constant touch with the development teams, serving as a steward for this client's data.
• Work with data and analytics experts to strive for greater functionality in our data systems.

Here is what we are looking for:

• At least 4-5 years of experience with DAX, M and SQL.
• At least 4-5 years of experience with statistical analysis.
• At least 4-5 years of experience building Semantic Models.
• Any Master Data Management experience.
• This is not a role for a contractor...so, we are seeking duration on the roles you have held. If you have spent 1 year on one role, 6 months on another, and a year on the next, we probably will not have a good fit for this role.
• At least 5 years of experience as a a Data Analyst. This should include authority over PowerBI systems as well as experience building and optimizing Power BI Data Models, Flows and Dashboards.
• A successful history of manipulating, processing and extracting value from disconnected datasets.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.