HR Business Analyst in Edinburgh

Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

Contract: Full-Time (35 hours per week), Open ended

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full-time staff.

Purpose of Role: Joining the HR Shared Operations (ShoP) team, you will work in close collaboration with all divisions of Human Resources (HR), Information Services (IS) and our Strategic Planning, Performance and Projects Team (SPP&P). The Operational ‘Business as Usual’ activities vary from day to day. Although we often work to very tight deadlines which will require you to be adaptable and flexible in your approach, you will also be accountable for transforming our approach to HR data, which will require forward thinking and a continuous improvement mindset. You will be part of a team that constantly strives for service excellence and continually improves service delivery and efficiency to enhance the overall employee experience in line with our values. This provides an environment where you will learn from a variety of sources, stakeholders and peers.

The role is pivotal in ensuring that HR data is accurate, compliant and insightful, which will be supporting both legislative requirements, business decision-making and stakeholder needs. Improving data accessibility for employees and managers. You will support the effective use of HR and Microsoft Analytics technologies to ensure accurate data management, streamlined business processes, and high-quality reporting.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Accountable for the production, submission and optimisation of the statutory HESA staff return, and use of staff data in other returns such as the upcoming REF2029 return.
• Developing and maintaining an expert understanding of the overall requirements, data, processes and systems.
• Accountable for the production and optimisation of HR Management information (MI). You will also be responsible for gathering and proposing solutions for HR MI needs of key university and HR stakeholders.
• Plan and participate in improvement projects and regression testing for quarterly system updates, documenting system workflows and developing user guides for end users.
• Ensure data accuracy, completeness, and consistency across the HR system.
• Dynamic data analysis and production of and/or significant contributions to specific periodic major HR dashboards and analytical reports supporting leadership.
• Review and streamline HR system processes and identify automation opportunities to enhance efficiency and user experience.
• Support internal and external audits and FOI requests.
• Manage the various data surveys to ensure HR has access to benchmarking data.
• Carry out data reconciliation for annual pay element changes e.g. pay award/increments/real living wage and any additional processes.
• Working with other colleagues in HR, IS and SPP&P to engage in continuous improvement of process and procedures to ensure continued efficient and effective service delivery.
• Carry out any other duties which may, from time to time, be reasonably requested within the grade and level of responsibility of the post.
• Research and gather data from different University systems (including our own Cloud ERP system), manipulate and interpret data as required by Strategic People Partners or People Partners, being able to present the data in a manner that is useful to both internal (HR) customers and external customers (e.g. Executive Deans and Directors).

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

• Qualified to degree level or similar or equivalent experience.
• Relevant qualification or experience in Data analysis or similar.
• Experience of Oracle Fusion or similar HR system.
• Highly skilled in the use of the Microsoft suite of applications including Teams, SharePoint, OneNote, Outlook and Excel skills and Digital proficiency.
• Experience of building reports in data visualisation software in Power BI or an alternative BI platform; Demonstrable experience of extracting, analysing and interpreting data to produce reports in support of HR Planning and Management activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including stakeholder management, collaboration and problem solving.
• Demonstrable professional approach with the ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
• Good written and oral communication skills, including data visualisation and presentation skills, with the ability to present complex information in an accessible way for a diverse audience.
• Good organisational skills and accuracy and attention to detail.
• Flexible and professional approach to work, with the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personal data.

Desirable:

• Experience within a higher education or other public sector environment.
• Experience of working within HR.
• Experience with HESA Returns.
• Awareness of Data Protection Principles and information security.

How to Apply: Applications can be submitted up to 11:55 PM 16th May 2026. Please submit via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV. Any questions about the role, please contact Linda Safely l.l.safley@hw.ac.uk.

About Heriot-Watt University: At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community. Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/. We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.