Customer Data Analyst - London - The Independent

Description

Reports to: Head of Customer Analytics

About Us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party-political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact 'tabloid' format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other 'reader revenues', The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, and make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

In 2024, The Independent's portfolio of brands increased through a new licensing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. to operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.

Job Purpose

As a Customer Data Analyst, you will support the Customer Analytics team by applying analytical thinking and data-led approaches to better understand customer behaviour. Reporting into a senior member of the team, you will contribute to the team's work as it develops from descriptive reporting towards more predictive and insight-led analysis.

Your primary focus will be on analysing customer data to help understand engagement, retention, and value across our reader revenue products. You will support work on areas such as churn analysis, customer segmentation, experimentation, and early-stage modelling, helping the business make more informed decisions.

You will work closely with senior analysts and data scientists to learn and apply best-practice analytical techniques, ensuring insights are accurate, well-documented, and clearly communicated. As part of the role, you will help translate data into actionable insights that can be shared with stakeholders across marketing, product, and editorial teams. This role offers an opportunity to develop strong analytical and technical skills in a commercial media environment, while contributing to data-driven decision-making and the long-term growth of reader revenues.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that's more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.

We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

The Data & Marketing Department

The Data & Marketing department is the intelligence powerhouse of the business, representing the customer. Our goal is to inspire, engage and grow a loyal readership by harnessing data-driven insights and innovative marketing to deliver personalised, impactful content experiences that build lasting trust, diverse revenue streams, and a thriving future for quality journalism. The department consists of four teams: Data Science & Engineering, Data Intelligence & Monetisation, Research & Insight and Customer Marketing.

Data Intelligence & Monetisation

The purpose of this team is to understand our customers and the value they bring to our business. They do this by providing performance insight and optimisation opportunities to our core business (editorial, marketing, advertising, ecommerce activities, etc.), identifying and validating business expansion opportunities based on insight, and identifying and delivering initiatives that generate revenue from our data assets.

About You

You are curious, analytical, and interested in how data can be used to understand audiences and improve products. You may be early in your data career or looking to take your first dedicated role as a data analyst in a commercial environment. You enjoy working with numbers, spotting patterns, and learning how data supports real-world decision-making.

An interest in media, digital products, or customer behaviour is a plus, but most importantly you are keen to learn and develop your skills within a supportive team.

Analysis & Insight

• Support the team with regular reporting and performance analysis.
• Help analyse user behaviour across acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• Assist with forecasting, experimentation, and evaluation of new initiatives.
• Translate data into clear insights for non-technical stakeholders.

Decision-Making & Problem-Solving

• Learn how to approach business questions using data to provide meaningful insights.
• Support senior analysts with analysis and modelling tasks.
• Develop confidence in making recommendations backed by data and evidence.

Relationship-Building & Advocacy

• Work closely with colleagues in data, marketing, editorial, product, and finance.
• Contribute to insight packs, dashboards, and presentations.
• Build positive working relationships across teams.

Operational Excellence & Execution

• Maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Manage multiple tasks effectively with guidance and support from the team.
• Take ownership of smaller pieces of analysis and business questions as your skills grow.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities - what is delivered

• Analyse customer behaviour to support understanding of engagement, retention, and subscription journeys
• Support analysis related to churn, conversion, and customer value, working with guidance from senior team members
• Assist in maintaining and updating customer and revenue forecasts (e.g. subscribers, churn, engagement)
• Help track performance and support scenario analysis for acquisition and retention initiatives
• Support the design, analysis, and reporting of A/B tests across the customer lifecycle
• Help define success metrics and interpret test results to inform future activity
• Support the creation, maintenance, and analysis of customer segments used for insight and marketing activity
• Work with marketing teams to understand how customer insights are applied in tools such as Braze
• Collaborate closely with senior analysts, data scientists, and data engineers to deliver accurate analysis
• Contribute to dashboards, insight packs, and clear documentation for stakeholders
• Ensure a high level of accuracy, consistency, and attention to detail in all analytical work
• Manage multiple tasks and deadlines with support from the team, taking on greater ownership as skills develop

Skills and Experience

• Quantitative Foundation: A strong academic background in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field, with a deep understanding of statistical significance, hypothesis testing, and experimental design (A/B testing).
• Core Technical Skills: Good working knowledge of SQL for data extraction and analysis (experience with Google BigQuery is a plus), and some experience using Python or R for analysis, modelling, or data manipulation.
• Analytical Methods: Exposure to analytical or modelling techniques (e.g. regression, classification, segmentation), with an interest in learning more advanced approaches over time.
• Customer & Subscription Insight: Interest in customer behaviour, retention, and subscription-based business models; experience working with KPIs such as churn, engagement, or ARPU is beneficial but not essential.
• Growth & Experimentation: Some experience supporting A/B tests, performance analysis, or conversion optimisation, with curiosity about how data informs growth strategies.
• Tools & Platforms: Familiarity with analytics, marketing, or data tools (e.g. dashboards, CRM, or marketing platforms); experience with Piano or Braze is a bonus but not required.
• Forecasting & Reporting: Experience producing forecasts, tracking performance, or building reports to support decision-making, with guidance from more senior colleagues.
• Communication & Collaboration: Ability to explain analytical findings clearly to non-technical stakeholders and work collaboratively with teams such as marketing, editorial, product, and finance.
• Brand Interest: An interest in digital media and familiarity with The Independent's products and journalism is an advantage.

Our Values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren't afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

Please upload a Cover Letter to support your application.