As a Data Analyst at Health Catalyst, your day-to-day work is highly dynamic and combines deep technical execution with active client consulting. You will be responsible for:

• Designing and building robust data models within the Health Catalyst Data Operating System to integrate disparate healthcare data sources.
• Writing and optimizing complex SQL queries to extract, transform, and load clinical and operational data for hospital systems.
• Collaborating directly with healthcare clients, including clinicians, operational directors, and IT professionals, to understand their analytics needs and define project requirements.
• Developing intuitive dashboards and data visualizations using business intelligence tools to help clients track key performance indicators (KPIs) and drive clinical improvements.
• Documenting data definitions, assumptions, and modeling decisions to ensure high data governance and transparency for client teams.

To be competitive for the Data Analyst role, you must demonstrate a strong blend of technical expertise and professional consulting skills.

• Must-have skills – Advanced proficiency in SQL (writing, debugging, and optimizing queries), solid understanding of relational database design and ERDs, and strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience in the healthcare industry (working with clinical, financial, or claims data), familiarity with BI tools like Tableau or Power BI, and knowledge of data warehousing concepts.
• Experience level – Typically requires 2–5 years of experience in data analytics, database development, or technical consulting. A background in healthcare IT or clinical informatics is highly valued but not strictly required.

Q: How difficult is the SQL assessment? A: The SQL assessment is of average difficulty but requires high precision. Because it is often completed in a text-based web form without an active compiler, you must pay close attention to syntax, logical simplicity, and formatting. Overcomplicating your queries or missing basic filters can result in rejection.

Q: What is the company culture like? A: Health Catalyst is widely praised for its supportive, humble, and highly professional culture. Team members are collaborative and deeply committed to the company's mission of improving healthcare. Even during the interview process, recruiters and hiring managers focus on transparency and candidate respect.

Q: How can I best prepare for the interactive roleplay interview? A: Treat the roleplay as a collaborative workshop rather than an exam. Establish a clear agenda at the beginning, ask smart questions to understand the client's goals, and walk the interviewers through your logical thinking step-by-step as you discuss the data model and visualizations.

Q: Does the company provide feedback if you are not selected? A: Yes, Health Catalyst is known for providing detailed, constructive feedback on technical assessments. This transparency is a key part of their candidate-first hiring philosophy and reflects their collaborative internal culture.

• Practice coding in a plain text editor: Since the technical assessment may not have a live compiler, practice writing SQL queries in a simple text editor to ensure your syntax, capitalization, and formatting are flawless without relying on auto-complete.
• Keep your SQL queries simple: Avoid unnecessary unions, subqueries, or complex aggregations. The grading team values clean, straightforward logic that is easy to maintain.
• Document your assumptions: When writing queries during the assessment or live interviews, explicitly document your assumptions (e.g., how you handle NULL values or specific data formats) using code comments.

• Brush up on basic healthcare terminology: Having a high-level understanding of common healthcare concepts (such as inpatient vs. outpatient, readmission rates, and patient registries) will help you feel more comfortable during the client roleplay scenarios.

The Data Analyst role at Health Catalyst offers an exciting opportunity to leverage your analytical skills to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare. By combining rigorous SQL development with strategic, client-facing consultation, you can directly contribute to better patient outcomes and more efficient hospital operations. The position is challenging but highly rewarding, set within an organization that deeply values humility, collaboration, and continuous learning.

To maximize your chances of success, focus your preparation on mastering clean SQL syntax, understanding database relationships, and practicing your live communication skills for the interactive roleplay. Approach the process with a problem-solving mindset and a willingness to collaborate openly with your interviewers.

The salary information above outlines the standard compensation expectations for this position. When preparing your final application steps, keep in mind that Health Catalyst values transparency in its compensation discussions and aims to align role levels with candidate experience early in the process. For more detailed community insights, interview reviews, and preparation resources, you can explore additional materials on Dataford. Good luck with your preparation—you are well on your way to a successful interview experience.