The Senior Vice President of Data and Insight is accountable for the quality and integrity of all data and associated data assets across our the GEMS MENASA business. In addition, the role is also accountable for the insight generated from analyzing the data that we own. GEMS has launched a bold Data Maturity Program (DMP), the primary objective of which is to increase our ability to use data, along with how well we leverage our data and data assets, to drive the growth and performance of the business. The program covers data strategy, data privacy, data governance, data literacy and training, and information security - led by the role holder.
The role holder also provides the overall strategic direction of the company's growing data, analytics, and insight-related initiatives, overseeing the management and development of the provision of data and analysis for a range of services to clusters and schools, GEMS departments, senior management and partner organisations across the MENASA region.
This role will function as the lead interface within the analytical space and partner closely as a consultant and trusted expert with stakeholders across the business. A strategically minded individual with a passion for making data an actionable asset, this leader will execute a data strategy and roadmap that improves the level of insight delivered and leverages available data to improve business and education outcomes.
Key Accountabilities:
- To be accountable for the successful execution of the DMP
- Lead the data analytics department in strategy development with regard to the collection, manipulation, and analysis of data for various business functions
- Lead the development, creation, and implementation of new data analysis products by working with school leaders, GEMS departments, and other data managers to identify their data analysis requirements
- Provide consultancy services to different departments working on a ‘Problem to Solution’ approach to identify priority data projects
- Develop, maintain and oversee comprehensive, accurate, and effective information systems relating to; students, schools, , education outcomes, infrastructure, and GEMS Group performance over time
- Create, implement, and oversee a comprehensive portfolio of compelling reports (self-serve, written, and oral) based on analyses of available data related to the departmental metrics, the academic performance of the Group, schools, and individual students to support the Group’s improvement; for a variety of internal and external audiences highlighting trends, issues, impact and areas for improvement
- To establish stronger levels of data governance maturity across the organization
Strategic Analytics and Insight Leadership
- Support and guide senior management and departmental leaders in making strategic, data-driven decisions, providing advice
- Present key data insights to senior colleagues to help with the ongoing understanding of the school, cluster, operational, financial, and customer performance. Highlight performance issues to SMC, department heads, Education SVPs/VPs, and Chief Education Officer by providing actionable insights
- Frame insights to create a case for change and action. Prepare and communicate findings and recommendations by developing and presenting high-quality reports and presentations
- Create new data-driven approaches for the purpose of generating business insights through data analytics, information visualization, and addressing unanswered business issues in a proactive manner
- Play a mentorship role to key data analytics personnel, ensuring constant improvement in their professional skills, guiding in the execution of their duties upon request, and essentially readying them for taking up the position in the future
Guidance and Support
- Lead and inspire a team of analytics professionals, and mentor them on best practices on data consumption, modeling, analytics, and reporting: helping convert data into insights and actionable decisions
- Support Principals and senior school leaders to effectively use and interpret data
- Support and guide Principals and senior school leaders in effective inspection practice in relation to self-evaluation and data presentation
- Oversee the creation of new documentation where necessary and ensure all service and system documentation is regularly refreshed, updated, and relevant; produce detailed step-by-step guidance on how to interpret data products within the portfolio together with how it has been constructed and from which data sources.
- Prepare material and delivery high-quality training on the interpretation of assessment data to colleagues and senior leaders from schools and other establishments.
- Organise training events and user groups to showcase best practices and new functionality and features for schools
- Keep abreast of current guidance and good practice in relation to assessment processes, the effective use of data, and changes to statutory requirements for schools, corporate functions, and regulatory requirements in relation to data.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build a profile of data and analytics by providing clear data and analytics stories and spreading them across the business. This is in regard to why data is important, the insights revealed by data analytics, and actions that should follow the data analyses.
- Liaise with IT data warehouse personnel in defining the data collection needs of the business for the purpose of future work and also for guaranteeing that there is high data quality and reliability across the business.
- Ensure quality assurance systems are in place with respect to data quality, integrity, and reliability. Advise and guide other departments in relation to data quality.
- Liaise with IT colleagues to review and maintain the functionality and capability of the database to ensure that it meets the changing data requirements of the organisation and make recommendations where necessary for changes in processes and systems.
- Work with Operations and IT to make sure the optimal data architecture and technology systems are in place. Provide strategic and tactical leadership to standardize how data is sourced, integrated, and consumed across the enterprise and aligned with the business strategy
- Liaise with software suppliers to support the use of data to help raise the standards of teaching and learning within the Group.
- Evaluate new data analysis software and assess its value to the organisation. Where necessary learn new technologies and pass these newly acquired skills through to internal colleagues and staff within schools.
- Liaise with external data providers, such as ministries to obtain additional datasets.
Qualifications, Experience & Skills:
- 15+ years of in-depth experience in data analytics, data visualization, and data design.
- 5+ years of management experience
- A background in or experience working with education data at the national or local level across multi-campus operations.
- Experience in developing strategy and policy to support a growing data culture.
- Experience in developing and creating departmental strategies, service plans, and information policies.
- Experience in leading a large data analytics department.
- Excellent business judgment, analytic and problem-solving skills, with experience applying these skills to analyse large, complex, and multi-dimensional data sets
- Ability to create and extract complex data from spreadsheets and databases.
- Ability to create new databases that support school improvement
- Understanding and experience in specialist areas, including but not limited to quantitative research, and data visualization. data design, data strategy, personalization, and UX design
- Strong programme and project management skills are needed to organise and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
- Demonstrate high-level accuracy and attention to detail when producing analysis and reports.
- Ability to develop skills on a continuous basis to reflect customers’ needs.
- Knowledge of appropriate ICT infrastructure to guide IT department developments