A great opportunity to join Marshall Land Systems, a leading defence manufacturer, who are looking for a suitably skilled Insights Analyst to work on a contract basis at their site in Cambridge.
The Insights Analyst is responsible for transforming operational, manufacturing, and engineering data into clear, accurate, and decision-ready insights for senior leadership and private equity stakeholders. This role goes beyond reporting, it&8217;s owning the story behind the numbers, identifying risks and opportunities, and ensuring stakeholders have a true, transparent view of business performance.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Insight & Analysis
Analyse production, manufacturing engineering, quality, cost, delivery, and efficiency data to identify trends, variances, and root causes.
Connect plant-level data to broader business outcomes (profitability, cash flow, capacity, and risk).
Proactively identify gaps, inconsistencies, or misleading signals in existing data and challenge assumptions.
Executive & PE-Facing Reporting
Develop clear, concise PowerPoint presentations for executive leadership and private equity partners.
Translate complex operational data into simple narratives, key takeaways, and recommended actions.
Ensure reporting focuses on what matters most, avoiding data overload and ambiguity.
Question-Driven Insight
Ask the right questions of operations, engineering, and finance teams to uncover the real drivers of performance.
Anticipate stakeholder questions and address them before they are asked.
Distinguish between symptoms and root causes in operational performance.
Data Integrity & Clarity Ownership
Own the accuracy, consistency, and credibility of operational insights presented externally.
Reconcile data across multiple systems (ERP, MES, spreadsheets, engineering tools).
Highlight data limitations and confidence levels clearly and honestly.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Continuous Improvement teams.
Act as a bridge between shop-floor reality and executive decision-making.
Influence without authority by using data-backed insight and clear communication.
Outputs & Deliverables
Monthly and quarterly PE-ready operational performance decks
Executive dashboards and KPI summaries
Variance and root-cause analysis
Ad-hoc insight requests tied to strategic decisions
Clear written summaries of risks, opportunities, and actions
Apply if you have the following:
Technical & Analytical
Experience analysing manufacturing or operational data in a production environment.
Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, formulas, scenario analysis).
Experience with ERP/MRP systems; MES exposure a plus.
Ability to structure messy data into coherent insight.
Communication & Storytelling
Exceptional PowerPoint skills with a focus on clarity and executive-level communication.
Ability to explain complex operational topics simply and confidently.
Comfortable presenting to senior leaders and private equity stakeholders.
Mindset & Behaviours
Naturally curious; asks “why” and “so what?”
Comfortable challenging narratives when data doesn’t support them.
Detail-oriented but able to zoom out to the big picture.
High integrity—values transparency over optics.
Preferred Qualifications
Background in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or Finance.
Experience supporting executive or investor reporting.
Marshall Land Systems is a Canadian-owned global company with an unrivalled pedigree of British engineering excellence. From its origins in Cambridge, UK, through more than a century of innovation, pioneering advances from the nose of Concorde to the early Hydrogen fuel cell technology that ultimately powered the moon landings, Marshall engineers now continue to innovate specialist vehicles and infrastructure for NATO forces across the world. From bomb disposal vehicles to deployed shelters, from command and control to CT scanners on the battlefield, Marshall Land Systems protects people in critical situations with the very best in engineering. It employs 600 people with major facilities the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands.