Student Data Analyst & Developer

Are you a detail‑driven developer with a passion for data, quality, and problem‑solving?

Join our Digital & Insights Returns System team and help shape the systems that underpin the University’s statutory reporting to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) - a critical part of supporting student success and strategic decision‑making.

As a Student Data Analyst & Developer (know internally as Analyst, Developer, HESA Data Futures), you will work with colleagues in the Digital and Insights Returns system team to develop and maintain the systems used to manage the preparation of the University’s statutory returns to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) to meet HESA’s requirements. You will be involved in the design, build, test and implementation phases of the returns process in accordance with technical and quality standards.

The Returns system team support and develop the systems required to create the student and staff statutory returns to HESA and other UK funding bodies. Our vision is to support, align to, and proactively drive the recruitment and student success strategy through continuous innovation in analytics. Statutory returns form a significant and essential part of this strategy.

This role is part‑time and we would expect the successful candidate to work approximately 22 hours per week.

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• Contribute to concepts, specifications and designs for the HESA returns process.
  
• Design, build and test software components in accordance with the HESA returns process specifications, designs and standards using a variety of programming languages and tools.
  
• Provide technical expertise within a small development team.
  
• Perform unit, integration, system and operational testing.
  
• Champion common approaches and re‑usable code.
  
• Apply appropriate project management and systems development methodologies.
  
• Engage with HESA and with other HE providers in the HESA process to share approaches.
  
• Engage with the other university projects and product owners.
  
• Provide support for existing systems used to create Statutory returns and ensure they are kept in step with changes to external data requirements.
  
• Undertake other duties, as required, within the Returns System team and other Digital and Insight teams.
  

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• Undergraduate degree with strong engineering, mathematics or computing elements or equivalent professional experience.
  
• Recent, demonstrable experience of developing in T‑SQL and Python.
  
• Experience of relational database connectivity (Oracle, SQL Server, etc.) and transaction processing.
  
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping and more structured systems development techniques.
  
• Proficient with Microsoft Office tools.
  
• A self‑starter, being able to rapidly transfer development skills across platforms and programming languages.
  
• Aptitude for careful analysis and systems development, striving for highest level of product quality.
  
• Work to high personal standards of accuracy, own issues and see them through to resolution.
  
• Able to work under pressure to manage competing demands for time and to meet demanding deadlines.
  
• Able to communicate appropriately with peers, business colleagues, internal and external stakeholders, and managers.
  
• Committed to ongoing learning and personal development.
  
• Programming training or certificate in high level language.
  
• Knowledge of cloud‑based technologies such as Azure Fabric.
  
• Knowledge of Higher Education systems and data.
  
• Knowledge of statutory returns in the Higher Education sector.
  
• Knowledge of source control and development management systems such as GIT and Azure DevOps.
  
• Knowledge or experience of writing PowerShell scripts or another modern scripting language.
  

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on or email quoting the advert reference number.

At The Open University, we are pioneers in accessible education and strategic innovation. You’ll be joining a supportive and collaborative team at the heart of a mission‑driven organisation. This is a chance to work on meaningful, large‑scale data systems that directly enable student success and shape national higher education datasets.

Our benefits include:

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• 33 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three‑day Christmas closure period.
  
• Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions.
  
• Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free.
  
• Hybrid working, with limited requirement to attend the office in‑person, with agile working and family friendly policies.
  
• Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.
  

Apply now and help build high‑quality data solutions that support the future of our students, staff, and the wider higher education community.