A business intelligence analyst is a person who assists managers in making informed business decisions in order to sustain or improve a business organization's competitive position. He or she exploits the data warehouse of a company to mine for important facts and statistics that may help render a true picture of an organization's performance and industry standing. The analyst is also often engaged in the formulation of processes and the design of reports that can boost the business intelligence of an organization.

It is typical for a business intelligence analyst to collect past and present data to establish trends in an organization's operation. The data can then be analyzed and used with statistical tools to develop a projection on the outcome of implementing certain business strategies based on historical data. The analyst's business analysis skill is likely to be used in discovering a organization's strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities surrounding the business.

A business intelligence analyst is typically systematic and meticulous with details and, as such, is often good at effectively processing large amount of data to become meaningful information. He or she has strong business analysis skills. The analyst is also typically a good communicator. He or she is likewise normally expected to be flexible and work independently or as part of a team.

Most businesses prefer a business intelligence analyst who has a keen understanding of the company's business processes and the industry where the organization belongs. A company may also find it desirable to have a business intelligence analyst who is competent in handling databases and has a savvy for information technology-driven business intelligence tools such data mining, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and online analytical processing (OLAP). Having a master in business administration (MBA) degree or being a certified public accountant (CPA) adds to the merits of a business intelligence analyst. A seasoned analyst normally has at least five years of experience.

A business intelligence analyst may be hired from within the organization where he or she is employed. Some employers believe that grooming a person who is already exposed to the business processes of the organization and the industry it belongs to will effectively reduce familiarization time. He or she may also be hired externally and may come from a business in the same industry to which his or her prospective employer belongs.