At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development and maintenance of data pipelines and reporting solutions.
- Company: Join Farrow & Ball, a luxury British lifestyle brand with a rich heritage.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, enhanced pay, and generous staff discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a creative environment while working with cutting-edge BI tools.
- Qualifications: Experience in SSIS, SQL, and Power BI is essential; strong communication skills are a must.
- Other info: Hybrid role with opportunities for professional growth and a supportive team culture.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We are currently looking for a skilled individual to join our IT team as a Lead BI Analyst. This is a full-time, hybrid role working from home with 2 days per week in our Head Office in Wimborne, Dorset.
Farrow & Ball are a luxury British lifestyle brand that prides itself in creating richly pigmented paint and handcrafted wallpaper, using print methods dating back 300 years and the finest quality ingredients. The unique Farrow & Ball look transforms modern and traditional homes, large and small, inside and out. Established in Dorset in 1946, we have grown and now proudly have 60 showrooms worldwide with a global network of stockists. The key to our success is the people behind the paint: from the team handcrafting each tin to showroom staff to support functions, our shared passion ensures customers have a positive, engaging experience at every stage of their journey with us.
This is a senior, hands-on delivery and operations role responsible for the day-to-day running and continuous improvement of the central reporting and analytics estate. You will build, maintain, and support data pipelines and a SQL Server-based reporting warehouse. You will work cross-functionally to deliver trusted management information and KPI definitions, partnering closely with Commercial Finance to provide reliable datasets. This role has no people management responsibilities and forms part of a small BI team sharing operational support and delivery.
The reporting estate integrates data from multiple business systems into a central SQL Server warehouse and the Power BI Service. Data sources include ERP (IFS Cloud), enterprise applications, and operational and commercial systems. Data ingestion methods include scheduled extracts, file feeds, APIs, and managed integrations.
What we expect from you as a Lead BI Analyst:
- Operate and Support Reporting Estate
- Monitor and maintain ETL processes, SQL Server Agent jobs, warehouse loads, and Power BI refreshes.
- Troubleshoot issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement permanent fixes.
- Improve monitoring, alerting, incident response, release scheduling, and Power BI refresh reliability and performance.
- Data Engineering and Warehouse Development
- Develop and maintain SSIS-based ETL solutions with robust logging, error handling, and performance tuning.
- Build and maintain dimensional warehouse structures (facts and dimensions) following modelling standards.
- Implement auditable, repeatable load strategies (incremental and full).
- Develop and optimise SQL Server objects, including tables, views, stored procedures, indexing, and query tuning.
- Work with upstream system owners and third parties to deliver reliable integrations.
- Power BI Semantic Models and Reporting
- Develop and maintain governed, reusable enterprise semantic models (shared datasets).
- Build measures using DAX and shape data with Power Query (M) following best practices.
- Create consistent, performant reports and dashboards.
- Implement security and access controls, including role-based security.
- Follow established model-report separation and controlled deployment practices.
- Intake, Prioritisation, and Delivery
- Help manage the reporting backlog: capture requests, clarify requirements, estimate effort, prioritise, and deliver predictably.
- Balance ad-hoc requests with longer-term improvements, reducing repeat queries through reusable datasets.
- Partner with stakeholders to agree KPI definitions and ensure correct data interpretation.
- Standards, Governance, and Documentation
- Contribute to BI governance, workspace organisation, monitoring, performance tuning, and change control.
- Maintain documentation for pipelines, models, KPI logic, refresh schedules, and support procedures.
Key Attributes
- Essential:
- Hands-on SSIS and traditional ETL experience with scheduling, monitoring, and incident resolution.
- Strong data warehousing fundamentals, business/surrogate keys, and historical change handling.
- Strong SQL performance tuning and troubleshooting skills.
- Enterprise Power BI development experience, including semantic models, DAX, Power Query, and security controls.
- Experience with model-report separation and controlled release practices.
- Ability to manage backlog, prioritise, and deliver work; strong communication and documentation skills.
- Desirable:
- Reporting from IFS Cloud or other ERP systems.
- Familiarity with modern data tooling (Azure Data Factory, Microsoft Fabric, dbt, CI/CD).
- Service management, incident-driven support, Agile delivery experience.
- Experience integrating data via APIs, files, middleware, or managed methods.
Behaviours
- Strong ownership of operational reliability and data quality.
- Pragmatic, methodical, quality-focused.
- Collaborative and service-oriented in a small team.
- Comfortable bridging technical detail and business outcomes.
What You Can Expect From Us
- 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus bank holidays
- Annual salary reviews, based on individual performance
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay
- Generous staff discount on F&B products
- Access to our retail discounts platform
- Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support
- Health Cash Plan
- Company Sick Pay
- Group Pension Scheme, matched by F&B
- Life Assurance
- Refer a Friend scheme
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Season Ticket Loans for travel
Lead Business Intelligence Analyst in Wimborne Minster employer: Farrow & Ball
Contact Detail:
Farrow & Ball Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Business Intelligence Analyst in Wimborne Minster
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Farrow & Ball on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your SQL and Power BI skills. We all know that hands-on experience speaks volumes, so be ready to showcase your expertise with real examples from your past work.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just focus on the technical stuff; show your passion for the brand! Research Farrow & Ball’s products and values, and be ready to discuss how you can contribute to their mission of creating beautiful spaces.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team at Farrow & Ball.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Business Intelligence Analyst in Wimborne Minster
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Lead BI Analyst role. Highlight your experience with SQL, ETL processes, and Power BI. We want to see how your skills match what we're looking for!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for data and how you can contribute to our team at Farrow & Ball. Keep it engaging and relevant to the role.
Showcase Your Projects: If you've worked on any relevant projects, don’t hold back! Include examples of your work with data pipelines or reporting solutions. We love seeing real-world applications of your skills.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Let’s get started!
How to prepare for a job interview at Farrow & Ball
✨Know Your Data Inside Out
As a Lead BI Analyst, you'll be working with complex data systems. Make sure you brush up on your SQL skills and understand the ETL processes thoroughly. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've improved data pipelines or resolved issues in past roles.
✨Showcase Your Power BI Expertise
Farrow & Ball is looking for someone with strong Power BI development experience. Prepare to demonstrate your knowledge of creating semantic models, DAX measures, and how you've implemented security controls in previous projects. Bring along examples of dashboards you've built that had a significant impact.
✨Communicate Clearly and Collaboratively
This role requires strong communication skills, especially when partnering with stakeholders. Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms. Think about times when you've successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver insights or improvements.
✨Be Ready for Problem-Solving Scenarios
Expect to face some scenario-based questions during your interview. Prepare to discuss how you've handled troubleshooting and root cause analysis in the past. Highlight your methodical approach to resolving incidents and improving operational reliability.