At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead BI development, create reporting platforms, and mentor junior team members.
- Company: Join a leading UK consumer goods brand focused on data-driven decision-making.
- Benefits: Enjoy a salary up to £70,000 and hybrid working options.
- Why this job: Shape data strategy in a high-impact role with collaborative culture and varied projects.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in Business Intelligence, strong SQL skills, and experience with Power BI and Azure.
- Other info: Opportunity for growth into a formal management position.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 98000 £ per year.
BI Lead – Consumer Goods
Location: Lancashire (2 days per week in office, commutable from Burnley/Preston area)
Salary: Up to £70,000
The Company
We’re partnered with a leading UK consumer goods brand, known nationwide for their products in the home & lifestyle space. With ongoing growth and digital transformation, they are investing heavily in data capabilities to improve business decision-making, customer insight, and operational efficiency. The organisation has already built out a small but capable data team, and they’re now looking to appoint a BI Lead to accelerate their reporting, analytics, and automation strategy.
This is a high-impact role where you’ll shape how data is delivered across the group, working with stakeholders across Finance, Operations, Marketing, and Commercial to enable smarter, faster decisions.
The Role
This newly created BI Lead role sits within a growing data function, reporting into the Head of Data. The successful candidate will take ownership of group-wide reporting and build out a self-service analytics platform to support stakeholders at all levels. You’ll combine hands-on development with leadership, guiding the team on best practices while driving adoption of modern BI tools.
You’ll play a key role in shaping the data strategy, leading projects to unify reporting across multiple business units, improve pipelines, and embed automation to reduce manual reporting.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead BI development and delivery across the organisation, driving consistency and scalability.
- Design and implement a unified reporting platform, empowering stakeholders to self-serve insights.
- Build and optimise pipelines within the Azure ecosystem (Databricks, Data Factory, Synapse).
- Develop, maintain, and enhance dashboards and reports using Power BI (part of Microsoft stack).
- Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather requirements, translate them into solutions, and ensure insights drive impact.
- Mentor and support junior team members, fostering best practice in data modelling, governance, and reporting.
- Partner with engineering colleagues on in-house platform migration projects, ensuring data is structured and accessible for analysis.
- Drive automation of reporting processes, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy.
- Work closely with the Head of Data on data strategy, roadmap, and stakeholder engagement.
Skills & Experience
- 5+ years’ experience in Business Intelligence, with proven delivery of group-wide reporting projects.
- Strong SQL skills – confident in writing, optimising, and troubleshooting queries.
- Experience with the Microsoft stack, particularly Power BI (development and publishing).
- Hands-on experience in the Azure ecosystem (Databricks, Data Factory, Synapse).
- Understanding of data pipelines; ability to design and manage end-to-end data flows (not necessarily hardcore engineering).
- Exposure to Python for data manipulation/automation is desirable but not essential.
- Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience translating technical outputs into business value.
- Previous leadership or mentoring experience is desirable, as this role may grow into a formal management position.
- Commercially savvy, able to prioritise projects that deliver tangible value to the business.
Benefits
- Salary up to £70,000 depending on experience.
- Hybrid working: 2 days per week in the Lancashire office (commutable from Burnley, Preston, Blackburn, and surrounding areas).
- Opportunity to lead BI strategy in a high-profile role with direct business impact.
- Work on varied projects, from platform migration to group reporting and automation.
- Collaborative culture with a growing data team and supportive leadership.
How to Apply
If you’re a BI professional looking for a step up into a leadership role—or already operating as a BI Lead and seeking a high-impact environment—please send your CV to Mohammed Buhariwala at Harnham via the Apply link on this page.
Keywords
BI Lead, Business Intelligence Lead, BI Developer, BI Specialist, Data Engineer, Power BI, Azure, Databricks, SQL, Pipelines, Data Visualisation, Self-Service Analytics, Reporting Platform, Consumer Goods, Lancashire, Preston, Burnley, North West, UK Jobs
Business Intelligence Lead employer: Harnham
Contact Detail:
Harnham Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Business Intelligence Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific tools mentioned in the job description, especially Power BI and the Azure ecosystem. Having hands-on experience or even personal projects showcasing your skills with these tools can set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the consumer goods sector or those already working in business intelligence roles. Engaging with them on platforms like LinkedIn can provide insights into the company culture and expectations, which can be invaluable during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your previous leadership experiences and how you've mentored others in BI practices. This role emphasises leadership, so demonstrating your ability to guide a team will be crucial in making a strong impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Research the company’s current data strategy and any recent projects they’ve undertaken. Being able to speak knowledgeably about their initiatives and how you can contribute to their goals will show your genuine interest and proactive approach.
We think you need these skills to ace Business Intelligence Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in Business Intelligence, particularly focusing on group-wide reporting projects and your proficiency with SQL and Power BI. Use specific examples to demonstrate your impact in previous roles.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that showcases your understanding of the consumer goods industry and how your skills align with the company's goals. Mention your leadership experience and how you can contribute to their data strategy.
Highlight Technical Skills: Clearly outline your technical skills related to the Azure ecosystem, including Databricks, Data Factory, and Synapse. Provide examples of how you've used these tools to improve reporting and analytics in past positions.
Showcase Stakeholder Engagement: Include examples of how you've successfully collaborated with stakeholders to gather requirements and translate technical outputs into business value. This will demonstrate your communication skills and ability to drive impact.
How to prepare for a job interview at Harnham
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Make sure to highlight your experience with SQL, Power BI, and the Azure ecosystem during the interview. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you've successfully implemented these tools, as this will demonstrate your hands-on expertise.
✨Emphasise Leadership Experience
Since this role involves mentoring junior team members and potentially growing into a formal management position, share examples of your previous leadership experiences. Discuss how you've guided teams in best practices and driven project success.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with the consumer goods industry and the specific challenges it faces. This knowledge will help you articulate how your BI strategies can deliver tangible value and improve decision-making for stakeholders across various departments.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement Scenarios
Expect questions about how you would gather requirements from stakeholders and translate technical outputs into business insights. Prepare examples of past experiences where you've successfully engaged with different business units to drive impact through data.