DS Smith
Business Analytics Lead

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Drive Data-Driven Manufacturing Excellence
We are looking for a Business Analytics Lead to play a pivotal role in transforming operational data into actionable business insight across our Paper Division.
Leading a small but highly capable data engineering team, you will build and develop the OT-to-business data infrastructure that underpins operational analytics, advanced analytics, and strategic decision-making. By connecting manufacturing systems with business platforms, you’ll help unlock performance improvements, optimise asset utilisation, and support critical 80/20 business priorities.
This is an exciting opportunity for a data leader who combines technical expertise with strong stakeholder engagement and a passion for delivering measurable business value.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Data Engineers, setting priorities and ensuring high-quality delivery.
- Design, build, and maintain scalable OT-to-business data architectures and ingestion pipelines, supporting both real-time and batch processing.
- Integrate operational technology platforms, including AVEVA PI, with ERP, maintenance, quality, and other enterprise systems.
- Develop and maintain standardised, granular datasets and data models that enable operational reporting, advanced analytics, and business intelligence.
- Establish and champion data governance best practices, including data quality, lineage, metadata management, and documentation.
- Create reusable analytics assets, KPI frameworks, and self-service data products that empower site and corporate teams.
- Partner with Operations, Asset Management, IT, and Business Leadership teams to identify opportunities, prioritise initiatives, and deliver impactful analytics solutions.
- Implement monitoring, automation, and CI/CD practices to ensure reliable and efficient data workflows.
- Translate complex data into clear insights, dashboards, and recommendations that support operational and strategic decision-making.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
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What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience leading data engineering, analytics, or business intelligence teams.
- Strong understanding of industrial data environments and operational technology (OT) systems.
- Experience working with platforms such as AVEVA PI, industrial historians, or similar manufacturing data systems.
- Demonstrated expertise in building data pipelines, data models, and enterprise analytics solutions.
- Strong knowledge of data governance, metadata management, data quality, and data architecture best practices.
- Experience integrating manufacturing, ERP, maintenance, quality, and other business systems.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
- A proactive, problem-solving mindset with a focus on delivering tangible business outcomes.


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Why Join Us?
This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of manufacturing analytics within a large-scale industrial environment. You’ll work at the intersection of operations, technology, and business strategy, delivering solutions that directly influence performance, productivity, and long-term growth.
If you’re passionate about turning complex operational data into meaningful business value and leading teams that drive transformation, we’d love to hear from you.
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