Who are we?

We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 40,000 students throughout their time at university. We help to make student life the best it can be by supporting students to campaign for change, creating opportunities to meet new people, providing employment opportunities, providing advice and support and being a safe place on campus.  

We are a values-centred organisation that employs around 90 permanent, full-time members of staff. We recruit a wide range of roles throughout the year within all our departments from our Commercial team operating Manchester Academy Venues, 13 Media, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee to our Student Activities, Student Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, HR and Facilities teams. Our team of around 400 part-time, studying staff are instrumental in providing to support to all departments as well as leading major projects like Student Angels. When you join UMSU, you’ll be immersed in an environment that empowers staff to make great things happen and we're always on the lookout for innovative, passionate, and proactive people to join us. 

Our values are really important to us and shape the work that we do every day. As part of our recruitment process, we want you to demonstrate how your experiences, behaviours and skills align with our values. You can find more detailed explanations of our values on our website. 

About the role 

Are you a current University of Manchester student with a passion for data analysis and a knack for transforming numbers into impactful stories? Join the Students’ Union Research and Insight Team as a Data Analyst and play a key role in shaping how we understand and improve the student experience.

About the Role and the Research & Insight Team
The Research and Insight Team is at the heart of understanding the student community. We use data-driven insights to shape campaigns, inform decision-making, and enhance the overall student experience.

We are offering a unique opportunity for a student to join our team for the current academic year (until July 2025). As part of the University of Manchester Students' Union, you’ll be working closely with staff across both the Union and the University to analyse and visualise data using PowerBI. Your expertise will be crucial in translating complex student-related data into clear, actionable insights and reports that will guide decision-making and strategy.

The Research and Insight Team collects a wealth of data related to the student experience, from engagement with services to feedback on events and campaigns. Your role will involve turning this data into easy-to-read dashboards and reports, helping staff across the organisation quickly access the information they need. We will provide you with clear requirements to guide your dashboard creation, ensuring that your work aligns with the needs of both the Union and University departments.

How the Role Fits Into Our Goals
This role is essential in driving our strategy to be truly data driven, transform education, and continually improve student experience, services and engagement. At the Students’ Union, we are committed to being evidence-based and data-driven in all we do. The information we collect helps us understand what students need, how they engage with our services, and where we can improve. As a Data Analyst, you will be at the heart of this process, ensuring that staff and student officers have access to reliable, clear, and actionable insights via the dashboards. Your work will directly influence the decisions that impact thousands of students, making this a role where you can see the real-world impact of your analysis.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing Dashboards: Design and develop insightful reports and dashboards using PowerBI to support organisational strategy and decision-making. Present findings in a clear and accessible format to internal stakeholders, including senior leaders and student officers.
• Data analyses: Analyse large data sets to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights that can improve services and support campaigns. Continuously improve data collection and reporting processes to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of decision-making.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with various departments to collect, clean, and interpret data from a variety of sources. Support the development of predictive models to anticipate student needs and future trends.
• Mystery Shopper Programme: participate in and evaluate our Union’s services as a secret shopper. This fun and unique element of the role also includes free gig tickets and meals!

Working Conditions
We offer flexible hybrid working options with a mix of desk-based and face-to-face activities, including remote work where possible. The role will involve tasks analysing datasets, creating visually aesthetic dashboards incorporating latest data visualisation techniques. This is a zero hour, fixed-term contract with hybrid working arrangements, allowing you to balance your studies with this exciting opportunity.

Why Join Us?
This is an excellent opportunity for a student looking to develop their data analysis and PowerBI skills in a real-world setting. You’ll gain valuable experience working in a professional environment, collaborating with staff and contributing to projects that have a tangible impact on student life.

If you’re analytical and passionate about using data to drive change and want to be part of a team committed to improving the student experience, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and be part of a team that's committed to enhancing student life at the University of Manchester!

Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment. 

Details 

Wage: £12 per hour + holiday pay 

Contract: Zero Hours, Fixed-Term until 31st July 2025

Hours: approximately 2-10 per week 

Our Reward Package

You'll get access to our reward package which you can see here.

Recruitment Guide 

We have a guide that explains our full recruitment process. We recommend reading through this before beginning an application. 

View/Download UMSU Guide to Recruitment (2024)

If you are invited to interview with us, we will share our interview questions in advance so you can prepare your responses. We’re more interested in hearing about your experiences and ideas than in testing your memory, and so we want you to feel as prepared as possible. 

Inclusivity and Accessibility

We are committed to equality of opportunity, and we work hard to ensure we appoint based on skill and values. 

We particularly encourage applications from Disabled or Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African candidates as these groups are currently underrepresented in our staff team. 

If you have any accessibility requirements or require adjustments to support you to apply to work with us, please get in touch. We can offer reasonable adjustments at all stages of our recruitment process. 

Recruitment Timeline 

Applications opened: 18th October 2024

Applications close: 23rd October 2024 23:59

Interviews: 11th November 2024

Role Commencing: ASAP 

We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. In this case, all applicants who have started an application will be contacted 2 hours before we close the role. 

Contact

People Team:

You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process. 

Email: jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk 

Phone: 0161 306 3279 

Hiring Manager:

You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.

Email: louie.pereira@manchester.ac.uk