Álvaro
Data Scientist
“In a climate this uncertain, Shakers gives you a layer of reassurance and confidence. What I like most, without a doubt, is the flexibility and getting to work on top-tier projects.”
Join ShakersShakers for expert talent
Work as a BI Developer
Projects where the reporting model is yours: which KPI goes on the dashboard and how the data gets prepared. Shakers connects you with projects aligned with your stack, day rate and availability.
As a contract BI Developer at Shakers you decide what gets measured for clients with already-defined projects: the semantic model, the lightweight ETL and the dashboards each team opens, in Power BI or Tableau.
You work project-based, choose what you take on and agree your rate by scope. AI matching brings you projects that fit your stack.
- Higher-paying projects
- More continuity between projects
- Greater recognition for your experience
+3,000
Tech projects published on Shakers
+90
Tech, Product and Data specialisms are part of Shakers
6 months
Average length of a project with Shakers
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Amelia
AI Agent Developer
“I have been building AI agents for years. Thanks to Shakers I stopped chasing clients and started genuinely choosing which projects I wanted to work on. I work with some of the best companies in Europe, at my own rate, and I focus on what I am good at and what I love: building.”
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Luz
Backend Developer & Data Engineer
“Shakers adds a lot of value because it connects you with sharper projects, already filtered and better defined. It saves you a big part of the upfront work of understanding the client, quoting and weighing up whether it is worth it, and that means that as a contractor you can go far more directly to the opportunities that genuinely fit you.”
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Rubén
Software Developer
“Life as a contractor has a lot going on and it is not always easy. We like to focus on what we are good at, but you also have to manage clients, invoicing and go looking for work. For me, Shakers has been key because it does that prospecting for me, it gives the client confidence from the very first moment, and it lets us be part of a community with real enthusiasm.”
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Alejandro
AI Developer
“Shakers was key to getting my company off the ground: it gave me the flexibility to keep contracting while I built my next chapter. Without Shakers, I would have had to raise funding or push the project back.”
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Toño
Product Designer
“With Shakers I have landed recurring projects that give me peace of mind and room to grow professionally. It is not just about reaching quality clients: it is feeling that you have a network behind you, one that connects you with real opportunities and helps you move forward as a freelancer.”
Join ShakersWhat a BI Developer decides and which systems they touch
A BI Developer builds the system a company measures itself with: designs the semantic model, prepares the data with lightweight ETL and turns business questions into dashboards that stand on their own, in Power BI, Tableau or Looker. Against a data analyst, the difference is direction: the analyst answers questions over data already measured; the BI Developer decides what gets measured and how, from the SQL query to the KPI leadership will see. They operate on a data warehouse they consume, not one they build.
You decide what cannot be changed later without rebuilding the reporting: the semantic model and its definitions, the ETL preparing data from ERP or CRM, the SQL query against the data warehouse and the delivery tool, Power BI, Tableau or Looker. You also decide what the dashboard refuses to show: an ownerless KPI does not go in.
SQLPower BIDAXPower QueryTableauETLdashboardssemantic modelingdata warehouseLookerExcelPythonMicrosoft FabricQlik
Semantic modelLightweight ETLDashboardsKPI definitionsPower QueryData warehouse
Free to join, no hidden fees
How Shakers works for talent
Create your profile
Tell us who you are, what you can do, the projects you want to work on and what your availability and rate are.
Get your certification
We certify your experience and your use of AI so companies understand and trust what you bring.
Match with projects
We connect you with well-paid projects that fit your expertise and your preferences.
Data and Analytics projects that live up to your expectations
Work on real projects, with teams that need your expertise, without wasting time looking for opportunities.
Projects that fit you
Work with companies that need your stack and experience to take their projects to production.
Opportunities that come to you
Our AI matching connects your profile with the projects that fit your preferences.
You build. Shakers handles the rest
Set your own terms based on your seniority. We manage contracts, payments and paperwork.
What a BI Developer delivers in a Shakers project
The brief arrives with the business question
Shakers is hiring infrastructure: the project arrives with the decision the company wants to make and its data, not with a list of technologies.
A model that can be audited
You deliver the semantic model, the dashboard and the reason behind each KPI, including the metric you ruled out and why it is out.
What happens when the data changes
You set the refresh, what happens when a source fails and who answers for the number the day someone challenges it.
Dashboards used, not just shown
You have measured real processes with Power BI or Tableau and can tell which KPI did not serve, and what you did when the data contradicted you.
Power BI, Tableau or neither
Choose the tool for the client ecosystem, not for comfort. Sometimes the honest answer is a spreadsheet, and saying so.
How far your engagement goes
You consume the data warehouse; you do not build it. If the project needs heavy pipelines, you say so at the start and do not absorb it.
Frequently asked questions
Any other questions? Write to us and we will reply.
What does a BI data analyst do?
They interpret data already measured and answer one-off questions with SQL and spreadsheets; the BI Developer builds the entire system that measures: semantic model, ETL and dashboards.
Do I need to code to be a BI Developer?
SQL, yes: it is the language of the job. Python or R help when the ETL grows, but daily work is solved with SQL, Power Query and DAX.
Power BI or Tableau to start?
Power BI if the client estate is Microsoft, Tableau in analytics-driven companies. The craft is common, SQL and semantic modeling: the tool is learned fast; judgement is not.
How much can I bill as a BI Developer?
You bill per project, and scope sets the band: number of sources, model complexity and dashboards to maintain. At Shakers you agree the budget before accepting.
Can the BI projects be done fully remotely?
Almost all of them: the data is in the cloud and sessions with the company happen remotely. Only some internal deployments ask for occasional on-site work.
How do I join Shakers as a BI Developer?
Create your profile, pass the certification process and join the collective: only 4 percent make it. Then you choose which BI projects you collaborate on.
The two tools that split the market
Power BI appears in 972 live UK tech vacancies and Tableau in 595, according to Shakers market analysis (n=39.811, September 2026). Microsoft estates choose Power BI; mixed estates hold Tableau and Looker. Mastering one and understanding the other is the standard.
What this role is not
You do not build the data warehouse: you consume it. If your strength is pipelines, your role is data engineer. And you do not stay in the spreadsheet: when a metric crosses three teams, the semantic model wins.
How people switch into this job
There is no single door. The common one comes from analysis: advanced Excel that becomes SQL, and SQL that ends in Power BI. Another comes from backend, when the person building the API gets tired of nobody measuring it well. The job is learned by measuring something real.
Roles that cross a BI project
Four roles from the collective cross your path on a BI project, from whoever builds the data source to whoever automates it.
Data Engineer
Builds the pipelines and warehouse you consume: when data doesn't arrive, your model stalls and so does the engagement.
Data Analyst
Feeds on your semantic model: where you decide what gets measured, they answer what the business needs to know.
Backend Developer
Their APIs and databases are the origin of everything you measure: when the source is wrong, the dashboard lies.
Data Scientist
Where your reporting ends explaining what happened, theirs starts predicting what comes next on the same data.
The boundaries between these roles are agreed on each project: the title does not set them.
Take the next step with Shakers
Want projects where the reporting is yours?
Pass the Shakers certification and choose which BI projects you collaborate on.
