What is a Data Analyst at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

A Data Analyst at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plays a pivotal role in transforming complex datasets into actionable insights that support the Church's global mission. Unlike traditional corporate roles, your work here directly impacts initiatives ranging from humanitarian aid and temple operations to missionary efforts like In-Field Preach My Gospel Training. You are not just processing numbers; you are providing the analytical foundation that helps leaders make inspired decisions for a global membership.

In this role, you will work within departments like the Business Intelligence (BI) team to identify trends, optimize resource allocation, and measure the effectiveness of various Church programs. Whether you are based in Salt Lake City, UT, Provo, UT, or Rexburg, ID, you will be part of a high-scale environment where data integrity and strategic influence are paramount. The complexity of the Church's global operations requires a candidate who can navigate large-scale data systems while maintaining a focus on the individual impact of the work.

Working as a Data Analyst offers a unique blend of technical challenge and purposeful contribution. You will face problems that require both rigorous statistical analysis and a deep understanding of the Church's unique organizational structure. You are expected to be a bridge between technical data architecture and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring that data is not only accurate but also meaningful and accessible to those who need it most.

Common Interview Questions

Interviewers at the Church focus on a mix of your technical "how" and your behavioral "why." Use these representative questions to guide your practice sessions.

Technical and Domain Knowledge

These questions test your ability to handle the data itself and your familiarity with the tools of the trade.

• How do you optimize a query that is running too slowly?
• Describe the process you use to validate data accuracy before presenting a report.
• What is the difference between a dimension and a measure in a BI tool?
• Walk me through a complex SQL query you wrote recently and what it accomplished.

Problem-Solving and Case Studies

These questions evaluate your logical framework and how you apply data to real-world Church scenarios.

• If we noticed a sudden drop in missionary applications in a specific area, how would you use data to investigate the cause?
• How would you measure the "success" of a new digital tool released to Church members?
• If two different data sources give you conflicting numbers, how do you determine which one to trust?

Behavioral and Leadership

These questions are often the most critical, focusing on your interpersonal dynamics and mission alignment.

• Why are you interested in working for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints specifically?
• Tell me about a time you had to explain a technical concept to someone who didn't understand data.
• Describe a time you went above and beyond to help a teammate reach a deadline.
• How do you handle feedback when a stakeholder disagrees with your analytical conclusions?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for a Data Analyst role at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires a balanced approach. While technical skills like SQL and BI tool proficiency are foundational, the interviewers place a significant emphasis on your ability to communicate and your alignment with the organization’s values. You should prepare to demonstrate how your analytical work supports broader organizational goals.

Role-Related Knowledge – You will be evaluated on your ability to query databases, clean data, and build visualizations. Interviewers look for proficiency in SQL and experience with industry-standard BI tools (such as Tableau or Power BI). You can demonstrate strength here by explaining the logic behind your technical choices during past projects.

Problem-Solving Ability – This criterion focuses on how you approach ambiguity and structure your thoughts. You may be given a scenario related to Church operations and asked how you would measure success or identify a bottleneck. Strength is shown by breaking down the problem into testable hypotheses and identifying the necessary data points.

Collaboration and Soft Skills – Because this role involves heavy interaction with various departments, your ability to work with others is critical. Interviewers often weigh soft skills as heavily as technical ones, looking for evidence of empathy, clear communication, and a team-first mindset.

Mission Alignment – You should be ready to discuss your personal interest in data analytics and how it intersects with the work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Demonstrating a genuine interest in the Church's objectives can often be the differentiating factor for successful candidates.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is designed to be thorough yet encouraging. It typically begins with an introductory phase where you will meet with HR or a hiring manager to discuss the specific needs of the team, such as the BI team or a specific department like Missionary Services. This initial stage is focused on ensuring your background aligns with the position's requirements and that you have a clear understanding of the Church's work environment.

As you progress, the rigor increases with a focus on both technical fundamentals and behavioral attributes. You can expect a mix of structured interviews that dive into your SQL knowledge and problem-solving framework. Unlike some high-pressure tech environments, the Church often prioritizes a "positive experience" for the candidate, with interviewers frequently described as supportive and interested in your personal growth.

What makes this process distinctive is the heavy weighting of experience working with people. In some rounds, technical questions may only account for 20% of the discussion, while the remaining 80% focuses on your interpersonal skills and how you handle professional relationships. This reflects the Church's collaborative culture and the need for Data Analysts to act as partners to the departments they serve.

The timeline above illustrates the typical journey from application to offer, highlighting the balance between technical screening and team-fit assessments. You should use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you don't neglect behavioral stories while brushing up on your SQL syntax. While the process is generally efficient, the depth of the "Onsite/Final" stage can vary depending on whether you are applying for a Data Analyst Intern position or a full-time professional role.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

SQL and Data Foundations

This is the technical bedrock of the Data Analyst role. You must demonstrate that you can efficiently extract and manipulate data from the Church's databases. Interviewers are not just looking for the correct syntax, but for an understanding of data relationships and query optimization.

Be ready to go over:

• Joins and Aggregations – Understanding how to combine disparate tables and summarize data at different grains.
• Data Cleaning – How to handle null values, duplicates, and inconsistent formatting in a large dataset.
• Subqueries and CTEs – Organizing complex queries for readability and performance.
• Advanced concepts – Window functions, query performance tuning, and understanding database schema design.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Write a SQL query to find the average number of missionary applications per region over the last three months."
• "How would you handle a dataset where 30% of the 'Location' field is missing?"
• "Explain the difference between a LEFT JOIN and an INNER JOIN using a membership database example."

Business Intelligence and Visualization

The ability to turn data into a story is what makes a Data Analyst valuable to Church leadership. You will be evaluated on your familiarity with BI tools and your ability to design dashboards that are intuitive for non-technical users.

Be ready to go over:

• Dashboard Design – Principles of visual hierarchy and choosing the right chart type for the data.
• Stakeholder Requirements – How you gather requirements from a department head to build a report they will actually use.
• Tool Proficiency – Specific experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or internal Church reporting systems.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "A manager wants to see the impact of a new training program. What metrics would you include in a dashboard for them?"
• "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex report because the user was overwhelmed by the data."

Behavioral and Soft Skills

In many rounds, this area carries the most weight. The Church looks for analysts who are humble, teachable, and excellent collaborators. Your ability to navigate conflict and work within a team is paramount.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements with teammates or stakeholders regarding data interpretations.
• Communication – Explaining technical findings to a non-technical audience.
• Adaptability – Handling shifting priorities or projects with limited initial documentation.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult stakeholder. How did you ensure the project was successful?"
• "Describe a situation where you found an error in your own analysis after presenting it. How did you handle it?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Data Analyst, your primary responsibility is to provide the analytical "truth" that informs Church operations. You will spend a significant portion of your time performing data extraction and validation to ensure that reports are accurate and reliable. This often involves collaborating closely with the BI team and data engineers to understand the underlying data architecture.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end analytical process: from meeting with department leaders to understand their challenges, to querying the data, and finally presenting your findings. For example, in a role like the Data Analyst - In-Field Preach My Gospel Training, you might analyze survey data from missionaries to identify which parts of the training curriculum are most effective and where missionaries are struggling.

Beyond simple reporting, you are expected to drive initiatives that improve data literacy within your assigned department. This might include automating manual reports, creating self-service data tools for managers, or identifying new data sources that could provide deeper insights into the Church's global impact.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

A successful candidate for the Data Analyst position at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints typically possesses a blend of technical expertise and a strong alignment with the Church's values.

• Technical Skills – Strong proficiency in SQL is a non-negotiable requirement. You should also be comfortable with at least one major BI tool (Tableau, Power BI, etc.). For some roles, basic knowledge of Python or R for statistical analysis is a significant plus.
• Experience Level – For professional roles, 2–5 years of experience in data analytics or business intelligence is typical. For the Data Analyst Intern position, a strong academic background in a quantitative field and a portfolio of projects are expected.
• Soft Skills – Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are required. You must be able to translate "data speak" into "business speak" fluently.
• Must-have qualifications – A Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Information Systems, or a related field. Most roles also require the candidate to be a member of the Church in good standing and hold a current temple recommend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the technical interviews compared to big tech companies? The technical bar is solid but generally focuses on practical application rather than theoretical algorithms. If you are proficient in SQL and can think through a business case logically, you will be well-prepared. The "difficulty" often comes from the ambiguity of the problems rather than the complexity of the code.

Q: What is the typical timeline from the first interview to an offer? The process usually moves at a moderate pace, typically taking 3–5 weeks. This allows time for multiple team members to meet you and ensure a good cultural fit. Communication from HR is generally consistent throughout the process.

Q: How much should I emphasize my Church membership during the interview? While being a member in good standing is often a requirement, you should focus on your professional skills and how they can serve the Church. Your "mission alignment" should come through in your passion for the work and your desire to contribute to the Church's goals, rather than just stating your membership.

Q: Is there room for remote work in Data Analyst roles? Most Data Analyst positions are based in Salt Lake City, Provo, or Rexburg. While some hybrid flexibility may exist depending on the specific team, the Church generally values the collaboration that comes from being in the office together.

Other General Tips

• Understand the "Why": In every answer, try to link your data work back to the Church's mission. Whether it's helping missionaries or managing Church resources, showing that you understand the purpose of the data is key.
• Focus on Soft Skills: Do not underestimate the "80% soft skills" feedback from past candidates. Be warm, professional, and show that you are someone people would enjoy working with every day.
• The STAR Method: Use the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework for all behavioral questions. Ensure your "Result" includes a specific data-driven outcome whenever possible.
• Be Honest About Your Skills: As seen in past experiences, managers at the Church often hire for "potential" and "feeling" as much as current skill sets. If you don't know a specific tool, express your willingness and plan to learn it quickly.

Summary & Next Steps

A Data Analyst position at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a rare opportunity to apply high-level analytical skills to work that has eternal significance. By providing the insights that guide missionary work, humanitarian efforts, and membership services, you become an essential part of the Church’s global mission. The role demands a high level of technical competence in SQL and BI tools, but it rewards those who can pair that expertise with a collaborative and mission-focused heart.

To succeed, focus your preparation on the core pillars of the role: technical query ability, logical problem-solving, and interpersonal excellence. Remember that the interviewers are looking for a teammate who is not only a great analyst but also a great representative of the Church’s values. Focused preparation on your behavioral stories will be just as important as your technical drills.

The salary data reflects the competitive nature of these roles within the non-profit and religious sector. When reviewing this, consider the total compensation package, which often includes excellent benefits and the unique fulfillment of working for an organization you believe in. For more detailed insights and to connect with others who have interviewed here, explore the additional resources available on Dataford. Good luck—your skills have the potential to make a profound difference.