Technical Data Analyst - SME

Job Description -

Technical Data Analyst/Business Analyst

Contract position with major investment firm.
Hybrid, 3 days/week in Newark, NJ
Description: Job Summary:
Technical/Data Analyst for the People Domain Activation project plays a critical role in enabling the People Domain to successfully transition into the enterprise Data-as-a-Product operating model. The analyst partners with Domain Owners, Stewards, Data Engineering, and cross-functional business teams to define domain scope, document data assets, elicit requirements, ensure metadata and quality standards are met, and support the build-out of People-related data products.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the inventory of People domain data assets.
Collaborate with data architects and engineers to support creation of conceptual, logical, and physical data models for People data.
Define quality rules, validations, and issue-management workflows for People domain assets.
Translate business requirements into user stories, acceptance criteria, and data mapping specifications for activation sprints.
Collect, analyze, and interpret large data sets from multiple sources to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights.
Leverage Microsoft Purview (Unified Catalog and data lineage) to identify trusted datasets, assess data health, and evaluate downstream impact for analytics and reporting.
Work with business users to gather requirements and translate them into data analysis and reporting solutions.
Support the development of business cases and strategic initiatives with quantitative analysis.
Present findings and recommendations to stakeholders through clear and concise presentations and reports.
Collaborate with IT and business teams to define and implement data management best practices.
Continuously seek opportunities to improve processes and increase efficiency through data-driven approaches.
Required Qualifications:
Strong understanding of HR/People data - Workday data.
Deep understanding of People/HR processes and architecture
Knowledge of PI/PHI handling
Exposure to DM&G standards and enterprise operating models
Proficient in data analysis tools and languages (e.g., SQL, Excel, Python).
Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex data in a clear manner.
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in the HR domain or insurance industry.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Purview, including data catalog and lineage capabilities, is a strong value add.
Familiarity with cloud-based data lake/hub concepts and database management systems.
Experience working in Agile or cross-functional teams.