Specialist: Data Analyst at The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Job Purpose

• SARS is looking for a highly skilled and detail-oriented Specialist Data Analyst to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for analysing data, generating insights, and developing data-driven strategies to improve business performance. 
• Your work will be well oiled by our data. We want you to better understand our data and come up with cutting-edge insights and solutions to further enhance our service offering.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Relevant Bachelor’s Degree / Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in (Informatics/Computer Science/Statistics/IT) AND 8-10 years’ experience in Data Engineering / Business Data Intelligence / Data Science, of which 3-4 years at the operational specialist level

Alternative#

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) Informatics/Computer Science/Statistics/IT) AND 15 years in Data Engineering / Business Data Intelligence / Data Science experience with 3-4 years at the operational specialist level.

Minimum Functional Requirements

• Experience in Data Engineering / Business Data Intelligence / Data Science
• Advanced (applied theory) technical expertise regarding data processes, data cleaning, analysis, reporting, data models, and database design and testing
• Knowledge of and experience with reporting tools (SQL and Power BI / Tableau or equivalent), databases (SQL Server) and programming (R, Python, etc.)
• Advanced (applied theory) knowledge of statistics and experience using statistical packages for analysing datasets (Excel, SPSS, SAS, R, etc.)
• Advanced (applied theory) Data warehouse knowledge.
• Be advanced in the application of:
• Basic Data Migration
• Basic Data Visualization  
• Business Intelligence Methodologies
• Database Knowledge
• Advanced (applied theory) Programming Skills – i.e. SQL, and Python/R, etc.
• Microsoft skills (Advanced in)– i.e. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.

Job Outputs:

Process

• Review the effectiveness of related approaches and methodologies by conducting research, and best practice benchmarking initiatives.
• Conduct assessments and use information to advise, make recommendations and facilitate improvement.
• Acquiring data from primary or secondary data sources and maintaining databases, applying the knowledge of data extraction, transformation, and business modelling.
• To perform complex/advance business analysis using various techniques, e.g. statistical analysis, explanatory and predictive modelling, and data mining.
• To design, develop, and test complex/advance data analytics solutions like Reports, Dashboards, Analysis, Extracts, Models, etc.
• To identify, analyse and interpret trends and patterns in complex/advance data sets, based on data findings.
• Communicate the results of their analysis and findings by using basic complex/advance visualisation techniques with both internal and external customers.
• To ensure the availability of existing data analytics solutions (like reports, etc.) by maintaining them as well as improving them where shortcomings exist.
• Analyses data, creates summary reporting, and performs analysis to support the decision-making of research, senior management, member companies, and internal departments.
• Builds and manages/maintains a database to house data collected from various sources.

Governance

• Implement and provide input into the development of governance, compliance, integrity, and ethics processes within the area of specialisation.

People

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with peers and team members to achieve predefined objectives.
• Search for, integrate, and share new knowledge attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.

Finance

• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures to ensure cost-effectiveness and reduction of financial costs.

Client

• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunities for feedback and exceptional service.
• Provide authoritative, specialist services, expertise, and advice to internal and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients and internal and external stakeholders that promote cross-functional process delivery solutions.