How to hire an information systems planner

How to hire an information systems planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step information systems planner hiring guide:

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

Post an information systems planner job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The information systems 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

   Hiring the perfect information systems planner also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of information systems planners.

   Type of Information Systems Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Information Systems Planner	Computer systems analysts study an organization’s current computer systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. They bring business and information technology (IT) together by understanding the needs and limitations of both.	$31-50
   Module Lead	The primary duties of a Module Lead include academic leadership, management, and assessment of the assigned modules. They conduct all monitoring, evaluation, and review of activities, as well as respond to students feedback.	$32-45
   Programmer Analyst	A programmer analyst is responsible for monitoring database performance and software applications, performing basic troubleshooting, and improving program operations as needed. Programmer analysts' duties also include making adjustments on the system based on client's specifications, creating reports for any updates and new system procedures, designing specific technology solutions to improve the business operations, and performing necessary code adjustments... Show more	$26-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Miso
   • STO
   • AOR
   • OPSEC
   • Technical Operations
   • DOD
   • Warfare
   • Subject Matter Expertise
   • CENTCOM
   • National Security
   • Combat
   • SME
   • Cyber Operations
   • HQ

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage content, design and task management on various SharePoint sites.
   • Implement and manage all organizational security measures, cryptographic equipment and DoD communications security (COMSEC) keying material.
   • Introduce teams to processes to establish FISMA and NIST security compliance, and guide various risk mitigation actions.
   • Enforce security policies and safeguards on all personnel having access to the system for which the ISSO have responsibility.
   • Control access to encryption processes and to databases that are used for archiving and retrieving network and system management information.
   • Research, plan and execute physical-to-virtual VMware migration and consolidation for multiple entire data-centers.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your information systems planner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An information systems planner salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, information systems planners' average salary in vermont is 31% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level information systems planners earn 38% less than senior-level information systems planners.
   • Certifications. An information systems planner with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an information systems planner's salary.

   Average information systems planner salary

   $82,767yearly

   $39.79 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level information systems planner salary

   $65,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

4. Writing an information systems planner job description

   An information systems 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 an information systems planner job description:

   Information systems planner job description example

   SAIC is currently seeking a **Information Operations Planner** to support the First Army Mobilization Assistance Team onsite at Rock Island, IL.
   
   SAIC is currently seeking an experienced Information Operations (IO) Planner to perform duties to include Army communications planning and integration on multiple enclaves between interagency and multiple echelons. The IO Planner is expected to be the conduit for information within the team integrating current/future plans of operations for mission analysis, analytic problem solving, and assessment of Information Operations.
   
   The selected candidate review, analyze, and operationalize operational-level IO-related directives in support of the mission objectives. Must have a strong understanding of Army communication systems such as Mission Command Information Systems, and Enterprise Services and Tactical Communication Systems. The selected candidate will possess demonstrated experience, skills and in-depth knowledge of National Guard mobilizations, home-station training, and pre-/post-mobilization training requirements. This position is a subject matter expert (SME) that must be able to work independently by providing a timely flow of relevant information by providing daily reports, collecting, sharing and disseminating and completing tasks assigned.
   **Qualifications**
   
   **REQUIRED EDUCATION:**
   
   + BS Degree and five (5) years of experience; four (4) years of experience and/or military service accepted in lieu of degree
   
   **REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS:**
   
   + Active DoD Secret Clearance required.
   
   + Experience in Army Tactical Communication Systems
   
   + Experience in Army Mission Command Systems
   
   + **Prior service as a Signal Officer (25A)** with brigade or higher echelon experience
   
   + Battalion Commander
   
   + Operational experience in a forward deployed battalion (or higher)
   
   Covid Policy: SAIC does not require COVID-19 vaccinations or boosters. Customer site vaccination requirements must be followed when work is performed at a customer site.
   REQNUMBER: 2215183
   
   SAIC is a premier technology integrator, solving our nation's most complex modernization and systems engineering challenges across the defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence markets. Our robust portfolio of offerings includes high-end solutions in systems engineering and integration; enterprise IT, including cloud services; cyber; software; advanced analytics and simulation; and training. We are a team of 23,000 strong driven by mission, united purpose, and inspired by opportunity. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see Working at SAIC. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find information systems planners for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any information systems planners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level information systems planners with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your information systems planner job on Zippia to find and recruit information systems planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting information systems planners requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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.

   If your interviews with information systems planner applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   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 information systems planner

   Once you've found the information systems planner candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new information systems planner first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an information systems planner?