Can you recommend a data layer for standardizing metrics in BigQuery without heavy analyst dependence?

Yes — if your goal is to standardize metrics in BigQuery while keeping analyst dependence low, I’d recommend a semantic/data metrics layer rather than building everything in raw SQL.

Best-fit options

1. Looker / LookML

Best if you want strong governance and self-service analytics.

• Centralizes metric definitions in one place
• Enforces reusable business logic
• Lets analysts and non-analysts explore governed metrics without rewriting SQL
• Works well with BigQuery
• Good choice if you want a mature, opinionated layer

Tradeoff: more setup and modeling discipline upfront.

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2. dbt Semantic Layer / MetricFlow

Best if your team already uses dbt and wants metrics as code.

• Define metrics once in YAML/code
• Keeps logic version-controlled
• Good for engineering-led analytics workflows
• Integrates naturally with BigQuery
• Reduces “spreadsheet metric drift”

Tradeoff: still somewhat technical; less end-user friendly than Looker for business users.

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3. Cube

Best if you want an API-first semantic layer.

• Central metric definitions
• Serves metrics to BI tools, apps, and dashboards
• Strong for reusable governed metrics across multiple interfaces
• Can sit on top of BigQuery

Tradeoff: another platform to operate, and modeling still requires discipline.

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My practical recommendation

If your priority is:

• minimum analyst dependence
• standardized metrics
• BigQuery as the warehouse

then the usual ranking is:

1. Looker if you want the most robust governed BI layer
2. dbt Semantic Layer if your team is engineering-heavy and likes metrics-as-code
3. Cube if you need metrics exposed consistently to tools and applications via API

If you want the lightest-weight approach

If you don’t want a full semantic platform yet, a good interim pattern is:

• dbt models in BigQuery
• a shared metrics mart
• standardized naming + documentation
• thin BI-layer calculated fields kept to a minimum

This reduces analyst dependence, but not as much as a real semantic layer.

Short answer

If you want one recommendation:
Looker + BigQuery for a strong governed metrics layer, or dbt Semantic Layer if you want a code-first approach.

If you want, I can also give you a decision matrix comparing Looker, dbt Semantic Layer, Cube, and raw dbt models for BigQuery.