How To Write A Data Analyst Job Description

Companies in all industries need data to understand further their business, customers, and the best strategies for moving forward. Receiving accurate and insightful information in this department is crucial to a business thriving long-term. That’s why special attention must be taken when hiring for a data analyst position.

What Does a Data Analyst Do?

A data analyst is responsible for properly collecting information about various aspects of a business, evaluating it, and communicating these findings in a meaningful way. The role of a data analyst is equal parts gathering information and analyzing these findings. Their goal is to enhance the functioning of their company by learning from the data they find.

Companies often incorporate data analysts into their operations to help them make better business decisions that result in earning more money or fixing problems the organization is facing.

Elements of a Data Analyst Job Description

When you’re searching for the perfect person with the right professional background to fit the needs of a data analyst position, you should seek out particular qualities. It all starts with writing a communicative job description to draw in the best applicants.

A job description needs to include a few vital pieces of information. These details help a candidate understand if they’re fully qualified to apply for a data analyst position. Separate these sections under relevant headers to keep the job description organized and easy to follow.

Be sure to include the following necessary aspects when writing a data analyst job description.

1. Company Introduction. It’s a good idea to start a job description with a quick introduction to the seeking company, but this is even more important when hiring for a data analyst position.

   A data analyst gets to know a business intimately in the responsibilities of their role. They want to know the organization that they’ll be analyzing early on in the hiring process.

   Keep the company introduction brief and positive. It should make the reader hungry to work for the employer.

2. Duties and responsibilities. A clear description of the data analyst role is required when writing a job description. While you’re writing a job description to fill an open position, this can only happen if the job’s description attracts the right candidates.

   Describing the role accurately and blatantly helps bring in top-tier data analyst candidates.

   When writing about the duties and responsibilities of the data analyst role, it can be helpful to connect with a current employee in the position. Include the minor and major tasks that a data analyst job with your company entails.

   The responsibilities section of a job description is often written in a bullet point list to make the information more digestible.

3. Role objectives. It’s important to mention the role objectives in a job description, particularly for a data analyst position. Data analysts go into a new job with the ultimate goal of fixing an issue or enhancing an aspect of the business. They need to know exactly what their objectives are for the role with this company.

   Common role objectives for data analysts include:

   • Improving annual revenue

   • Increasing website traffic

   • Improving the chance of return customers

   Explain their purpose in the company and what will be expected of them briefly. It can even be rolled into the job’s responsibilities section. There’s always time to go into more detail about the role objectives later on in an interview with a promising applicant.

4. Skills. Every job has a certain set of skills and qualifications that are required to perform it successfully. For a data analyst, there are a few core abilities needed to fulfill the role’s needs. Write these requirements in a bullet point list below the position’s responsibilities.

   Some of the common skills and qualifications for a data analyst include:

   • Mathematical aptitude

   • SQL

   • Data visualization

   • Data analysis with Python

   • Statistical knowledge

   • Report writing

   • Communication

   When writing up a data analyst job description, mention every ability required to do the tasks of the role. The hiring process can easily be disrupted by an applicant unaware of the qualifications they need for the position.

5. Education and experience requirements. A strong data analyst job description needs to go over the education and experience requirements for the role. Each unique job has its requirements when it comes to a candidate’s background.

   Some organizations might be fine with a candidate who recently graduated from university and doesn’t have much professional experience. Other company’s data analyst roles demand at least five years of experience in the field plus a master’s degree.

   Potential candidates need to know what requirements they’re expected to fulfill before applying for a data analyst position with your company. Many job descriptions lump together a position’s requirements in the same section as the skills needed with a bullet point list. This is fine, but if the list starts getting too long, split it into two sections.

6. Compensation and schedule. The final piece to constructing an informative data analyst job description describes the compensation and schedule for the position. In addition to understanding the responsibilities of the data analyst job, candidates are eager to know how much they’ll be earning and working.

   Details about compensation and schedule usually come at the end of a job description as the last push to get applicants to apply.

   List the position’s compensation as a salary range. This is also a good place to mention the pay and schedule flexibility for this data analyst position. You can also state any additional criteria for being hired, like a drug or background check.

   Optionally, the position’s benefits can be briefly explained here, but most companies choose to disclose this information later on in the hiring process when they’ve found a potentially suitable candidate.

Example of a Data Analyst Job Description

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.