Operations Strategy Analyst

JR United Kingdom; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking financial services company is seeking a Data Strategy Analyst to enhance collections strategies using data analytics. This role involves shaping communication strategies, ensuring compliance with regulations, and driving performance improvements across customer engagement efforts.

Benefits

Discretionary annual bonus scheme

25-28 days holiday increasing with service

Private medical insurance through Bupa

Cycle-to-work scheme

Salary sacrifice pension plan

Access to Perkbox discounts

Paid volunteering time

Qualifications

• Experience in Collections Analytics or Strategy preferred.
• Strong analytical mindset to derive insights from data.
• Ability to present insights effectively to various audiences.

Responsibilities

• Shape and refine collections and communication strategies.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reports for performance.
• Regularly review and optimize strategies to improve results.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Communication

SQL

Python

Education

Degree in a quantitative field

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Quicksight

Job description

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Data Strategy Analyst - Southampton - £45,000
Your new company
We're working with a forward-thinking financial services business that's genuinely passionate about doing the right thing for its customers. They've built a strong reputation for fair, affordable lending and now they're looking for an Operations Strategy Analyst to join their high-performing team.
This role sits within the wider Operations Analytics function but is embedded directly in the Servicing team. It's a great opportunity for someone who enjoys variety, thrives on solving problems with data, and wants to make a real impact on both customer outcomes and business performance.
Your new role
Using rich data sets, you'll help shape and refine collections and communication strategies tailored to different customer profiles. This means understanding customer behaviour and designing approaches that are both effective and empathetic. A key part of the role is ensuring that all strategies align with industry regulations and consistently deliver fair, positive outcomes for customers. Compliance and customer care go hand in hand here. You'll also be responsible for reporting on collections performance and looking at recovery rates, the impact of different strategies, and the overall customer experience. This insight will help guide future decisions and improvements.
Continuous testing and optimisation are central to the role. You'll regularly review and refine strategies to improve results, reduce risk, and ensure the business is always moving forward with data-backed decisions. Your ability to present insights clearly-whether to technical teams or non-technical stakeholders-will be crucial. Your work will directly influence how the business approaches collections and customer engagement.
On a broader level, you'll support the wider Operations team by building and maintaining dashboards and reports that provide essential visibility into performance. These tools will help teams across the business make smarter, more informed decisions. You'll also handle ad-hoc data requests and collaborate with colleagues to understand their needs, translating them into actionable analytics that support operational improvements and strategic planning.
What you'll need to succeed
You might come from an academic background with a degree that has a strong quantitative focus, or perhaps you've developed your skills through hands-on, real-world experience. Either way, what really matters here is your ability to think analytically and communicate your insights clearly and effectively. Ideally, you'll have some experience in Collections Analytics or Collections Strategy, and you're someone who's comfortable taking ownership of your work and driving it forward. If you've worked in financial services, utilities, or telecoms, that's definitely a plus-but it's not essential.
To succeed in this role, you'll need solid experience with SQL or Python (or both). If you've worked with other tools or platforms, that's great too-we're open to different approaches. You should have a sharp analytical mindset, with the ability to turn raw data into meaningful insights and actionable strategies.
Strong communication skills are also key. You'll need to be able to adapt your message depending on your audience-whether you're speaking with a technical team or presenting to senior stakeholders. And just as importantly, you should be proactive. This isn't a role where you'll be waiting for instructions-you'll be expected to spot opportunities and take the lead.
It would be a bonus if you've worked in Operations or have experience with personal loans. Familiarity with data visualisation tools like Power BI, Tableau, or Quicksight is also a nice-to-have, but not a requirement.
What you'll get in return
In addition to a competitive salary, employees are eligible for a discretionary annual bonus scheme that rewards performance. You'll start with 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays, with your allowance increasing each year up to a maximum of 28 days. Life cover is provided at four times your basic salary, and there's a dental scheme that reimburses costs within pre-agreed limits.
Health and wellbeing are a priority, with access to private medical insurance through Bupa, income protection, and the Help@Hand service, which offers free GP appointments and counselling support. The company also offers a cycle-to-work scheme and a salary sacrifice pension plan to help you save for the future.
You'll have access to Perkbox, which includes hundreds of discounts on well-known brands, and there's also the option to take paid volunteering time if you'd like to get involved with local charities through the Charities Committee. The dress code is casual-wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident in delivering great customer service.
And when it comes to culture, there's plenty to enjoy. The Social Committee keeps things lively with events throughout the year, including quiz nights, team-building activities, and both summer and winter parties
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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