Senior Data and Operations Analyst - Private Companies at Baillie Gifford in Edinburgh

Job description

• The purpose of this role is to strengthen the Private Companies business through high-quality data, analytics and management information across the lifecycle of the investment whilst also supporting operational elements of deal flow.
• This is a hands-on role responsible for the quality and usability of data within the Private Companies team, maintaining and developing our analytical and reporting capability, and providing insights to support departmental decision-making.
• The role will work across portfolio company financial information, valuations, investment activity and fund administration data across multiple vehicles, along with client and prospect reporting. Power BI will be central, with responsibility for maintaining and enhancing reporting, developing new analytical solutions and helping colleagues turn data into clear, actionable insight.
• The role will also own the development of the Private Companies deal management process, establishing a consistent approach to capturing, tracking and analysing deal activity from initial opportunity through to execution.
• A trusted and well-structured Private Companies data universe, with clear ownership and definitions.
• High-quality Power BI and management reporting that supports decision-making, delivered with materially less manual effort.
• Clear visibility across the Private Companies deals pipeline and investment activity.
• More efficient and consistent delivery of data to internal stakeholders, clients and prospects.
• Baillie Gifford's Private Companies programme is one of the most distinctive and actively growing parts of the firm.
• The ideal candidate will combine strong Power BI and analytical capability with an understanding of private companies, commercial curiosity and a practical approach to problem-solving. They will take ownership of the department's data and reporting, identify opportunities for better analysis, and develop solutions that help colleagues make better-informed decisions.

Responsibilities

• Data Management and Reporting
• Take day-to-day responsibility for the quality, completeness and usability of key Private Companies datasets.
• Monitor data completeness and consistency across systems, ensuring material gaps or discrepancies are identified and resolved.
• Reconcile information from different systems and third-party sources where required.
• Build, maintain and improve Power BI dashboards covering areas such as portfolio performance, valuations, investment activity and deal flow.
• Improve the efficiency and consistency of client and prospect data requests to better support both internal and external stakeholders.
• Improve reporting processes by replacing manual and fragmented activity with repeatable, automated and controlled solutions.
• Support recurring and ad hoc information requirements across the Private Companies team.
• Oversee and maintain company and instrument records.
• Analysis and Insight
• Use Private Companies data to identify trends, risks and opportunities relevant to departmental decision-makers.
• Provide insight and interpretation rather than simply producing management information.
• Work with investment, operational and leadership colleagues to translate business questions into useful analysis.
• Present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proactively identify opportunities where better use of data could improve decision-making or business efficiency.
• Operations and Continuous Improvement
• Build and maintain the data and reporting layer of the Private Companies deal management process, giving clear visibility of activity from initial opportunity through to completion.
• Ensure transactions, corporate actions, IPOs and transfer-agent activity are accurately captured in relevant systems and records.
• Act as the Private Companies business-side subject matter expert for the data model across key platforms including iLevel, Snowflake and the deal-management environment.
• Improve reconciliation of investment, transaction and fund-level data against fund administrators and other third-party records across multiple vehicles.
• Ensure the data environment is scalable for new funds, structures, distribution channels, administrators and reporting requirements.
• Develop practical solutions to inefficient or fragmented processes.
• Explore appropriate uses of automation and AI in data collection, analysis and reporting.
• Work with technology and enterprise data teams where changes to underlying systems or data platforms are required.

Requirements

• Strong experience as a data analyst, business intelligence analyst or in a comparable analytical role.
• Experience working with private companies, private equity, private markets or closely related investment data.
• Strong Power BI capability, including dashboard development and management reporting.
• Strong analytical skills and experience working with complex financial datasets.
• Experience reconciling multiple data sources and investigating data-quality issues.
• Ability to turn data into clear conclusions, insights and recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and enthusiasm for developing practical solutions.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to work effectively across teams and manage competing priorities.
• Ability to understand stakeholder needs and translate business questions into useful analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Understanding of private equity and company financial metrics. (Preferred)
• Familiarity with platforms such as Snowflake or iLevel. (Preferred)
• Experience using SQL or similar data tools. (Preferred)
• Experience translating business needs into clear data requirements and priorities. (Preferred)
• Interest in the practical application of AI to investment data and analysis.(Preferred)
• Adaptability
• Data literacy
• Digital Effectiveness (Including AI)
• Systems thinking
• Team working

Skills

Required

• Power BI
• Data analysis
• Business intelligence
• Analytical skills
• Data reconciliation
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Stakeholder management

Preferred

• Snowflake
• iLevel
• SQL
• AI application to investment data