Job Description

Location: Elmsall, Pontefract

Shift: Mon-Fri 09:00-17:30

*This is a grade 3 role with up to £450 Uniform Allowance

The role:

As a member of the Optimisation Team, you will be a key player in driving cost improvements and operational excellence across NDL. This role is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between technical data and business strategy.

You aren't just crunching numbers—you are building the dashboards and insights that allow our senior leadership to make informed decisions, reduce risk, and ensure regulatory compliance.

What you’ll take on:

• Insightful Reporting: Design, build, and maintain high quality dashboards that track key operational metrics, translating complex business requirements into user-friendly solutions.
• Process Automation: Drastically improve efficiency by automating recurring reports and repetitive tasks. You’ll leverage the Google Workspace ecosystem to build scalable, spreadsheet-driven workflows.
• Risk Mitigation: Proactively monitor data to detect anomalies or deteriorating trends, escalating serious risks promptly to leadership.
• Data Storytelling: Analyse trends and patterns to identify root causes. You will present these findings clearly to various audiences, acting as the bridge between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement: Introduce best practices in data visualisation, identify opportunities for innovation, and maintain a focus on cost-saving initiatives across the organisation.

What you’ll bring:

• Technical Expertise: Previous experience in Business Intelligence (BI) or Data Analysis. You possess advanced knowledge of Google Sheets/Excel and are comfortable setting up Google Forms and managing Drive/Docs/Slides.
• Development Skills: Proven ability to use Google Apps Script/JavaScript to automate processes via Gmail and Drive APIs. Basic coding knowledge is essential for building these automated workflows.
• Analytical Mindset: You can critically analyse datasets from multiple sources, identify meaningful insights and simplify complex information into actionable KPIs, with the confidence to communicate findings clearly to senior stakeholders.
• High Standards: A strong sense of accountability and attention to detail. You are someone who takes ownership of their work and ensures accuracy, even when working under pressure or to tight deadlines.
• Organisation & Prioritisation: Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the flexibility to support changing business and team priorities.
• Collaborative Spirit: Excellent communication skills with a growth mindset. You are curious, proactive and comfortable asking the right questions, challenging existing processes and contributing ideas that drive continuous improvement.
• Senior Stakeholder Communication: Confidence in leading meetings, presenting information and clearly outlining issues, risks and opportunities to senior management, with the ability to explain complex points in a clear and professional way.

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 80 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!