Principal Data Analyst

Principal Data Analyst

Join the Consumer Lending Data & Analytics team as a Principal Data Analyst, where you will play a critical leadership role in driving analytics execution and decisioning strategy across Credit Card, Home Equity (HELOC), and Personal Lending products.

This is a highly visible, high-impact role for a strong analytical leader who combines technical expertise with the ability to lead day-to-day execution across a team of analysts. You will serve as a key partner to business, risk, and technology stakeholders while helping scale analytics capabilities across Consumer Lending.

The ideal candidate is a highly independent problem solver who thrives in ambiguity, provides leadership to both onshore and offshore analysts, and can translate complex business needs into actionable analytical solutions.

Consumer Lending Decisioning Analytics

• Lead analytics supporting Consumer Lending decisioning strategies across Credit Card, Home Equity (HELOC), and Personal Lending products
• Translate business questions and strategic objectives into structured analytical approaches and actionable recommendations
• Perform hands-on analysis, testing, validation, and performance monitoring to support decisioning effectiveness
• Deliver high-quality analytical outputs with minimal oversight while proactively managing risks, dependencies, and competing priorities

POD Leadership & Team Oversight

• Serve as the day-to-day analytics lead for assigned Consumer Lending initiatives
• Coordinate and oversee execution across analysts supporting the POD
• Provide formal leadership and guidance to junior and offshore analysts, including workload prioritization, quality review, coaching, and development
• Drive accountability for deliverables while ensuring consistency, quality, and timely execution

Stakeholder Partnership

• Act as a key liaison across business, risk, technology, analytics, and external partners
• Communicate analytical findings and recommendations effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Build trusted relationships with stakeholders and provide strategic insights that influence business decisions

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for automation, process enhancement, scalability, and operational efficiency
• Support model monitoring, validation, governance, and performance management activities
• Promote best practices in analytics execution, data quality, and decisioning support

What We're Looking For

Experience Preferred

• 5+ years of experience in analytics, business intelligence, decisioning analytics, data science, or related disciplines
• Experience supporting lending, credit, consumer banking, or financial services organizations
• Experience leading analysts, reviewing analytical work products, or coordinating execution across teams
• Demonstrated success operating independently in fast-paced environments with limited direction

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Data Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, or another quantitative field

Core Skills & Expectations

Technical & Analytical Excellence

• Advanced SQL proficiency
• Strong Python skills
• Ability to independently investigate, validate, and resolve complex business questions
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Ensures data quality and proactively identifies data integrity concerns

Leadership & Ownership

• Independently drives work from concept through implementation
• Leads day-to-day analytics execution with minimal supervision
• Provides direction, coaching, and oversight to junior analysts
• Capable of balancing strategic priorities with hands-on execution

Ambiguity Navigation & Business Judgment

• Thrives in environments where direction may not always be fully defined
• Understands business context and can identify next steps proactively
• Demonstrates strong judgment and an ability to "connect the dots" across multiple information sources
• Anticipates challenges before they occur and proactively develops solutions

Business Partnership

• Builds strong stakeholder relationships across multiple departments
• Effectively translates technical findings into business decisions
• Influences stakeholders through insight-driven recommendations

Communication

• Communicates effectively with both technical and senior business audiences
• Provides concise updates on priorities, progress, risks, and recommendations
• Capable of presenting complex analytical concepts in a simple, actionable manner

Learning Agility

• Quickly learns new tools, systems, products, and business processes
• Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and continuous improvement mindset
• Adapts to new challenges and evolving priorities

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Independently lead day-to-day analytics execution across their POD
• Deliver high-quality Consumer Lending decisioning analytics with minimal supervision
• Successfully oversee and develop offshore and junior analytical resources
• Become a trusted partner to key business stakeholders
• Drive meaningful improvements in Consumer Lending decisioning, analytics, and operational effectiveness
• Demonstrate readiness for expanded leadership responsibilities within the Consumer Lending Analytics organization

Why This Role Matters

This role is critical to advancing Citizens' Consumer Lending analytics and decisioning capabilities during a period of continued growth and transformation.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Influence strategy across Credit Card, Home Equity, and Personal Lending businesses
• Partner with senior leaders across the organization
• Help shape the future direction of Consumer Lending analytics
• Gain exposure to highly visible strategic initiatives, including Project Harvest
• Grow into broader leadership responsibilities over time

Hours & Work Schedule

• Hours per Week: 40
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
• Locations: Columbus, OH; Johnston, RI; Westwood, MA.

Pay Transparency

The salary range for this position is $132,000 - $150,000 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the budget, work location, and relevant skills and experience.

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens' paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit

Required Skills

• Analytical Reasoning
• Business Data Analysis
• Business Savvy
• Customer Empowerment
• Data Analysis
• Data Cleansing
• Data Gathering and Analysis
• Diversity and Inclusion Practice
• Programming and Scripting Languages

About Us

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and