Data Analytics Analyst

Data Analytics Analyst

SCS-0546

The Energy Center

Job Summary

This posting is for a Data Analytics Analyst located in Birmingham, Alabama. The position will be filled as a member of the Operations & Commercial Technology Solutions organization, within Southern Power Technology Solutions.

Southern Power (https://www.southernpowercompany.com/) builds the future of energy by investing in clean energy solutions for the customers we serve. A subsidiary of Southern Company, we are a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and commercial and industrial customers. 

Operations & Commercial Technology Solutions is an application/software development portfolio.  We build custom applications, system integrate commercial-off-the-shelf applications and develop software for automating business and data management processes.  In recent years, our greatest focus has been on technology solutions towards data management and governance.  Operational data that helps optimize the operation of our facilities.  Commercial data that supplies us insights for how best to align our assets within the markets they operate in and contracts they service.  We strive to make data easier for business partners putting data to work towards the optimization of business processes and/or the most efficient operation of our generating fleets.  Data from our on-premises applications, data from energy markets, data from third parties, data that is both structured and unstructured, but data that when assembled provides Southern Power the information necessary to achieve a strategic advantage as a leading wholesale energy provider.  Data and information that when managed effectively is easily accessible for reports, advanced analytics, data science, and AI/ML.

The Data Analytics Analyst serving in the Operations & Commercial Technology Solutions team is responsible for the following...

• Leading/facilitating engagements with business partners towards the achievement of their data management, reporting & analytics, and software solution needs.
• Assembling, implementing, and supporting automated data processes, simple to advanced data models, data visualizations and reports, and increasingly facilitating data science, upon on-premises and cloud-based technologies.
• Organizing often disparate data alongside a common data ontology, while retaining the quality from the data source, minimizing data duplication, and simplifying access to data and information.
• Working closely with our data architect and software developers to ensure new solutions align with our data management vision and technology roadmaps.
• Thought leadership towards increasing efficiency and enhancing decisions, using data and information alongside innovative technology.
• Actively listening and learning about business processes, connecting the dots when innovative technology might represent a solution.

The position of Data Architect and this role requires the following...

• Understanding of and ability to apply principles, theories, and concepts of all-things data - databases, data integration, data governance, data science, advanced analytics & reporting, cloud-based data management, and artificial intelligence/machine learning.
• The ability to understand business objectives for data and engineer business solutions that leverage current and innovative data technology capabilities and provide valuable insights to relevant stakeholders.

Job Experience & Education

• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Engineering, Math, Business or another relevant academic discipline.
• Four or more years of professional IT experience.
• Three or more years of experience implementing automated data processes, simple to advanced data models, data visualizations and reports.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, competitive information technology organization.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge for assembling and implementing data integration & migration, data management, data analytic & reporting solutions.  Including but not limited to the following:
  • On-premises and cloud-based data and information management systems - SQL Server, Oracle, Time-series Historians, Denodo, Microsoft Azure, Databricks, and others.
  • SSIS, APIs, Kafka, etc.
  • SSRS, Power BI, Tableau, Excel, etc.
  • MATLAB, Python, R, etc.
• Programming skills in languages such as SQL, Python, C#, Spark, and/or R.
• Experience analyzing and modeling highly granular time-series data from IoT devices.
• Ability to organize technology and product delivery for iterative development via Agile methodologies.
• Strong data modeling skills and understanding of data warehouse design techniques.
• Have demonstrated the ability to dive deep into data to find problems or trends.
• Ability to conduct research into emerging technologies and trends, standards, and products as required.  Bringing new ideas and innovations to the team.
• Partner with business and technology subject matter experts to elicit and translate business requirements into technological solutions.
• The ability to "think big" and challenge conventional wisdom regarding technology, data, information & analytics.
• The ability to build a comprehensive understanding of and strategically connect the needs of multiple Southern Power business areas.
• The ability to understand and practice appropriate data & software development standards to meet business requirements and to ensure that consistent frameworks are applied across the company.
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills with the ability to tailor communication as appropriate for the audience.
• Capable of building productive relationships with teammates and business partners focused on teamwork and cooperation.
• Excellent organization and time management skills, and capable of managing time and priorities to effectively respond to emerging needs and meet upcoming deadlines and commitments.
• Able to work in a professional environment with limited direct supervision. 
• Strong leadership and negotiation skills with business and technical groups.  A demonstrated ability to build consensus among many stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, often solving problems and providing solutions for business partners, but more frequently equipping them or others with the knowledge and necessary tools for self-sufficiency.
• Capable of identifying and implementing technical and business orientated process improvements.
• Familiar with modern software development, source control and change management methodologies.
• The ability to be comfortable with ambiguity and a willingness to take principled bets on new technology.
• The ability to establish, implement, and enforce appropriate data & software development standards to meet business requirements and to ensure that a consistent framework is applied across the company.
• Strong customer service skills with the capability to manage expectations, fulfill commitments and meet project deadlines.

Behavioral Attributes

• Opportunistic Drive - Committed to delivering technology solutions that help Southern Power achieve their business imperatives and driven to identify opportunities to do so within the solutions, information and data we're stewards of.
• Positive Can-Do Attitude - Must be willing to take full responsibility for duties and work effectively under the pressure of deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Self-Starter - Able to work in a professional environment with limited direct supervision.
• Results-Oriented - Acts with speed and decisiveness; takes initiative does what it takes to meet commitments.
• Safety Focused - Accepts responsibility for the safety of yourself and co-workers.
• Commitment to continuous learning and improvement - Stays abreast of new technologies and techniques in the market; Looks for opportunities improve through strategy and innovation.