Senior Data Associate

Location

The role will be remote with occasional (once per month) travel to Buckinghamshire.

Role Type

5 months, full time contract.

About PACT Solutions

PACT Solutions is a specialist management and digital transformation consultancy working exclusively with higher education institutions across the UK.

We help universities solve complex challenges across strategy, student records, data, change and delivery. As we grow, we want to strengthen the way we run the business internally while protecting the quality, culture and partner focus that have made us successful.

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Data Associate to join our growing Data & AI capability and play a key role in delivering complex Higher Education transformation programmes.

Working alongside the Data & AI Capability Lead, you will help shape and deliver projects spanning student systems, reporting, data quality, governance and data migration. This is a hands-on role that combines technical delivery with project planning, stakeholder engagement and strategic thinking.

We're looking for someone who brings strong Higher Education experience and enjoys working collaboratively. You'll contribute ideas, challenge assumptions where appropriate and help turn strategy into practical delivery for our university partners.

Key Responsibilities

Lead data-related workstreams across Higher Education transformation programmes.

Support the planning and delivery of large-scale projects, identifying dependencies, risks and priorities.

Work closely with the Data & AI Capability Lead to shape delivery approaches and contribute to data strategy discussions.

Collaborate with Project Managers to translate technical work into clear milestones, deliverables and implementation plans.

Facilitate workshops and discovery sessions with business and technical stakeholders.

Produce high-quality documentation including requirements, specifications, data mappings and technical designs.

Develop and review SQL queries, reports and dashboards using Power BI and SSRS.

Support data migration, reconciliation, reporting and student systems implementation activities.

Apply data management best practice across projects, including data quality, governance, metadata and lineage.

Contribute to the development of governance artefacts such as business glossaries, semantic models, data dictionaries and reporting standards.

Maintain Azure DevOps tickets and project documentation, ensuring work progresses through agreed delivery stages.

Support and mentor other consultants where appropriate, sharing knowledge and promoting best practice.

Requirements

Essential Experience

Significant experience delivering data projects within UK Higher Education.

Experience working with Student Record Systems and the wider Higher Education data landscape.

Strong SQL skills with the ability to analyse, troubleshoot and manipulate complex datasets.

Experience developing or supporting reporting solutions using Power BI and SSRS.

Experience using SharePoint within project delivery.

Experience contributing to large-scale transformation, implementation or data migration projects.

Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to engage across technical teams, business users and senior leadership.

Experience planning and managing your own workstreams within complex projects.

Ability to translate technical concepts into language appropriate for non-technical audiences.

Excellent written communication and documentation skills.

Desirable Experience

Experience applying data governance and data quality principles within delivery projects.

Familiarity with the DAMA Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK) or similar data management frameworks.

Experience supporting the development of data strategies, governance frameworks or operating models.

Knowledge of HESA, statutory reporting or regulatory data requirements.

Experience with Azure DevOps.

Tableau or other Business Intelligence platforms.

Experience working with cloud data platforms or modern data architectures.