How to hire a planning specialist

How to hire a planning specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step planning specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a planning specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your planning specialist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a planning specialist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A planning specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, planning specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents planning specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Planning Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Planning Specialist	Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain—the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, distributed, allocated, and delivered.	$23-46
   Logistics Team Member	A logistics team member is an employee who works as part of the logistics team to unload trucks and prepares the new merchandise to be displayed inside the store and stock room. Logistic team members are required to move products from the backroom to the sales floor using forklifts and other proper equipment and techniques... Show more	$11-17
   Logistics Internship	In a logistics internship, an intern's duties depend on the directives of a supervising staff or manager. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around processing documentation, producing progress reports, maintaining records, updating databases, answering calls and correspondence, disseminating information, and running errands... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Logistics
   • Project Management
   • Data Analysis
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Production Schedules
   • Strong Analytical
   • HR
   • DOD
   • Financial Analysis
   • MRP
   • Management System
   • ERP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead RFP process including issuance, review and award.
   • Lead SOX compliance process, enabling identification and elimination of control weaknesses in several business cycles.
   • Lead clients and counsel in new plan conversions, regulations for IRS, ERISA, and DOL agencies.
   • Maintain assign BOM, in-transit times, and lead times to achieve customer and corporate goals and improve bottom-line.
   • Lead cross-functional team in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification processes, including writing and testing of ISO policies.
   • Lead the design and development of forecasting database, including scenario planning and analysis, KPI reports, and executive summaries.

   More planning specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the planning specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A planning specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a planning specialist in Iowa may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level planning specialist. Additionally, a planning specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average planning specialist salary

   $69,170yearly

   $33.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level planning specialist salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average planning specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$82,634	$40
   2	California	$76,324	$37
   3	District of Columbia	$75,134	$36
   4	Maine	$74,881	$36
   5	Washington	$74,430	$36
   6	Texas	$73,087	$35
   7	Virginia	$72,240	$35
   8	New Jersey	$71,910	$35
   9	Oregon	$71,828	$35
   10	New York	$71,224	$34
   11	Connecticut	$70,614	$34
   12	Arizona	$69,024	$33
   13	Michigan	$67,799	$33
   14	Colorado	$64,491	$31
   15	Minnesota	$63,077	$30
   16	Georgia	$62,922	$30
   17	North Carolina	$62,498	$30
   18	Indiana	$61,953	$30
   19	Kansas	$61,739	$30
   20	Pennsylvania	$59,682	$29

   Average planning specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$124,083	$59.66	59
   2	ZS	$119,676	$57.54	3
   3	Amazon	$112,698	$54.18	74
   4	Genentech	$111,253	$53.49
   5	BP America Inc	$109,350	$52.57	1
   6	Uber Technologies	$105,121	$50.54	3
   7	Citi	$104,373	$50.18
   8	BNY Mellon	$100,230	$48.19	5
   9	Bayer	$98,939	$47.57
   10	Amd	$96,004	$46.16	6
   11	Deutsche Bank	$94,863	$45.61	1
   12	Wabtec Corporation	$94,482	$45.42
   13	Hess	$93,927	$45.16
   14	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$93,447	$44.93	1
   15	Pfizer	$93,390	$44.90	1
   16	Regeneron	$92,574	$44.51
   17	Pacifi	$92,181	$44.32	2
   18	Southern California Edison	$90,358	$43.44	5
   19	Skyworks Solutions	$89,748	$43.15
   20	Constellation Energy Partners	$89,254	$42.91	2

4. Writing a planning specialist job description

   A job description for a planning specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a planning specialist job description:

   Planning specialist job description example

   Are you ready to grow your dream career while making others' vacation dreams come true? Marriott Vacations Worldwide is a world premier organization for Vacation Ownership with resorts at destinations around the globe. Join our team and help deliver unforgettable experiences that make vacation dreams come true.
   
   Provide concierge services to all location guests and encourage participation in a Sales Presentation Tour. Provide attraction, theme park, and event tickets for sale to all guests and use effective sales techniques to drive sales volume.
   
   Report accidents, injuries, and unsafe work conditions to manager. Follow all company policies and procedures; ensure uniform and personal appearance are clean and professional; maintain confidentiality of proprietary information; protect company assets. Welcome and acknowledge all customers; anticipate and address customers' service needs; assist individuals with disabilities; thank customers with genuine appreciation. Speak with others using clear and professional language; prepare and review written documents accurately and completely; answer telephones using appropriate etiquette. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with others. Ensure adherence to quality expectations and standards; identify, recommend, develop, and implement new ways to increase organizational quality. Reach, bend, twist, pull, and stoop; visually inspect tools, equipment, or machines; move up and down stairs and/or service ramps; move, lift, or carry objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds; stand, sit, or walk for an extended period of time. Perform other reasonable job duties as requested.
   Marketing and Sales
   Act as first point of Marketing and Sales contact with package tour guests when they arrive at location. Coordinate tour guest check-in information with the Sales Gallery. Where applicable, offer tickets to local attraction, theme parks, and events for sale to guests. Use discovery techniques to determine if non-tour guests are eligible for a Sales Presentation Tour. Provide information about the Sales Presentation Tour and answer any questions about the tour. Overcome objections to participating in a Sales Presentation Tour while maintaining a positive rapport. Arrange transportation for tour guests to the Sales Gallery and ensure they arrive on time for the Sales Presentation Tour.
   Guest Relations
   Engage guests in conversation regarding their stay, property services, and area attractions/offerings. Welcome and acknowledge each and every guest with a smile, eye contact, and a friendly verbal greeting, using the guest's name when possible. Anticipate guests' service needs, including asking questions of guests to better understand their needs and watching/listening to guest preferences and acting on them whenever possible. Address guests' service needs in a professional, positive, and timely manner. Actively listen and respond positively to guest questions, concerns, and requests using brand or property specific process to resolve issues, delight, and build trust. Provide detailed information about property amenities. Recommend local restaurants and activities based on customer preferences. Offer to provide reservation services for local restaurants, golf courses, tours, or other attractions. Assist other employees to ensure proper coverage and prompt customer service. Thank customers with genuine appreciation and provide a fond farewell.
   Communication
   Speak to customers and co-workers using clear, appropriate and professional language. Answer telephones using appropriate etiquette including answering the phone within 3 rings, answering with a smile in one's voice, using the callers' name, transferring calls to appropriate person/department, requesting permission before placing the caller on hold, taking and relaying messages, and allowing the caller to end the call. Talk with and listen to other employees to effectively exchange information. Discuss work topics, activities, or problems with coworkers, supervisors, or managers discreetly and quietly, avoiding public areas of the property.
   Computer Skills
   Use multiple computer systems and software packages to cross reference, input, access, modify, store, or output information Enter and retrieve data from computer systems using a keyboard, mouse or trackball.
   Working with Others
   Support all co-workers and treat them with dignity and respect. Handle sensitive issues with employees and/or customers with tact, respect, diplomacy, and confidentiality. Develop and maintain positive and productive working relationships with other employees and departments.
   Physical Tasks
   Enter and locate work-related information using computers and/or point of sale systems. Move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds without assistance.
   Policies and Procedures
   Maintain confidentiality of proprietary materials and information. Follow company and department policies and procedures. Protect the privacy and security of customers and coworkers. Attend meetings as required by Supervisors. Perform other reasonable job duties as requested.
   #LI-GG1
   
   Marriott Vacations Worldwide is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find planning specialists 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 planning specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit planning specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting planning specialists 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 planning specialist

   Once you've selected the best planning specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new planning specialist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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