Data and Analytics Officer

University of the West of Scotland; Paisley; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days annual leave

Defined benefit pension scheme

Flexible working pattern

Employee wellbeing resources

Career development opportunities

Job summary

The University of the West of Scotland is seeking a Data and Analytics Officer to join the central Data and Analytics team within Strategic Planning. You will develop dashboards, provide data-driven insights, and support institutional reporting to drive evidence-based decision making across the university.

Key work includes improving retention measures, enhancing reporting capabilities, and strengthening data governance and assurance across multiple systems, with no direct management

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification or experience in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Computing, Economics, or similar).
• Experience working with large datasets.
• Knowledge of statistical programming (R, Python).
• Proficiency in data visualization tools (Power BI, Qlik, Tableau).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills (written and verbal).
• Understanding of data governance fundamentals and GDPR requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop university-wide dashboards and reports to support decision making.
• Provide data-driven insights, trend analysis and forecasting.
• Support statutory returns and institutional reporting.
• Extract, analyse and interpret data from multiple systems.
• Promote data literacy through training and guidance and strengthen data governance.

Skills

Data analysis

Large datasets

R

Python

Data governance

GDPR

Communication skills

Education

Degree in Data Science / Statistics / Computing

Tools

Power BI

Qlik

Tableau

Job description

Professional Services

Strategic Planning

Paisley Campus (travel to other campuses may be required on occasion)

Permanent

Unfortunately, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship in line with Home Office requirements. Applicants will therefore be unable to secure a Skilled Worker visa for this role and will require an alternative source of right to work in the UK.

Please note that the information provided in this advert is correct at the time of writing. The University cannot guarantee sponsorship, and we encourage you to keep up to date with any changes that the Home Office may introduce.

THE POST - REQ000625 - Data and Analytics Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to join the University of the West of Scotland's central Data and Analytics team, part of the Strategic Planning function. The team plays a key role in supporting evidence-based decision making across the University, helping to break down barriers to higher education and deliver the ambitions of Strategy 2030. Working closely with colleagues across academic and professional services areas, you will develop business intelligence dashboards and reports, provide data-driven insights, undertake trend analysis and forecasting, and support the delivery of statutory returns and institutional reporting.

The successful candidate will contribute to a range of high-profile projects focused on student success, institutional performance and data quality. Initial priorities will include developing university-wide retention measures, enhancing reporting capabilities through stakeholder engagement, creating accessible equality and diversity dashboards, and identifying opportunities to strengthen data governance and assurance processes. You will extract, analyse and interpret data from a range of systems, support data literacy across the University through training and guidance, and help ensure data quality and consistency. While the role has no direct management or budget responsibilities, it will play a vital part in informing strategic decision making across the University and contributing to the wider work of the Strategic Planning team.

• A degree or equivalent qualification or experience in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Computing, Economics, or similar)
• Experience working with large datasets
• Knowledge of statistical programming (e.g., R, Python)
• Proficiency in data visualization tools (e.g., Qlik, Power BI, Tableau)
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills - both written and verbal
• Understanding of data governance fundamentals and GDPR requirements

ABOUT US

University of the West of Scotland is a placemaking institution that is proud to be an integral part of its local communities, with a national and international reach: the University has four campuses in Scotland in Ayr, Dumfries, Lanarkshire and Paisley, as well as a campus in London Docklands. UWS has almost 100 international partnerships and its student community comprises more than 100 nationalities.

UWS is committed to providing education opportunities for all, empowering individuals to reach their full potential. The University creates meaningful impact locally, nationally and globally through innovative learning and teaching, pioneering research, and transformative partnerships. UWS is committed to the UNSDGs and was ranked joint 1st in Scotland and joint 4th in the UK for quality education (SDG4); and 1st in the UK and 39th globally for our contribution to decent work and economic growth (SDG8) in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026.

90% of UWS research was classed as world-leading, internationally excellent, or recognised internationally in the REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2021.

Our professional services teams are the backbone of UWS, providing robust and innovative solutions to support the vast range of work across learning and teaching, and research and innovation. You will join a supportive and dedicated team, playing a key role in a range of work that will help drive forward our ambition to deliver world-leading research, and graduates who will design, shape and build a new future.

We offer our staff a caring and supportive environment, across five campuses, and a competitive benefits package which includes:

• 24 days of annual leave, plus a further 12 days for public/university holidays
• An additional days leave on your birthday
• Defined benefit contribution pension scheme (including death in service benefits upon joining the scheme
• A flexible approach to working pattern and work-life balance
• Employee discount scheme across 3,500 retailers
• Fitness facilities across our campuses
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing resources, including occupational health, physiotherapy and access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Professional, career and research development opportunities.

Closing Date: Sunday 4 th October 2026

Interview Date: Week commencing 12 th October 2026

Please note that the appointment will be made on the first point of the salary scale (unless by exception, where evidence would need to be provided).

The University reserves the right to shorten/extend the closing date of any position where a high/low volume of suitable applications are received. Therefore, if you are interested in this role, an early application would be encouraged.

You can find out more about how the University uses your personal data as part of the recruitment process by looking at the UWS HR Applicant Privacy Notice at www.uws.ac.uk

UWS are committed signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant .

UWS is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from underrepresented groups.

UWS is a 'Disability Confident' employer.

University of the West of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, no. SC002520