How to hire a business planner

How to hire a business planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step business planner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a business planner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new business planner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a business planner do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The business planner hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a business planner to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a business planner that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of business planners.

   Type of Business Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Planner	Urban and regional planners develop land use plans and programs that help create communities, accommodate population growth, and revitalize physical facilities in towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.	$40-79
   Supply Chain Analyst	A supply chain analyst is responsible for handling the supply chain operations of an organization, aligning processes, and identifying areas of improvement to initiate procedures and create smooth supply delivery transactions. Supply chain analysts monitor the adequacy of stock inventory, including the trends in the market industry, to meet the public demands and ensuring that the business provides those interests... Show more	$24-43
   Urban Design Consultant	An urban design consultant is in charge of many projects, and so they have to oversee tasks and plan assignments. They are skilled in creating interior design solutions, space planning, sketching, and product selection... Show more	$24-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Analysis
   • Strong Analytical
   • Financial Analysis
   • Business Plan
   • Supply Chain
   • Logistics
   • Market Research
   • Demand Planning
   • Product Line
   • Pricing Strategy
   • Business Development
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Business Processes
   • Financial Models

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
   • Coordinate logistics with multiple carrier partners and multiple distribution centers.
   • Coordinate raw material logistics, serum manufacturing, gamma irradiation processing and other serum processes with third party contract manufacturers.
   • Lead monthly and quarterly EAC forecasting and consolidate forecasts in support of corporate financial reporting.

   More business planner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your business planner job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A business planner can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, business planners' average salary in arkansas is 49% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level business planners 49% less than senior-level business planners.
   • Certifications. A business planner with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a business planner's salary.

   Average business planner salary

   $119,250yearly

   $57.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level business planner salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average business planner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$155,106	$75
   2	Washington	$134,029	$64
   3	California	$127,506	$61
   4	Massachusetts	$126,037	$61
   5	Maryland	$123,781	$60
   6	Pennsylvania	$123,322	$59
   7	New York	$113,966	$55
   8	Oregon	$111,785	$54
   9	Arizona	$106,357	$51
   10	Kansas	$105,306	$51
   11	North Carolina	$103,060	$50
   12	Illinois	$102,384	$49
   13	Ohio	$99,397	$48
   14	Georgia	$97,049	$47
   15	Oklahoma	$94,478	$45
   16	Michigan	$94,239	$45
   17	Texas	$89,031	$43
   18	Florida	$85,856	$41

   Average business planner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Pacific Gas and Electric	$135,356	$65.08
   2	Cisco	$134,232	$64.53	9
   3	SMUD	$133,357	$64.11
   4	Microsoft	$132,225	$63.57	39
   5	FMC	$130,227	$62.61
   6	Philips	$128,987	$62.01	3
   7	HP	$125,786	$60.47	3
   8	Nike	$125,618	$60.39	23
   9	BorgWarner	$125,064	$60.13	1
   10	General Motors	$121,530	$58.43	12
   11	Siemens	$119,656	$57.53	7
   12	Vishay	$116,702	$56.11
   13	ASML Holding	$107,798	$51.83	4
   14	Randstad North America, Inc.	$104,768	$50.37	6
   15	Sony Electronics	$102,986	$49.51	3
   16	Crocs	$100,880	$48.50	5
   17	Ermenegildo Zegna N.V.	$99,944	$48.05
   18	Motorola Solutions	$99,002	$47.60	13
   19	American Axle & Manufacturing	$97,847	$47.04	2
   20	CDI	$95,045	$45.69	1

4. Writing a business planner job description

   A business planner job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a business planner job description:

   Business planner job description example

   Job Purpose
   Business planning and communication of business priorities for the field sales teams Manage and maintain the D-Star control tower by validating and pushing weekly priorities to enable field sales teams Collect, optimize, reconcile and communicate all action plans and priorities so that field teams have the right information at the right time for optimal execution in trade Co-design, deploy, maintain and improve D-Star use cases, outcomes and maintenance in alignment with incentive programs and change initiatives Manage annual D-Star effectiveness review and data refresh Accountable for Convivio specific data and ensuring data quality Design and building of relevant reporting highlighting new KPIs in alignment with new ways of working or methods of evaluation Further development of the Control Tower as a member of an international and interdisciplanary project group Overarching view of Convivio ecosysytem in consultation Cust eng and other stakeholders
   
   Key Duties and Responsibilities
   Identify key contacts and key stakeholders (sales director, business analyst, trade marketing manager, Cat. Man, KAM..) and set up ad hoc alignment meetings Set up appropriate routines to collect relevant information (scope: all information, whether it impacts planning or not, e.g., brand highlights, media campaigns, company news, competitor activity) Consolidate information gathered; design application scenarios, design customized support materials and communication routines for field teams (e.g., frequency of meetings) Check and validate data sources ensuring robust data quality and highlighting issues to the stakeholder to correct Implement a weekly process to sign off and test the following weeks priorities and operate the control tower within D-STARPrepare key findings from various analysis sets; through data analysis to determine eg. key selling days, evaluate deal movements and pattern in portfolio, analyze market dynamics relating to product mix, availability/distribution, rate of sale, price compliance ect across segments and prepare scenarios for gap closure Conduct the planning process (organize the meetings with the key stakeholders, interview sales teams and observe bahaviours in trade to supplement existing processes) Spend time in trade with the sales force to gather input on user experience in app and feedback on planning and priorities. Learning should feed into continued app and process optimization Highlight possible issues or impacts and share recommendations for arbitrations or corrections, if necessary Recommend alternative solutions when load plan is not achievable (available resources) other reinforcements, call center....Communicate the plan to the regions in compliance with agreed timelines, this includes new, smarter ways of tracking trade progress Consolidate resource flow in coordination with market resource allocation process and capacity Ensure tracking of priority execution and workload against plan (reporting business planning created with BI teams) Design and support the implementation of D-Star specific KPIs in the localized BI ProjectSupport the sales team with integrated planning of TE and BA team activity through Convivio functionalities Plan, prepare for and run annual trade tool review for SA inclusive of project managing the requested outcomes and the implementation of new tech Further developments to improve algorithm, control tower and the resulting business impact
   
   Key Competencies and Experience
   Functional Competencies
   Strong systems understanding, coupled with experience in sales analytics and behavioural reporting, advanced excel skills and ability to design in PowerBiDeep data understanding and experience in building and maintaining data sets Experience in data and system integration, for example multiple trade data sources and/or ERP data Commercial FMCG experience in the field or at headquarters Ability to perform corrective actions on the algorithm (Python) - would be beneficial Strong business planning skills Good project management skills Change management experience Ability to gather input and devise strategic solution in alignment with larger business priorities Judgment & decision making, critical thinking, involving active learning & listening Excellent communication, writing, facilitation and presentation skills Ability to interrogate detail and generate insights which are relevant to business strategy and field actions
   
   Behavioural Competencies
   Commercial Acumen and acute attention to detail Rigorous, detail-orientated & proactive Strong social and interpersonal skills Collaborate effectively and build beneficial relationships with key stakeholders Influencing skills and stakeholder engagement at all levels Problem solving Assertiveness and persistence Team-oriented and flexible High sensitively to internal customer satisfaction
   
   Qualifications and Experience:
   • University Degree in relevant field
   • A minimum of 3 years experience in sales team activity planning / commercial business planning
   • Minimum of 5 years' post qualification experience in FMCG or Alcoholic Beverages industry is preferable
   
   Job Posting End Date:
   2022-10-28-07:00
   
   Target Hire Date:
   2022-12-01-08:00
   
   Target End Date:

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find business planners for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your business planner job on Zippia to find and recruit business planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit business planners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new business planner

   Once you have selected a candidate for the business planner position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new business planner. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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