Power BI Business Analyst

Position Summary 

We are seeking a highly skilled Power BI Business Analyst Contractor to support supply chain analytics across S&OP, manufacturing, and operations. The contractor will translate complex business requirements and data into clear, scalable, and executive-ready dashboards that improve visibility and decision-making. 

The ideal candidate combines advanced Power BI development, expert-level Excel and VBA automation, strong business analysis, supply chain knowledge, and disciplined data modeling. This individual will own the end-to-end BI lifecycle, from requirements and KPI definition through development, deployment, documentation, user enablement, and long-term support. 

Key Responsibilities 

Business Analysis & Stakeholder Partnership 

• Partner with supply chain, S&OP, manufacturing, operations, planning, and leadership teams to understand reporting and analytics needs. 

• Translate business questions into clear requirements, KPI definitions, data specifications, and scalable BI solutions. 

• Facilitate requirement-gathering sessions, document business logic, and align stakeholders on definitions and expected outcomes. 

• Communicate insights clearly to technical and non-technical audiences and serve as the bridge between business and data teams. 

Power BI Dashboard Development 

• Design, develop, test, publish, and maintain enterprise-grade Power BI dashboards and reports. 

• Create intuitive dashboards that help leaders quickly understand performance, trends, exceptions, risks, and required actions. 

• Develop reporting across S&OP, demand and supply planning, inventory, manufacturing, logistics, supplier performance, order fulfillment, and operational KPIs. 

• Build effective drill-down, filtering, navigation, security, and self-service capabilities while maintaining a consistent user experience. 

• Optimize report performance, refresh reliability, usability, and adoption. 

Advanced Excel & VBA Automation 

• Develop and sustain advanced Excel-based analytical tools, operational models, templates, trackers, and management reports. 

• Use Power Query, Power Pivot, PivotTables, dynamic arrays, advanced formulas, data validation, and reconciliation methods to analyze large and complex datasets. 

• Design, develop, troubleshoot, and maintain VBA macros that automate repetitive reporting, data preparation, validation, workflow, and distribution activities. 

• Improve or replace fragile manual spreadsheets while maintaining business continuity during BI transformation. 

• Apply structured controls, documentation, error handling, and maintainable coding practices to critical Excel and VBA solutions. 

Data Modeling, Integration & Governance 

• Design scalable, reusable, and well-structured semantic data models that can support future reporting requirements. 

• Integrate and transform data from ERP, planning, manufacturing, operational, Excel, SharePoint, database, and other approved sources. 

• Use Power Query, SQL, and established data modeling practices to prepare reliable datasets for reporting. 

• Ensure data accuracy, consistent KPI logic, traceability, appropriate access controls, and adherence to data governance standards. 

• Establish validation and reconciliation processes to build trust in dashboards and reported metrics. 

BI Sustainability & Support 

• Own the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of Power BI, Excel, and VBA solutions after initial deployment. 

• Document data sources, transformations, data models, KPI definitions, refresh processes, macros, dependencies, security, and support procedures. 

• Diagnose and resolve data, refresh, performance, Excel, VBA, and report issues with business and technical teams. 

• Create reusable standards, templates, and development practices that reduce dependency on individual developers. 

• Train business users and designated support resources on dashboard and tool usage, KPI interpretation, and basic troubleshooting. 

Requirements

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Information Systems, Analytics, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 

• Five or more years of experience in business intelligence, analytics, business analysis, or a related field, with substantial hands-on Power BI experience. 

• Advanced proficiency in Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service, including report development, publishing, refresh management, security, and performance optimization. 

• Strong DAX capability for developing reliable business measures and analytical logic. 

• Expert-level Excel capability, including Power Query, Power Pivot, PivotTables, dynamic arrays, advanced formulas, data validation, reconciliation, and analytical modeling. 

• Strong VBA and macro development capability for workflow automation, reporting automation, custom Excel tools, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance. 

• Strong data modeling expertise, including dimensional modeling, relationships, data granularity, reusable semantic models, and performance-conscious design. 

• Working knowledge of SQL and data integration concepts. 

• Demonstrated ability to gather requirements, define KPIs, analyze data, and present findings in a clear and decision-oriented manner. 

• Strong communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently in a contractor environment. 

Supply Chain Knowledge 

The candidate should understand core supply chain concepts and have practical exposure to several of the following: 

• Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and integrated planning processes 

• Demand planning, supply planning, backlog, capacity, and constraint visibility 

• Inventory management, material availability, shortages, aging, and working capital 

• Manufacturing performance, production plans, throughput, schedule adherence, yield, and quality 

• Procurement, supplier performance, lead times, cost, and purchase order visibility 

• Logistics, transportation, delivery performance, and order fulfillment 

• Operational performance management, KPI governance, and root cause analysis 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience supporting a global or multi-region supply chain organization. 

• Experience with ERP and planning platforms such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar systems. 

• Familiarity with Microsoft Fabric, Azure data services, Power Automate, or Python. 

• Experience developing executive and operational dashboards for leadership reviews. 

• Experience establishing BI and Excel development standards, documentation, change control, and user adoption practices. 

• APICS or ASCM certification, training, or equivalent practical supply chain experience. 

Engagement Deliverables & Success Measures 

• Deliver clear and scalable Power BI dashboards using S&OP, manufacturing, and operational data. 

• Automate priority Excel-based reports and workflows using advanced Excel and VBA where appropriate. 

• Establish trusted KPI definitions and transparent calculation logic aligned with business owners. 

• Create reusable data models and tools that support future reporting needs without unnecessary redevelopment. 

• Improve automation, refresh reliability, data quality, and the speed of business reporting. 

• Complete technical and user documentation for Power BI, Excel, and VBA solutions to support long-term continuity. 

• Enable internal users to operate, understand, troubleshoot, and sustain the analytics solutions after the engagement. 

Ideal Candidate Profile 

A hands-on Power BI expert and business analyst with exceptional advanced Excel, VBA, and data modeling capabilities. The successful contractor can independently understand supply chain processes, engage stakeholders, automate manual reporting, and deliver intuitive dashboards for operational teams and senior leadership. This individual will combine technical depth with business judgment and leave behind reliable, documented, maintainable, and sustainable BI and Excel solutions.