Director of Business Intelligence

Description

Director of Business Intelligence

Mission

The Director of Business Intelligence leads IDEA's enterprise BI strategy, enabling data-driven decision-making across all states and departments through scalable, governed, self-service analytics. This leader establishes the Power BI Center of Excellence, semantic layer, and federated BI model that empowers domain to build their own insights while maintaining enterprise standards for quality, security, and consistency. The Director of Business Intelligence has final accountability for the semantic layer, including metric definitions, certification, and readiness for executive decision-making, partnering closely with Analytics Engineering to ensure the definitions are implemented in the data warehouse.

Reporting to the VP of Enterprise Data & Strategy, this role partners closely with data platform, governance, analytics, and research teams to translate data into actionable dashboards and reports that improve student outcomes and operational excellence.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly manages Business Intelligence Dashboard Developers

Location:

This is a full-time position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate.

Travel Expectations

10% travel to IDEA locations, regional offices, and team meetings, especially during critical dashboard launches and training initiatives.

Essential Duties

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

• Define and execute IDEA's multi-year BI strategy balancing centralized governance with federated development across states and departments and supporting legacy reports while new reporting is developed
• Establish Power BI Center of Excellence (CoE) providing templates, standards, training, and support that enable self-service BI
• Own and govern the semantic layer, ensuring implementation by Analytics Engineering aligns with approved metric definitions, certification standards, and executive reporting requirements across all BI tools.
• Partner with MD of Data Platform & Engineering to ensure BI platform architecture supports current needs and scales for future growth
• Define BI roadmap prioritizing high-impact dashboards that drive student outcomes, operational efficiency, and strategic decision-making
• Build federated BI operating model where domain teams (state-level data teams, academic departments, operations) develop their own dashboards within enterprise guardrails
• Create governance framework for federated BI including certification tiers (certified enterprise reports vs. team reports vs. personal reports), review processes, and quality gates
  
  

Additional Duties And Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive BI standards covering data modeling, DAX best practices, visualization design, performance optimization, and security/row-level security
• Provide "BI platform as a service" where domain teams get reusable datasets, semantic layer access, templates, and technical consulting
• Certify semantic definitions implemented by Analytics Engineering and ensure only approved, documented metrics are deployed in enterprise and executive reporting.
• Implement monitoring and usage analytics to understand dashboard adoption, identify unused reports, and optimize BI investment
• Own the semantic layer defining consistent business metrics (enrollment, attendance, persistence, assessment scores, staff retention) used across all BI tools
• Partner with Director of Data Governance to ensure semantic layer aligns with business glossary and approved data definitions
• Collaborate with MD of Data Science & Analytics to bridge operational reporting (BI) and advanced analytics (R/Posit) through shared metrics layer
• Define requirements for core enterprise data models and partner with Analytics Engineering to ensure implementations support BI performance, usability, and certified metric definitions.

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• Establish metric certification process ensuring all enterprise reports use approved calculations with clear documentation and ownership
• Build metrics catalog documenting formulas, business rules, data sources, and appropriate use cases for each metric
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for highest-priority enterprise dashboards when needed (BOY readiness, district ratings, matriculation) in partnership with BI analysts
• Implement DataOps practices for BI including version control (Git/Azure DevOps), CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment rings
• Define and enforce quality standards including peer review, user acceptance testing, performance benchmarking, and post-launch monitoring
• Manage dashboard lifecycle from requirements gathering through launch, adoption tracking, iteration, and eventual retirement
• Balance stakeholder requests against team capacity and strategic priorities, managing expectations through transparent communication
• With multiple BI analysts, maintain player-coach approach providing technical guidance while enabling team to own delivery
• Serve as primary BI point of contact for stakeholders seeking data insights or new dashboard capabilities
• Translate business questions into BI requirements and guide stakeholders on most appropriate visualization and delivery methods
• Facilitate showcases demonstrating BI capabilities and celebrating data-driven wins across states
• Partner with Director of Research & Evaluation to ensure operational dashboards complement research studies without duplication
• Evaluate emerging BI technologies and capabilities (AI-powered insights, natural language query, embedded analytics) for potential adoption
• Establish BI metrics and KPIs tracking dashboard adoption, user satisfaction, time-to-insight, and business impact
• Conduct regular retrospectives and user feedback sessions to improve BI processes, templates, and platform capabilities
• Build and maintain BI technical debt backlog addressing performance issues, deprecated features, and technical upgrades
  
  

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member fosters an inclusive decision-making environment by encouraging diverse perspectives, managing disagreements constructively, and creating space for all voices to be heard. They clearly communicate final decisions, providing context and anticipated impact—even when choices are difficult or unpopular.
• Manage Work and Teams: This team member leads cross-functional coordination to align efforts with strategic goals, optimizing resource use and minimizing silos. They build accountability frameworks, monitor key performance indicators to guide adjustments, and mentor emerging leaders, while implementing scalable systems that enhance efficiency and team effectiveness.
• Grow Self and Others: This team member uses data to assess development needs and designs learning opportunities that align with team goals and individual career growth. They model a growth mindset by being open about their own development and ensure that both personal and team-led learning initiatives are impactful and well-aligned with organizational priorities.
• Build a Culture of Trust: This team member builds trust and drives positive engagement across multiple groups, as reflected in strong feedback and survey results. They proactively address concerns, model transparency and authenticity, and foster collaboration through open, honest communication and shared ownership.
• Communicate Deliberately: This team member leads inclusive discussions that surface obstacles and drive actionable solutions, ensuring all voices are heard. They communicate key information clearly across multiple channels and establish feedback loops that promote open dialogue, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  
  

Additional Skills

Business Intelligence Expertise:

• Deep expertise in Power BI including advanced DAX, data modeling (star schemas, snowflake, wide tables), Power Query, performance optimization, and governance features
• Strong understanding of BI best practices including visualization principles, dashboard design patterns, storytelling with data, and user experience
• Experience building BI Centers of Excellence and federated BI operating models that balance standardization with flexibility

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• Knowledge of semantic layer concepts and tools (Power BI datasets, Tabular models, dbt Semantic Layer, Cube.dev)
  
  

Data & Analytics Acumen

• Solid understanding of data warehousing concepts (dimensional modeling, slowly changing dimensions, fact/dimension tables)
• Proficiency in SQL for troubleshooting data issues, validating calculations, and understanding upstream data transformations
• Experience with modern data stack tools and how they integrate with BI laye
• Understanding of data quality concepts and ability to collaborate with governance teams on standards and monitoring
• Awareness of statistical concepts to distinguish operational reporting (BI) from statistical analysis (research/data science)
  
  

Education Sector Knowledge

• Understanding of K-12 education KPIs (enrollment, ADA, persistence, matriculation, assessment proficiency, growth measures, staff retention)
• Familiarity with student information systems (PowerSchool, Focus), assessment platforms, and education data standards (Ed-Fi)
• Awareness of education-specific compliance requirements (FERPA) and how they impact dashboard design and access controls
  
  

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Proven ability to influence without authority—driving adoption and standards across distributed teams
• Strong facilitation skills to run requirements sessions, design workshops, and prioritization discussions with diverse stakeholder
• Change management experience building BI literacy and self-service culture in organizations new to data-driven decision-making
• Excellent stakeholder management balancing competing priorities and managing expectations with transparency
• Technical credibility to earn respect of both BI developers and data engineers while remaining business-focused
  
  

Required Education And Experience

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, Business Administration, or related field
• Experience: Minimum 7 years of professional experience in business intelligence, data analytics, or related roles with at least 5 years focused on Power BI
• Leadership experience: At least 3 years in supervisory or leadership capacity managing BI teams or leading enterprise BI initiatives
• Proven track record: Demonstrated success building BI platforms, dashboards, or analytics capabilities that drove measurable business outcomes

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• Advanced Power BI skills: Expert-level DAX, data modeling, and Power BI administration; able to solve complex technical challenges and mentor others
• Federated BI experience: Experience establishing BI standards, governance, and enablement models that allow distributed teams to build dashboards
  
  

Preferred Education And Experience

• Advanced degree: Master's degree in Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, or MBA with analytics focus
• Certifications: PL-300 (Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst), DA-100 (legacy), or other Microsoft data/analytics certifications
• Education sector experience: Direct experience building dashboards for K-12 education, higher education, or education technology companies
• Multi-state/multi-region: Experience supporting BI needs across geographically distributed organizations with semi-autonomous operations
• Semantic layer implementation: Hands-on experience implementing semantic layers using dbt, Power BI composite models, or enterprise BI platforms
• Additional tools: Experience with Posit/Shiny, Tableau, Looker, or embedded analytics platforms for multi-tool BI environments
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods working on a computer and in virtual meeting
• Ability to travel domestically via car and air travel
• Flexibility for occasional evening meetings to accommodate distributed stakeholders
  
  

What We Offer

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $108,100 and $128,600, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

• IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
  
  

Application Process

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA

At IDEA the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members. Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values

IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.