Junior Data Analyst

Junior Data Analyst – Manchester We’re working with a growing retail business that’s investing heavily in data and looking for a Junior Data Analyst to join the team. This isn’t a role where you’ll spend all day building reports and moving on to the next request. They’re looking for someone who enjoys getting under the skin of the data, spotting patterns, understanding what’s driving performance, and helping the business make better decisions as a result. You’ll work with teams across the business, looking at everything from customer behaviour and sales performance through to operational and commercial trends. The goal is to turn data into clear, actionable recommendations that genuinely influence decision-making. You’ll still be hands-on with SQL and dashboarding tools such as Power BI, but the real value in this role comes from your ability to interpret the data, tell the story behind it and drive action from your findings. As the business continues to grow, so will the role. It’s a great opportunity for someone early in their analytics career who wants exposure to stakeholders, the chance to influence decisions, and a clear development path. What you’ll be doing: Analysing customer, sales and commercial data to identify trends and opportunities Producing insights that help teams make better business decisions Turning analysis into clear recommendations and actionable next steps Building and maintaining dashboards and reports in Power BI Writing SQL queries to extract and analyse data Working closely with stakeholders to understand business challenges and answer key questions Presenting findings in a way that is easy for non-technical teams to understand Continuously looking for ways to improve reporting, analysis and decision-making across the business What they’re looking for: Strong SQL skills Experience creating dashboards and visualisations in Power BI, Tableau or a similar tool Pyhton would be a bonus Someone who enjoys analysing data and uncovering the “why” behind the numbers Strong communication skills and confidence working with stakeholders A naturally curious mindset and genuine passion for data The ability to translate analysis into meaningful business recommendations Previous experience in a Data Analyst, Insight Analyst or Reporting Analyst role Why apply? Salary up to £45K DOE Hybrid working in Manchester, 2 days per week Discounted products/services Health and wellness benefits L&D support Pension Company socials Join a business that genuinely values data-driven decision making Lots of exposure to senior stakeholders Opportunity to shape how insights are used across the business Clear progression as the team and function continue to grow This role would suit someone who has strong SQL experience and ideally experience with visualisation tools, i.e. Power BI, Tableau or similar. Equally, you’ll be excited by speaking to stakeholders, understanding business problems and using data to influence decisions. The technical side matters, but attitude, curiosity and commercial thinking are just as important. *You must be based in the Northwest and have commercial experience in an Analyst role. No sponsorship is available for this role* As an industry leading, nationwide Marketing, Digital, Analytics, IT and Design recruitment agency, we are continually receiving new assignments to work on, so keep a close eye on our website, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages for a full list of current permanent and interim opportunities as well as marketplace news and fun stuff. Forward Role is operating as an employment agency.