About Toptal

Toptal is a global network of top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and over 40% year-over-year growth, Toptal is the largest fully distributed workforce in the world.

We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun (see this video from The Huffington Post). We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold.

Position Description

Are you interested in playing a critical role as a strategic advisor to both our business functions and our leaders? This senior-level analyst will provide business leaders with crucial insights and recommendations for improvement. This team member will use data, create and define metrics, measure performance, and develop reports. They will also build models, forecast outcomes, run experiments, and perform in-depth diagnostic analysis.

We require strong technical data skills, financial acumen and business insight for this role. Ultimate success goes beyond data-related activities and delivers the “so what” that drives decisions and real business impact. It is imperative to fully understand the business function (processes, objectives, organization, performance drivers, barriers), and connect the dots between data analysis, business strategy, financial and operational effectiveness.

We are looking for a critical thinker, problem-solver, and self-starter. We are very driven and proactive, think independently, and do not just take orders. There must be an ability to see the bigger picture to make cross-functional connections in both business processes, financial performance, and data. We expect that we not only answer the question asked, but also the question that was not. The Business Analyst needs to build positive relationships across the organization and have a “find a way” attitude.

This role is part of our new “Business Analytics Center of Excellence,” where analysts will be assigned to support one or more business functions. These functions could include SMB sales, Enterprise sales, digital marketing, brand marketing, talent operations, finance, or business operations.

This is a remote position that can be done from anywhere. Due to the remote nature of this role, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze data, build models, test hypotheses, find root causes, develop prototypes, forecast performance, create Tableau reports, and write SQL scripts; and extract insights from these data activities to inform business decisions
• Utilize your financial analysis skills to assess and make recommendations that drive profitable business decisions
• Build pricing models, financial forecasts, and unit-of-one financial models
• Use descriptive (what happened) and diagnostic (why did it happen) analytics to develop specific, actionable recommendations for business leaders
• Define metrics that are independent, holistic, accurate, encourage the right behaviors, and are aligned with company strategy and objectives
• Map business processes to their corresponding data flows
• Proactively identify and surface opportunities to improve efficiency, conversion, revenue generation, client and talent experience, operations, communication, systems & tools, cash usage, etc.
• Work closely with data analysts, data scientists, report developers, and business process owners to empower data-backed decision making

In the first week, expect to:

• Onboard and integrate into Toptal, and quickly begin learning about Toptal’s history, culture, and vision
• Shadow key teams to learn the core of Toptal’s operations and capabilities, including Growth, Talent Operations, Enterprise, and SMB

In the first month, expect to:

• Understand the data generated through company operations and activities and where/how that data is stored–especially as it relates to our team
• Obtain a basic understanding of the assigned business function and its operations
• Assess the current state of performance metrics, reports, dashboards, models, and analyses used, and identify discrepancies and areas for improvement
• Begin supporting the function leader with relevant insights and reports for bi-weekly leadership meetings

In the first three months, expect to:

• Develop a proficiency of data elements of the function and obtain a robust understanding of critical business processes
• Gain an understanding and ability to assess the drivers and impacts of business decisions on financial performance
• Begin standardizing definitions and aligning metrics with OKRs and company initiatives
• Begin identifying new opportunities to explore in the quest to improve performance continually

In the first six months, expect to:

• Begin to solve real business problems as a team that will move the needle on key performance metrics and financial performance
• Help us align and standardize metric definitions across the company
• Perform detailed root cause analysis to expose critical drivers of performance

In the first year, expect to:

• Inform significant strategic initiatives, goals, priorities, and performance indicators
• Become an expert both on business process and data flow, and assist in building a new outstanding business analytics function

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in data science, data analysis, analytics, business intelligence, or reporting is required.
• Experience with BI tools (Tableau, Qlik, PowerBI, etc.)
• Proficiency in SQL; experience with R, Python, or MATLAB is a plus
• Exploratory data analysis, prototyping, testing hypotheses, performing root cause analyses, modeling business processes, building forecasts, creating predictive models, defining metrics, and/or measuring business performance
• Track record of linking data and analytics to business strategy, financial performance, and operations to drive real impact
• Working knowledge of probability and statistics, experience with process improvement is a plus
• Ability to explain complex issues simply and intuitively, and willingness to challenge assumptions, communicate limitations and flag blind spots
• Both a strong background in math, science, finance, engineering, or statistics and deep business insight is required; advanced degrees and/or MBA are a plus
• A world-class individual contributor typically thrives at Toptal

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