Business Data Analyst

USC Online is seeking a Business Data Analyst who is equal parts a data-driven thinker and student-focused problem solver. In this Business Office role, you’ll use your expertise in Excel, data analytics, and higher education finance to help prospective and current online graduate students navigate financial aid, tuition processes, and enrollment milestones—while also supporting leadership with insights that drive retention, forecasting, and operational improvement.

If you love analysis, enjoy solving complex problems, are a self-starter, are excited by complex data and real-world impact, and are passionate about helping students succeed, this role is for you.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key contact for students navigating financial aid and tuition billing.

• Help students understand how to finance their education, and ensure they have what they need to move forward.

• Track student progress across the financial aid and registration process to reduce barriers to success.

• Analyze student financial data, enrollment trends, and tuition activity to support strategic decision-making.

• Build and maintain dashboards and reports to forecast enrollments, attrition risks, and tuition revenue.

• Identify data patterns to reduce melt (students who never start) and improve graduation rates.

• Use tools like Excel (advanced), Google Sheets, and Tableau to uncover actionable insights.

• Collaborate with leadership to build KPIs and improve the accuracy of predictive models.

• Collaborate with the Financial Aid, Bursar, and Registrar Offices to resolve financial issues and proactively communicate with students.

• Monitor the full student financial journey—from inquiry to enrollment—and find opportunities to streamline processes.

• Participate in projects to improve systems that affect financial aid processing, student support, and data tracking.

• Spot trends in student attrition or payment delays and recommend improvements

• Oversees or performs data collection and/or entry processes for student financial aid, VA benefits, and VA certification processing.  

• Oversees or performs maintenance and development of databases for collecting data and reporting purposes. Designs data input or data collection screens, as needed. Enters and/or validates data entry, as needed. Ensures data errors are addressed. Provides technical support and design enhancements.

• Provides business data trend information to support recommendations for action. Collaborates with management on matters of best practices, appropriate statistical measures, and benchmarking. Utilizes statistical and quality management principles to report and initiate operational/business practices changes.

At USC Online, we’re reimagining how students learn and thrive in digital environments. This role offers a chance to directly impact student success while building your skills in one of the most dynamic areas of higher education. If you have a passion for technology, a dedication to service excellence, and a desire to contribute to the success of online education, we encourage you to apply.

The annual base salary range for this position is $82,583.50 - $90,000.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Data Analytics, Education Technology or related field.
Expert-level skills in Excel and Google Sheets (advanced formulas, pivot tables, data cleaning, etc.)
Experience using data analytics and visualization tools like Tableau
Exceptional problem-solving skills and a customer service mindset
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially with students and internal partners
Demonstrated ability to create KPIs and performance metrics.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Strong understanding of student finance concepts (e.g., tuition, credits, financial aid timelines)
Previous experience in a support role within an educational or technology-focused organization.

                                                  

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

• Notice of Non-discrimination
• Employment Equity
• Read USC’s Clery Act Annual Security Report
• USC is a smoke-free environment
• Digital Accessibility

                                                  

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this  USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

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