Business Analyst

Astra Tech; Dubai; On-site; AED 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A financial technology company based in Dubai is looking for a hands-on analyst to transform transaction data into actionable insights. The role includes key responsibilities such as combining data, conducting portfolio analysis, and identifying fraud patterns. Ideal candidates will have experience in analytics within card issuing or payments and strong SQL skills. This position offers a chance to make significant impacts through data-driven decision making.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years in card issuing, payments, lending, or analytics.
• Strong SQL skills and competent Python or R.
• Experience with a modern BI tool.

Responsibilities

• Combine processor, ledger, and engagement data.
• Conduct segmentation analysis on spending behavior.
• Quantify the impact of campaigns and limit changes.

Skills

SQL

Python or R

BI tools (Looker, Power BI, etc.)

Statistical testing

Storytelling skills

Job description

Role summary

Data is the heartbeat of our business. We need a hands‑on analyst who can transform billions of transaction rows into activation playbooks, profit levers, and fraud‑crushing insights. You’ll be the bridge between raw transaction logs and real‑world decisions, working shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Business, Product, Growth, Risk and Finance. If turning noisy data into clear human actions is your idea of fun, keep reading.

Responsibilities

Build the single source of truth

• Combine processor, ledger, and engagement data in Big Query/Snowflake
• Maintain reproducible SQL/Python jobs that refresh daily
• Publish core dashboards in Power BI or Grafana
• Automate a 10-slide board deck that ships on day 2 of every month
• Drive automation in reporting

Define and execute portfolio and financial analysis

• Define and conduct segmentation analysis on spending behavior and life‑cycle stage
• Flag dormant or low‑engagement cards and supply re‑activation lists to CRM
• Slice CAC/LTV by cohort; re‑allocate spending toward high‑retention channels
• Develop cost‑benefit analyses on new product/feature recommendations/changes
• Build volume forecasts and elasticity models that help us secure better network terms
• Provide Finance with scenario tables before every partner renegotiation
• Highlight cost variances or fee leakages as they occur

Spend‑growth support

• Quantify the impact of campaigns, rewards, limit changes, and partner offers
• Identify merchant‑category and time‑of‑month triggers that correlate with higher usage
• Advise Business Development on reward partners that fit observed spend patterns

Be the fraud loss assassin

• Map false‑positive hotspots, tune rules, partner with ML team on new features
• Drive ≥25 bps annual reduction in fraud losses without hurting approval rates

Requirements

Must‑haves

• 3–6 yrs in card issuing, payments, lending, or top‑tier analytics role
• Strong SQL; competent Python or R
• Experience with a modern BI tool (Looker, Power BI, Mode, etc.)
• Comfort with statistical testing, cohort and survival analysis
• Storytelling skills—turn noise into narratives executives act on
• Bias for delivering an initial solution quickly and iterating
• Bonus points for experience with fraud decision engines, interchange tables, or basic ML deployment—but curiosity beats checkboxes every time

Nice‑to‑haves

• Familiarity with interchange regulations and scheme fee tables
• Exposure to fraud rule tuning or decision‑engine data
• Startup or scale‑up DNA

Examples of how we’ll measure success

• Increase in active card rate
• Fraud and fee drag reduction
• Executive and commercial teams rely on the new dashboards as their primary source of portfolio data
• Number of insight‑driven product launches / adaptations
• Reduction in Management and Board reporting time