Business Insight Analyst — Finance & People

Cognita Schools; Abu Dhabi; Hybrid; AED 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools in the UAE seeks a Business Insight Analyst to partner with Finance and People teams, turning data into actionable insights using SQL and Power BI, with Databricks data and KPI-driven reporting.

You will deliver dashboards, support enterprise reporting, and help advance AI-enabled self-service analytics across the organisation, with four days in the Dubai office and one day remote.

Qualifications

• 2-4 years of experience in a business-facing analyst or BI role.
• Experience partnering with finance, HR or people data.
• Proficiency with SQL, Power BI dashboards and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain Power BI dashboards and reports.
• Analyse data directly from the Databricks platform.
• Combine financial and workforce metrics to deliver holistic performance insights.
• Translate business questions into clear analytical solutions and actionable recommendations.

Skills

SQL

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Power BI

Databricks

Excel

Job description

About Cognita

Cognita is a global leader in independent education. Founded in 2004, we are a growing community of 90 schools in 20 countries - in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East - serving more than 100,000 students. Each of our schools are proudly unique, however our collective purpose is to create an environment where everyone can, "Thrive in a rapidly evolving world".

About the Role

As a Business Insight Analyst, you will act as a trusted analytics partner to our Finance and People teams, helping turn data into meaningful insights that drive business performance and decision-making. Reporting into the central data team while working closely with stakeholders across the organisation, you will develop and maintain impactful Power BI reports and dashboards, analyse data directly from the Databricks platform, and combine financial and workforce metrics to provide a holistic view of performance. You will translate business questions into clear analytical solutions, deliver actionable recommendations, and support enterprise reporting aligned to Cognita's KPI framework. The role also offers the opportunity to contribute to the development of AI-powered tools and self-service analytics capabilities, while collaborating with colleagues across Data Engineering, Analytics Engineering and AI Enablement to strengthen data-driven decision-making across the organisation. Flexibility, curiosity and a proactive approach will be key as you support both ongoing business priorities and ad hoc analytical projects across a range of functions.

Working Arrangement: 4 days per week in Dubai office, 1 day working from home

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a commercially minded and analytically driven Business Insight Analyst with experience partnering closely with stakeholders to turn data into meaningful business insight. The successful candidate will have 2-4 years' experience in a business-facing analyst, insight or BI role, ideally working with finance, HR or people-related data, and will be confident using SQL to explore data, answer ad hoc business questions and identify trends and opportunities. You will have strong Power BI skills, with the ability to build and maintain engaging dashboards and reports, alongside excellent analytical capabilities to interpret financial and workforce metrics and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations. Comfortable working with stakeholders at all levels, you will be able to gather requirements, prioritise competing demands and convert business needs into well-defined analytical solutions. Experience working in Agile environments is essential, while a degree in a relevant field and Microsoft Power BI certification would be advantageous. Above all, you will be a proactive communicator who enjoys solving problems, building relationships and helping drive data-informed decision-making across the organisation.

The Closing Date for Applications is: Sunday 18th October 2026

Cognita Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on the school website. Details on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is included within the Application Guidance.

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of background