Senior Data Analyst

Microsoft Casual Games develops some of the most popular and enduring games in the world. From Solitaire to Sudoku, Minesweeper to Mahjong, for over 30 years Casual Games has delighted players of all ages with exciting, engaging gameplay on Windows, iOS, Android, and the Web. 

The Microsoft Casual Games Analytics & Insights (A&I) Team is hiring a Senior Data Analyst supporting product management, marketing, production, advertising, and executive functions.  As a member of a dynamic cross-functional team, you will contribute to an exciting and diverse set of analytics projects, including ETL (extract, transform, load), forecasting, reporting, and critical KPI measurement for Casual Games and Gaming leadership.  Leveraging cutting-edge technology in Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Fabric, you will help Casual Games expand its modern, scalable analytics environment to meet the needs of a business reaching 40 million players a month. 

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.  As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

Data Expertise

Identify and curate appropriate data sources supporting daily business and player engagement performance and to address needs of specific business initiatives.  Determine best methods for integrating data into the Casual Games analytics environment.  Address data integrity and quality monitoring and remedy.  Work with large, complex data sets across many different business domains (for example advertising, marketing, game telemetry).  Contribute to development of ETL, data modeling, query, and reporting deliverables. 

Data Analysis

Determine appropriate analytical techniques to address business questions and support business initiatives.  Execute and operationalize analyses and interpret results for stakeholders.  Critically evaluate choice of tools, techniques, assumptions, and deliverables outcomes.  Work across a diverse set of data sources and devise novel analytical approaches to combine and make sense of that data.

Reporting

Share and simplify findings and insights to identify the key outcomes and recommendations to support future and in flight business initiatives.  Leverage dashboards, reports, ad-hoc data query and visualization, and spreadsheets to capture analysis raw data and insights.  Recommend and make improvements to reporting insights and data models. 

Business Landscape

Develop and understanding of the business, the Casual Games data estate, and the management requirements of that data.  Investigate relevant data sources, anticipate data requirements, and work across Gaming to understand and leverage source data appropriately.  Identify themes and connections across Casual Games, Gaming and Corporate data sources to recommend efficient data management and analysis patterns.  Develop understanding of Casual Games player behaviors.

Stakeholder Orientation

Work closely and directly with internal and external Casual Games, Gaming, and Corporate stakeholders.  Understand the core needs of the Casual Games business and the analytics requirements of Casual Games teams.  Assist teams and leadership to understand and interpret business performance, player engagement, and business initiative results.  Prepare data-based recommendations to those teams regarding adjustments to current initiatives or focus areas of future initiatives.  Independently investigate relevant data sources to help lead stakeholder teams in measuring and reporting on business results.

Ability to work effectively across multiple stakeholders, understanding their business needs and recommending prioritization and solution delivery to the Analytics Director.  Effective written and in-person communication skills. 

Data Privacy and Governance

Understand data privacy requirements governing data usage and storage.  Ensure Casual Games adheres to latest requirements, ensure work products are aligned to same, and understand where from and how to seek guidance regarding use and handling of data. 

Improvement and Efficiency

Recommend end-to-end efficiency improvements regarding ETL, data modeling, data curation, analytics steps, and reporting.  Test and document all work to ensure validity, accuracy, and to recommend ad-hoc workload promotion to operationalized workflows. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Economics or related field AND 4+ years experience in data analysis and reporting, data science, business intelligence, or business and financial analysis.
  • OR Master’s Degree in Mathematics, Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Economics or related field AND 2+ years experience in data analysis and reporting, data science, business intelligence, or business and financial analysis.
  • OR equivalent experience
• 3+ years experience in ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) related work
• 1+ years experience using Azure Data Factory
• 4+ years experience using SQL for both DML and DDL operations

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Economics or related field AND 7+ years experience in data analysis and reporting, data science, business intelligence, or business and financial analysis.
  • OR Master’s Degree in Mathematics, Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Business, Economics or related field AND 5+ years experience in data analysis and reporting, data science, business intelligence, or business and financial analysis.
  • OR equivalent experience
• 3+ years experience using Azure Data Factory
• 5+ years experience using SQL for both DML and DDL operations
• 2+ years experience using Python language
• 5+ years experience using relational databases
• 2+ years experience using cloud-based analytics patterns (storage, compute)
• 2+ years experience building reporting data models (Power BI, Tableau, etc.)
• 6+ years designing, architecting and operating large scale big data services
• 5+ years experience with SQL, Azure Data Factory, data lake storage, data lake query, data lake patterns
• 1+ years experience with Azure Synapse
• 3+ years experience Python language, KQL, MDX, DAX
• Familiarity with C#
• 2+ years experience with modern CI/CD best practices

Business Analytics IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $103,800 - $200,300 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $133,700 - $219,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until May 30, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.  We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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