Senior Strategic BI Analyst: Student Lifecycle

Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Stellenbosch University on Stellenbosch Campus seeks a Senior Strategic BI Analyst for Student Lifecycle. Role focuses on turning student data into decision-ready insights across enrolment, retention, success and graduation.

Lead data analysts and collaborate with the Student Success Hub to deliver dashboards and reports that inform faculties and institutional planning. The successful candidate will guide analytics, apply advanced modelling, and develop self-service tools while training staff.

Qualifications

• Masters (NQF 9) with 3+ years relevant experience.
• Experience in lifecycle/cohort analysis, reporting, forecasting and data investigations.
• Proficiency in SQL, Power BI, Excel and statistical tooling.
• Experience working with data from multiple source systems.

Responsibilities

• Analysing enrolment, registration, retention, success and graduation data across the student lifecycle.
• Applying analytical, statistical and data-modelling techniques for robust insights.
• Running cohort tracking and throughput analytics with the Student Success Hub.
• Building and maintaining interactive student dashboards and standard reports.
• Preparing student-number forecasts for enrolment planning.

Skills

SQL

Power BI

Excel

Data modelling

Statistical tooling

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree (NQF9)

Honours or PG Dip (NQF8)

Bachelor's degree (NQF7)

Tools

SUNStudent

SQL

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Department Description/Departement Beskrywing

Institutional Strategy, Research and Analytics (ISRA)

Senior Strategic BI Analyst: Student Lifecycle (Post Level 7)

(Stellenbosch Campus)

Ref. REC/399/0926

The Division for Institutional Strategy, Research and Analytics (ISRA) supports the strategy, planning, projects and decision-making of Stellenbosch University (SU). This post sits in the Integrated Data Analytics (IDA) functional area of ISRA, which turns institutional data into integrated information that strengthens strategic, tactical and operational decision-making across the University.

Within IDA, the Student Lifecycle cluster provides analytics across the student journey (enrolment, registration, retention, success and graduation), including cohort tracking and throughput, student dashboards and standard reporting, and enrolment-planning support.

The Role

The incumbent contributes to student-lifecycle analytics for the University, turning student data into decision-ready insight for faculties, Student Affairs and institutional planning. The incumbent provides technical guidance to Embedded Data Analysts and interns in the cluster and works closely with the Student Success Hub.

Duties/Pligte

• Analysing student enrolment, registration, retention, success and graduation data across the student lifecycle, and conducting data investigations for faculties and professional and support (PASS) environments.
• Applying analytical, statistical and data-modelling techniques to produce robust, decision-ready insight.
• Running cohort tracking and throughput analytics with the Student Success Hub and maintaining student tracking models and early-signal indicators of retention and success.
• Building and maintaining interactive student dashboards and reporting models, compiling standard student reports, and operating the ad hoc institutional information service.
• Preparing the student-number forecasts per faculty and qualification type for the institutional enrolment planning process.
• Providing SUNStudent business-analysis support, building and maintaining self-service tools and data-extraction templates, delivering user training and conducting specialist research on student success and retention.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes

• A qualification in data science, statistics, mathematical science, information systems, analytics, econometrics, or a related quantitative field. Qualification and relevant experience will be considered together: a master's degree (NQF 9) with at least three years' relevant experience, an honours degree or postgraduate diploma (NQF 8) with at least five years' relevant experience, or a bachelor's degree or advanced diploma (NQF 7) with at least seven years' relevant experience.
• Experience in student, institutional, operational or comparable data analytics, with demonstrated experience in lifecycle/cohort analysis, reporting, forecasting and data investigations.
• Experience with SQL, Power BI, Excel and statistical tooling, or equivalent, including data modelling and interactive development.
• Experience working with data from multiple source systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Experience in managing, leading and providing technical and analytical guidance to data analysts or other data professionals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights for non-technical audiences.
• The ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with colleagues and teams.

Recommendation/Aanbeveling

• Experience in a higher education or comparably complex institutional environment.
• Familiarity with the University's student information system (SUNStudent) and other institutional source systems and data structures.
• Data warehouse and dimensional modelling experience.
• Knowledge of AI-enabled analytics tools and workflows.
• Proficiency in reading and understanding Afrikaans.

Currency Commencement Date01-Dec-2026 Closing Date15-Oct-2026 Amount of Travel Work At Home