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Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them. Blurb’s creative publishing service is simple and smart enough to make anyone a published author – every blogger, cook, marketer, photographer, traveler, entrepreneur, poet, everyone. Located in downtown San Francisco and funded by Canaan Partners and Anthem Venture Partners, Blurb is bringing book publishing to the masses.

The Business Analyst will provide critical operational support to the Blurb team by providing timely, accurate and insightful business analysis and reporting. This individual will provide regular reports on business performance, create and manage forecast models, and design and deliver analyses and business cases to better understand, evaluate and guide existing programs and initiatives. Responsibilities will also include periodic accounting and/or finance projects, including assistance with daily/monthly e-commerce reconciliation, financial reporting and/or the month-end close process.

The Web Business Analyst reports to the Finance Director.

Key Responsibilities:

• Enhance and maintain core reporting tools, such as weekly/monthly “dashboards”
• Analyze and provide insight on individual marketing program performance (including Search Engine Marketing, Partner Marketing, and Offline Marketing), including regular performance reports and recommendations for program optimization
• Collaborate with marketing on defining and pulling data sets based on market segmentation/programming needs, analysis of purchase patterns, etc.
• Assist functional managers with creation of business cases for proposed new products, initiatives or programs
• Support month-end reconciliation and reporting process, develop robust and insightful forecasting models, and assist in annual budgeting/planning process
• Provide one-off analysis and insight for Board reporting and discussion

• Drive automation, improved accuracy and increased efficiency in all reporting and analysis initiatives, including ongoing evolution of data warehouse model

Required Characteristics and Qualifications:

*Guru at comfortably working with large data sets, building insightful financial models and presenting summary insights in a user-friendly way

• Expert-level experience with MS Excel (nested functions, pivot tables, import/export)
• Proficiency with SQL (basic join’s, grouping, ordering)
• Proficiency with GAAP accounting principles
• Good knowledge and understanding of web-based marketing programs
• Exceptional attention-to-detail with the ability to juggle multiple projects and meet aggressive deadlines
• Self-motivated, resourceful, curious and creative in solving problems and understanding the dynamics and nuances of the Blurb business model
• Excellent communication/presentation skills, including proficiency with MS Powerpoint
• Minimum of 5 years experience in a similar operating function

• Preferred: advanced training in statistical analysis, econometrics and/or trend forecasting

Interested? Send your resume to operationsjobs@blurb.com with the subject heading “Web Business Analyst.”