Business Data Manager Operations

About Us

Elementis is a global specialty chemical company, with 1,300 employees operating 17 manufacturing sites across the globe. At Elementis, we bring a distinctive combination of expertise, innovation, and teamwork to every formulation challenge. We create high-value specialty additives that enhance the performance of our customers' products and make a positive change in the world. Combining our leading positions in the science of materials flow, surface modification, and formulation with access to unique natural materials, Elementis delivers unique chemistry, sustainable solutions to customers in a wide range of markets, including cosmetics, anti-perspirants, decorative and industrial coatings, automotive and ceramics.

Job Description Summary

The Business Data Manager ensures the delivery of high quality, actionable insights across the organisation by leading the team of Analysts and overseeing the development of dashboards, reports, and data visualisations. The role transforms complex datasets into clear, user friendly outputs that enable rapid, confident decision making. Acting as the primary analytical partner for selected business units / functions, the Business Data Manager translates functional priorities into analytical requirements, manages demand and workflow, and ensures reporting is accurate, consistent, and aligned with Elementis data standards. The role works closely with other Data Managers; and the Head of Data, the Data Architecture & Governance Manager, and the Technical Specialist to ensure Analysts have the right data foundations, tools, and support to deliver trusted insights. Each Data Manager supports a particular business unit / function(s).

Job Description

Responsibilities

1. Leadership of the Analyst Team & Workflow Management

• You lead, coach, and coordinate the team of Analysts working in a matrix-management with selected business units / functions, ensuring high‑quality, business‑relevant analysis.
• You allocate analytical work based on business unit / functional priorities, manage capacity, balance BAU reporting with strategic initiatives and balance business unit / functional priorities.
• You promote best practice in analysis, dashboard design, and stakeholder engagement across the team.
• You ensure Analysts are fully embedded in the areas supported balancing data team operational activities with those of the business unit / function.

2. Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership

• You act as the primary point of contact for supported functions, understanding their priorities and translating them into analytical requirements.
• You communicate insights clearly to senior leaders and stakeholders, ensuring reporting drives meaningful business action.
• You support data literacy by helping stakeholders interpret dashboards and use self‑service tools effectively (including providing training).
• You will have specific responsibilities assigned by the business unit function supported that rely on data but are not strictly reporting or dashboard activities; these typically include producing presentations for external stakeholders, leading projects for process or tool improvement.

3. Demand Management, Prioritisation & Governance Alignment

• You review, triage, and prioritise new reporting requests and tickets, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and business unit / functional priorities.
• You represent the Analyst team in data leadership forums that prioritise cross‑functional or externally delivered development.
• You ensure that overlaps or duplication of dashboards and analysis between different functions are minimised.
• You ensure reporting outputs follow governance standards, consistent definitions, and approved data models.

4. Development of Dashboards, Reports & Visual Analytics

• You translate business needs into data and dashboard requirements to feed into the Data Architecture and Technical Specialist areas, and subsequently developed by an engineering team (which can be in-house or external.
• You extend and adapt dashboards and custom reports using data from the Data Lake, ensuring outputs are accurate, intuitive, and aligned to business needs.
• You ensure that dashboards and reports are only released into users post passing testing. Design and participate in the testing and training efforts.
• You continuously improve the performance, usability, and reliability of BI assets, ensuring they enable insights and support rapid decision‑making.

5. Collaboration with Data Architecture, Governance & Technical Teams

• You work closely with the Data Architecture & Governance Manager to resolve data quality issues, align on definitions, and ensure Analysts use governed, trusted data.
• You partner with the Technical Specialist to improve data pipelines, model performance, and data availability, ensuring analysts have the best possible data foundation.
• You support the resolution of data platform incidents by providing business context and analytical impact.

6. Continuous Improvement of BI Tools, Processes & Capabilities

• You evaluate and implement enhancements to BI tools, visualisation techniques, analytical processes; and opportunities to reduce manual effort improving analytical productivity or reducing errors.
• You promote a matrix-management way of working by fostering collaboration, continuous learning, and a strong business‑oriented mindset in all data roles.
• You champion data literacy and drive adoption of data‑driven decision making across the organisation.
• You stay abreast of industry trends to continually refine the organization’s data capabilities.

Decision making

You decide how analytical work is prioritised and how analyst resources are allocated to meet business needs.

You collect, filter and prioritise new requests and tickets and determine the appropriate balance between standardised and bespoke solutions. You approve testing for new or adapted dashboards and reports.

You resolve analytical issues and make day‑to‑day decisions that ensure insights are accurate, timely, and aligned with stakeholder expectations.

Additional Job Description

Job Competencies & key personal attributes

• Leadership & Team Development: You lead, coach, and develop a team of analysts operating in a matrix environment, creating a high‑performing environment that delivers consistent, high‑quality insights across the business units / functions.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: You translate complex business needs into analytical requirements and communicate insights clearly and persuasively to senior leaders and operational teams.
• Planning, Prioritisation & Workflow Management: You manage demand, balance BAU and strategic work, and ensure analytical resources are allocated effectively to meet business priorities.
• Analytical Problem‑Solving: You apply structured thinking to diagnose data issues, interpret trends, and ensure reporting outputs are accurate, meaningful, and actionable.
• Attention to Detail & Data Quality Orientation: You ensure outputs are accurate, consistent, and aligned with approved definitions, proactively identifying and resolving data quality issues.
• Adaptability & Pragmatic Problem‑Solving: You navigate ambiguity, adjust to evolving business needs, and maintain a practical, solution‑focused approach.
• Collaboration Across Data Function: You work closely with architecture, technical teams and other data managers to ensure analysts operate on trusted data foundations and that reporting aligns with enterprise standards.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Strong expertise in Power BI, including report design, and testing.
• Ability to translate business requirements / questions into analytical logic and visualisation approaches.
• Ability to interpret data in a business context and translate it into actionable insight.
• Understanding of data governance frameworks, master data management, and data quality principles.
• Understanding of BI lifecycle management, including versioning, testing, and deployment of dashboards.
• Awareness of data quality, lineage, and governance principles to ensure trusted insights.
• Ability to evaluate and adopt new BI tools or visualisation techniques that enhance analytical capability.
• Knowledge of SQL, Python or other analytical tools considered a plus.

Position Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, data management, or related field.

Experience:

• Proven experience leading or coordinating an analytics or BI team, ideally in a global or matrixed organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high‑quality dashboards, reports, and analytical outputs that support decision‑making.
• Strong business understanding across multiple functions, with the ability to translate operational needs into analytical requirements.
• Experience collaborating with technical teams (engineering, architecture, governance) to resolve data issues and improve data foundations.

IT Skills: Expert user of Microsoft Suit and Power BI.

Language Skills: Verbal and written fluency in English.

Working arrangements: Minimum 3 days per week in the Porto office. Traveling required: Occasional international travel to other Elementis sites as required.