Job Description

We are Black Swan Data

In a turbulent and fast-changing marketplace, the old world of traditional consumer research is no longer enough. Where there were slow and pre-emptive questionnaires and surveys, now there's big data, machine learning and predictive analytics. For some, it's unknown territory. For Black Swan Data, it's unprecedented possibilities.

Black Swan Data is on a mission to revolutionize Insights & Innovation through the power of Social Prediction. Using sophisticated data science and AI techniques, we unlock social data's potential to understand, connect and predict consumer behavior more accurately and further ahead than before.

Our TRENDSCOPE SaaS platform enables brands to apply Social Prediction to their business and deliver faster, better, more successful new product innovation launches. It puts the power of trend prediction at our users' fingertips and is central to how we turn trend intelligence into a competitive advantage for global giants like PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson, P&G, Danone and Coty.

We're fast movers. Since 2011, we've spread our wings across the UK, USA, Hungary and South Africa, employing more than 150 people. Bringing together a passionate and talented team that combine skills in software engineering, data science, design, product innovation and marketing.

Now is a great opportunity to join our rapidly growing data and technology SaaS business which is led by an experienced and inspiring management team. We're passionate about what we do and committed to disrupt and drive industry change, so if you're an enthusiastic team player and go-getter we want to hear from you.

The Role at Black Swan

Datasets that Black Swan produce are the core of all our products. The Dataset team is responsible for the creation and maintenance of all these datasets. The Analytics Intern role is a unique blend of analyst, market researcher and communicator. This role is responsible for understanding the context and content of the existing and new datasets, we work to refine, improve and evaluate the datasets. We take a consultative approach to anticipate client needs, partnering with our clients and client facing teams to effectively understand these needs.

The role is part of Black Swan Data's Accelerator Programme. The Accelerator Programme provides top talent with a balance of behavioural qualities and technical skills an opportunity to pave a career path within the Datasets team.

The programme facilitates a 3-year career trajectory within the team. The Accelerator Programme starts off with the Associate Level I role and if successfully completed, there is great potential to move to the next phases of the programme, the Associate Levels II and III, and finally onto the Consultant phase (levels I, II and III). The diagram below shows the trajectory of the programme:

During the six months you spend as an Analytics Intern (Associate Level I) in the Datasets team, you will get to learn about social data curation, data cleaning techniques, taxonomy creation and management and how to turn social data into valuable consumer insights, while also having broader exposure to Insights and Data Science departments. You will be part of an engaging, fast-paced environment, working within a dynamic and social team.

What you will be learning:

• Collaborate with our experienced data analysis team to work with large datasets, refining, improving, and evaluating them to uncover valuable insights.
• Engage with internal stakeholders to understand complex data requirements and translating those into clear dataset parameters.
• Gain hands-on experience by liaising with client-facing teams, developing essential communication and teamwork skills.
• Analyze and iterate datasets to identify opportunities for optimization whilst maintaining data quality and accuracy through routine checks and validation processes.
• Master the use of our cutting-edge software, Trendscope. (?)
• Develop a deep understanding of our industry domains and connect data trends to broader market trends.

Who you are

We want people fanatical about creating innovative solutions inspired by data. We know Black Swan's DNA is different, it's what helps us find new perspectives on our clients' problems. Working in a fast paced, energized environment, our bar is set high, and an ability to build long lasting partnerships both internally and externally is vital. You don't need to be perfect at doing all the tasks below, we want passionate people, who are keen to apply themselves and put the effort in to helping a great new team grow and achieve even more.

Personal Attributes:

• A passion for new solutions and challenging the status quo, with an interest in new emerging products and understanding the potential in data, technology and social media.
• An organised problem solver, able to prioritise and process large amounts of information.
• Good listening and communication skills (written and verbal), including ability to express thinking coherently.
• A healthy professional attitude, able to conduct themselves in a professional way being punctual, respecting others, being honest as well as reliable.
• Ability to work both alone and collaboratively with other team members.
• Able to flag any issues to more senior colleagues where appropriate and ask for support
• Curious and asks the right questions.

Desired skills and experience:

• No previous work experience required; we welcome interns and recent graduates.
• An aptitude for defining research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results effectively.
• Comfort with applying basic quantitative analytics techniques to data, and an understanding of digital data sources like social media.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to formulate clear hypotheses and action plans.
• A genuine enthusiasm for exploring emerging research techniques and the potential of data and technology.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks and seek support when needed.
• An eagerness to learn new tools and adapt to a dynamic work environment.

Qualification:

• A bachelor's degree in a related field (e.g., Marketing, Market Research, Information Management, Economics, Statistics).
• A strong interest in data analysis and a desire to develop expertise in this area.
• Strong communication skills to facilitate collaboration with non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with data manipulation tools such as Excel or equivalent software.

Bonus Points for:

• Previous experience or coursework related to data analysis or statistics.
• Exposure or interest in SQL, databases, script writing, or programming languages like Python or R.
• Multilingual skills.
• Advanced Excel skills.

What makes a Swan?

Our Values:

• We believe in long-term partnerships through transparency and honesty.
• We believe in leaving the world in a better place than we found it.
• We believe anyone can achieve great things. We do not put people in boxes.
• We listen more than we talk.
• We think 10% crazy is just about right!
• Most importantly, and because you spend 60% of your waking time at work, we believe you should enjoy it.

What We Offer:

• Hybrid Working - up to 60% of your working hours every month can be done remotely and the other 40% in our H
• Exciting Clients and Projects - Working with Black Swan Data we promise to provide an exciting and ever-changing industry within Data Science and Predictive Analysis innovative and challenging projects with some of the leading Brands using the industries latest technologies.
• Talented Teams - We ensure we have the best talent in the market - We hire the best of the best as a swan you are exposed to highly skilled and multi-disciplined teams over the world. We have 8 offices across 4 countries!
• Career Development - Regardless of which area of the business you work in you can expect to collaborate on all aspects of Black Swan Data's projects gaining the exposure you need to develop your expertise. No matter what stage you are in your career your development is our priority.
• Working environment - Because you spend 60% of your time at work, we try to make it enjoyable! You will benefit from our global benefits: Share options, staff referral scheme, wellness day, flexible and remote working, internal and online training initiatives, volunteering opportunities at white swan, birthday lie in, Christmas gift cards, quarterly staff events, sunshine hours and Flexible Leave Policy.
• As well as the benefits unique to our Cape Town office - Pension & Risk benefits, medical aid contribution, enhanced maternity & paternity leave, parking, breakfast, drinks & snacks, fun Fridays, yoga and meditation sessions

We want to positively change the future through technology and the power of prediction. How about you?

Black Swan Data