BI Solution Architect

YouGov is an international market research and data analytics group.

Our mission is to supply a continuous stream of accurate data and insight into what the world thinks, so that companies, governments and institutions can better serve the people and communities that sustain them.

We have the best data and the best tools. We continuously challenge conventional approaches to research, and we disrupt our industry to ensure that our clients always get the best solutions.

We are driven by a set of shared values. We are fast, fearless and innovative. We work diligently to get it right. We are guided by accuracy, ethics and proven methodologies. We respect and trust each other, and bring these values into everything that we do.

Each day, our highly engaged proprietary global panel of over 15 million people provides us with thousands of data points on consumer opinions, attitudes and behaviours. We combine this continuous stream of data with our research expertise to provide insights that enable intelligent decision-making and informed conversations.

With operations in the UK, North America, Mainland Europe, the Nordics, the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific, YouGov has one of the world’s largest research networks.

The Culture

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to YouGov. We are committed to giving the world a voice by capturing the opinions of all groups, including the ones that are often under-represented in research.

We are also committed to making sure that our products and tools are free from any bias, as accuracy is key to what we do. None of the above can be done without having a truly diverse workforce, in an inclusive workplace. We are very keen on attracting and retaining the best talent. And best talent also means a diverse pool of talent, with various backgrounds and perspectives.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All employment decisions are made on the basis of occupational qualifications, merit, and business need.

The Role 

The successful candidate will make a substantial impact on the ability of the Finance Systems unit to achieve its goals.

He/she will need to combine engineering excellence, with innovation and ability to steer towards technological advancement. You will represent the YouGov values in all daily activities.

The role reports to  Finance Systems Team Lead

What will I be delivering? 

• You will ensure a reliable technical systems infrastructure that is well documented, adaptable, and ready for change in line with the pace of the business.
• In collaboration with senior leadership, you will develop a detailed roadmap and strategy for the future engineering infrastructure relied upon by the team, ultimately enabling the wider unit to be more efficient and faster at achieving its objectives of providing rich data, analytics, and insights to the company.
• You will quickly gain a deep understanding of the existing technical infrastructure and will ultimately own it.

• You will be hands-on to support projects and initiatives where needed, contributing your own technical experience when other team members lack certain skills or capabilities.
• You will initiate and steer technological innovation.

What do I need to bring with me? 

You are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about technology but also have the skills and experience to turn ideas into realities within the constraints of a company

Demonstrated knowledge and experience 

• You have demonstrably shown technical initiative in areas relevant for this role. (8+ years…)
• You understand modern cloud data platforms as well as products and trends in business analytics.

• Ideally, you have worked in a Finance/Accounting and/or Sales/Marketing domain before and understand the specific needs of people working in those areas.
• In your approach to project management, you care about processes, structure, and good documentation, and have evidence to share.
• You regularly solve complex problems or problems where precedent may not exist.
• Ideally, you maintain your own technical blog, are owner or contributor to open source projects, or you are actively engaged in a technical community in some other way.
• You are comfortable working with virtual teams across different time zones.

Technical skills and qualifications 

• Deep understanding of the Power BI ecosystem, including the DAX and PowerQuery (M) languages and related technologies like Dataflows and Azure Analysis Services.
• Very proficient at using .Net (Core) and PowerShell for scripting and automation purposes.
• Practical experience with Azure Data, Storage, Analytics, and Compute resources and Azure deployment technologies.

• Hands-on experience with the management of on-prem Windows Server (2012, 2016, 2019) machines.
• Extensive experience with querying and managing SQL Server databases (on-prem and cloud).
• Good understanding of cloud identity systems and protocols, specifically Azure AD and OAuth 2.0/OpenID Connect.
• You have successfully implemented modern CI/CD pipelines for data and software solutions, understand DevOps practices and tools, and are firm believer in automated testing.
• Interest in and experience with RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tools would be particularly useful.

What’s in it for me? 

• Be part of a successful, growing, global company which strongly believes in the value and power of technology.

• Have access to dedicated MSDN and Azure resources for development and prototyping.
• Be one of the key players in the technological transformation of the Finance department.

Behavioural competencies 

• First and foremost, have a customer-first attitude. You are able to understand the stakeholders and clients of the Finance Systems unit well and how technology and insights will help them to solve problems.
• Be a self-starter with a very high degree of initiative and proactivity. Work independently with minimal guidance.
• Learn new technologies fast and enjoy sharing newly gained insights.
• Actively follow industry trends and bring fresh ideas from the outside into your daily work.
• Communication skills, both verbal and written: Outline, explain, and defend your ideas and solutions. Convey complex ideas in a clear and understandable way, enabling cross-functional interactions with non-technical departments and stakeholders.
• Collaborate: Be effective at forming strong relationships and gaining confidence of senior leadership.
• You achieve your best results in an agile and fast-paced environment.