What Does a Business Intelligence Manager Do?

Business intelligence (BI) managers are responsible for overseeing the creation and maintenance of data-driven insights that help their organization make better decisions. They commonly work with a team of analysts to gather, cleanse, organize, and analyze large amounts of data in order to generate reports and other visualizations that inform business strategy.

Business intelligence managers may also be tasked with developing or refining the processes used by their team to ensure that they’re working efficiently and producing high-quality results.

Business Intelligence Manager Job Duties

A business intelligence manager typically has a wide range of responsibilities, which can include:

• Writing reports and presentations that present data and findings in a clear and concise manner
• Advocating for business intelligence solutions that will help the organization meet its goals
• Coordinating with technology vendors to ensure that new systems are compatible with existing systems
• Analyzing data to identify patterns or trends that could indicate problems within the business
• Working with senior management to develop goals, objectives, and strategies for improving business performance using BI tools
• Recommending changes to existing business intelligence processes or policies to improve efficiency
• Developing reports that monitor key business metrics such as customer satisfaction levels or inventory levels
• Working with vendors to implement new systems or tools as needed
• Monitoring industry trends to identify upcoming challenges or opportunities for the organization

Business Intelligence Manager Salary & Outlook

Business intelligence managers’ salaries vary depending on their level of education, years of experience, and the size and industry of the company. They may also earn additional compensation in the form of bonuses.

• Median Annual Salary: $121,000 ($58.17/hour)
• Top 10% Annual Salary: $285,000 ($137.02/hour)

The employment of business intelligence managers is expected to grow much faster than average over the next decade.

Demand for BI services will continue to increase as organizations seek to gain efficiencies and competitive advantages through data analysis. Business intelligence managers will be needed to help their organizations make sense of large amounts of data and turn it into useful information.

Related: Business Intelligence Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Business Intelligence Manager Job Requirements

A business intelligence manager typically needs the following qualifications:

Education: Business intelligence managers are typically required to have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, computer science, statistics or another closely related field. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who have a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in business intelligence.

Training & Experience: Much of the training for this role happens on the job or through formal education. Some employers may require candidates to have a certain number of years of experience in a related role. Others may prefer candidates with a master’s degree in business administration or a related field.

Certifications & Licenses: Certifications enable professionals to prove their qualifications to current and future employers. Business intelligence managers can earn certifications to gain more technical knowledge of their responsibilities, test their professional skills and further advance their career.

Business Intelligence Manager Skills

Business intelligence managers need the following skills in order to be successful:

Data analysis: Data analysis is the ability to interpret large amounts of data and identify trends, patterns and other useful information. Business intelligence managers use their data analysis skills to review and interpret data from a variety of sources, including large data sets, to identify useful information for their company. They also use data analysis to identify areas where their company can improve and make data-driven decisions.

Communication: Business intelligence managers communicate with a variety of individuals and groups, including other managers, employees, clients and other stakeholders. Effective communication is crucial to the success of a business intelligence team, as it allows the team to work together to develop strategies and solutions. It also allows the business intelligence manager to provide feedback and guidance to the team.

Critical thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to analyze a situation and determine the best course of action. Business intelligence managers use critical thinking skills to make decisions about the data they collect, the methods they use to collect it and the ways they present the data to their company.

Problem-solving: Business intelligence managers often work with other managers and executives to identify business challenges and develop solutions. For example, a business intelligence manager might work with a marketing manager to determine why a company’s sales are decreasing and help the marketing manager find ways to increase sales.

Project management: Project management skills can be an important skill for business intelligence managers to have, as they may be responsible for overseeing the implementation of a business intelligence project. This can include tasks like creating a project plan, assigning tasks to team members, monitoring the project’s progress and evaluating its success.

Business Intelligence Manager Work Environment

Business intelligence managers work in a variety of settings, including corporate offices, government agencies, and consulting firms. They typically work full time and may occasionally work overtime to meet deadlines or to attend meetings or training sessions. Some business intelligence managers travel to attend conferences or to meet with clients. Business intelligence managers who work in large organizations may have more opportunity to travel than those who work in smaller organizations. The work of business intelligence managers can be stressful because they are often under pressure to meet deadlines and to produce accurate and timely reports.

Business Intelligence Manager Trends

Here are three trends influencing how business intelligence managers work. Business intelligence managers will need to stay up-to-date on these developments to keep their skills relevant and maintain a competitive advantage in the workplace.

The Need for Data Scientists

The need for data scientists is growing rapidly as businesses become more reliant on data-driven decision making. This trend is creating a demand for business intelligence managers who can help to extract value from data and turn it into actionable insights.

Business intelligence managers are in a unique position to take advantage of this trend, as they have the skills necessary to both collect and analyze data. They can use this expertise to help their companies make better decisions based on real-world evidence.

More Focus on Collaboration

As businesses become more complex, the need for collaboration among different departments becomes increasingly important. This is especially true for business intelligence managers, who are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data that is essential for making informed decisions.

To be successful in this role, business intelligence managers will need to be able to work effectively with other departments and understand the needs of all stakeholders. They will also need to be able to communicate findings in a way that is easy to understand and helps to drive decisions forward.

Data Security Becomes More Important

As data security becomes more important, businesses will look to hire professionals who can help them protect their information. This includes data security professionals, as well as business intelligence managers who can help to ensure that data is being collected and used properly.

Business intelligence managers can capitalize on this trend by becoming experts in data security. By doing so, they can help businesses to keep their data safe and prevent any potential breaches. In addition, they can also help to implement best practices for data usage that will help to protect customer privacy.

How to Become a Business Intelligence Manager

A career in business intelligence (BI) can be rewarding and lucrative. It’s important to start by assessing your skills and interests, as well as the type of company you want to work for. Do you prefer working with data or people? Are you more interested in analytics or reporting?

Once you have a better idea of what you want from your career, it’s time to start networking. Attend industry events, connect with professionals on LinkedIn, and reach out to companies that interest you. When applying for jobs, make sure to highlight any relevant experience and skills.

Advancement Prospects

The most common way to advance in this career is to move up within your current organization. As you gain experience and prove your value to the company, you will be in line for promotions to higher-level positions. You may also be able to advance by switching to a different company, where you can use your experience to take on a more senior role.

Another way to advance your career is to get certified in your field. This will show that you are knowledgeable and committed to your profession, and it can make you more attractive to potential employers. There are many different certifications available, so you will need to research the options and choose the one that is most relevant to your career goals.

Finally, you can also advance your career by continuing your education. This can help you to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in your field, and it can also make you more attractive to employers. If you want to advance to a management position, for example, you will need to get a master’s degree in business administration or a related field.

Business Intelligence Manager Job Description Example

The Business Intelligence Manager will be responsible for developing and managing the business intelligence function within the company. They will work with various departments to identify and collect data that can be used to make better business decisions. They will also be responsible for developing and maintaining reporting and dashboards that can be used by managers and executives to track key performance indicators. The Business Intelligence Manager will also be responsible for developing and managing a team of business intelligence analysts.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Understand business needs and objectives, then design and implement data solutions that enable the company to make better decisions, improve operations, and optimize performance
• Work with stakeholders across the organization to identify opportunities for leveraging data to drive business value, then develop and execute on a plan to realize that value
• Oversee the development and maintenance of data warehouses, ETL processes, and other data infrastructure components, ensuring high availability, reliability, and performance
• Manage a team of data analysts and engineers, providing mentorship and guidance to help them grow in their careers and meet the demands of the business
• Design and implement reporting and analytics solutions that provide actionable insights to business users
• Conduct data analysis to support business decision-making, identifying trends, correlations, and patterns in data
• Write SQL queries to extract data from databases for reporting and analysis
• Create data visualizations to communicate complex information in an easily understandable format
• Present findings to business stakeholders, executive leadership, and other audiences
• Stay up-to-date on latest industry trends and best practices in data management, warehousing, and BI
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the BI function
• Manage BI budget, ensuring cost-effective utilization of resources

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, computer science, information technology, or related field
• 7+ years experience in data analysis, business intelligence, or a related field
• Experience leading and managing a team of analysts
• Expertise in SQL, Excel, and other data analysis tools
• Strong understanding of statistical methods and modeling
• Ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems
• Excellent communication, presentation, and project management skills

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business, computer science, information technology, or related field
• 10+ years experience in data analysis, business intelligence, or a related field
• Experience with big data platforms, such as Hadoop, MapReduce, and NoSQL databases
• Experience with data visualization tools, such as Tableau, QlikView, or Power BI
• Advanced statistical analysis and machine learning skills