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Strategic business analyst skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Jim McClenahan,

Candace Esken Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical strategic business analyst skills. We ranked the top skills for strategic business analysts based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.0% of strategic business analyst resumes contained data analysis as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a strategic business analyst needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 strategic business analyst skills for your resume and career

1. Data Analysis

Here's how strategic business analysts use data analysis:

Utilize data analysis and statistical techniques to develop and summarize analytic insights, recommendations and hypotheses to support management decision-making.
Performed data analysis, measured results against goals, communicated variances and present analysis to management.

2. Tableau

Here's how strategic business analysts use tableau:

Developed optimized interactive dashboards and story plots using Tableau Desktop with over thirty work sheets for both technical and non-technical consumption.
Prepared project progress report dashboards and resource allocation reports and analysis for management on an ongoing basis using Tableau.

3. SQL

Here's how strategic business analysts use sql:

Work with SQL, Excel, VBA, Access, Microsoft SharePoint, SalesForce.com, ESRP, and Pro Clarity.
Configured and implemented an automated business management system built in SQL Server to meet requirements gathered through analysis and JAD sessions.

4. Project Management

Here's how strategic business analysts use project management:

Monitored and maintained email submissions to the Project Management mailbox for New Task Orders, Amendments, Invoices and Project Surveys.
Own the management and administration of all business tracking and project management software for the enterprise.

5. Business Analysis

Here's how strategic business analysts use business analysis:

Contracted to assist Wells Fargo with their loan servicing business analysis needs for system development and enhancements and process re-engineering projects.
Conducted operational and business analysis of performance metrics and provided interpretation, impact analysis and recommendations for improved operations.

6. SAS

SAS stands for Statistical Analysis System which is a Statistical Software designed by SAS institute. This software enables users to perform advanced analytics and queries related to data analytics and predictive analysis. It can retrieve data from different sources and perform statistical analysis on it.

Here's how strategic business analysts use sas:

Support the SAS Critical Design Review (CDR) entry and exit criteria for the agenda in accordance with MIL-STD-1512B
Deliver timely, error-free reporting using SAS (UNIX), MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint.

7. Financial Models

Here's how strategic business analysts use financial models:

Developed financial models utilizing MS Excel to assist with analyzing the production, revenue, and expenses of the newspaper products.
Developed financial models & coordinated efforts across business groups to develop negotiation strategy with external partners and high-level government officials.

8. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how strategic business analysts use business development:

Create individualized business development plans to fit market and to ensure increasing sales and profitability and market share.
Analyze, create and implement specific strategic business development tools that will promote the sales targeting Europe and the Near East.

9. Business Intelligence

Here's how strategic business analysts use business intelligence:

Implemented ARGOS business intelligence tool and user interface (dashboards).
Key member of the business intelligence committee.

10. Business Stakeholders

Here's how strategic business analysts use business stakeholders:

Worked directly with executive leadership and business stakeholders to define requirements, address organizational readiness, and provide planning guidance.
Elicited and analyzed requirements form line of business stakeholders in the development of SharePoint functionality and that of other applications.

11. Financial Analysis

Here's how strategic business analysts use financial analysis:

Facilitated the process to identify the integration of Laboratory and Imaging services, identifying relevant data and providing a financial analysis.
Supported periodic processes, including monthly financial analysis, forecasting and budgeting, along with related coordination and communication.

12. Business Process

A business process is a group of tasks that are performed by people working in a business to attain a worthy product and to present it to their customers. A business process can also be defined as performing several steps to achieve a certain goal set by a company. Business processes need to set purposeful goals and the outcome of that goal should be clear.

Here's how strategic business analysts use business process:

Performed internal organizational consulting to groups of 10,000+ individuals to drive business process efficiency improvements.
Integrate security, privacy and compliance considerations in business process models and requirements.

13. Competitor Analysis

Here's how strategic business analysts use competitor analysis:

Project lead and owner of developing first company-wide industry overview, market landscape synopsis and competitor analysis.
Support the Sales team with pricing, sales strategy, and competitor analysis and assist with customer negotiations.

14. KPIs

Here's how strategic business analysts use kpis:

Coordinated with business and technology teams to refine requirements and translate business goals and KPIs into technical specifications and reporting requirements.
Developed weekly business overview dashboard enabling top executives to access KPIs related to inventory, sales and sourcing, etc.

15. Strategic Sourcing

Here's how strategic business analysts use strategic sourcing:

Provided strategic sourcing support through careful analysis of financial & statistical data.
Managed global indirect strategic sourcing process for third party partner.

What skills help Strategic Business Analysts find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on strategic business analyst resumes?

Jim McClenahan

Director of Career and Corporate Outreach, University of Nevada, Reno

Most importantly, skills that are customized for the job you are applying. Someone could work in a restaurant and have great customer management skills that would work well in a bank. The key is identifying "transferrable skills"-how what you did is relevant for the job you are applying. The applicant has to articulate that-don't expect the committee, screener, or HR Recruiter to make the connections. For business majors, the skills that differentiate applicants are technical skills when they are relevant to the job. Data analysis, coding, SQL are often looked for by employers that have a tech focus as preferred skills.

What soft skills should all strategic business analysts possess?

Candace Esken Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Management & Leadership, Bradley University

Excellent communication skills are absolutely essential for management analysts. Usually, these skills are best demonstrated during the interview process with little room for error. In addition, applicants should have strong interpersonal skills because much of their job requires them to work with managers and employees of various organizations. Furthermore, soft skills such as leadership, confidence, and time management are highly valued.

What hard/technical skills are most important for strategic business analysts?

Candace Esken Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Management & Leadership, Bradley University

The most important hard skills for management analysts are problem-solving, data analysis, and presentation skills. The central focus of their work revolves around solving problems for clients by analyzing large chunks of data and drawing meaningful conclusions. Analysts also spend a great deal of time creating sophisticated presentations to enhance communication with clients. Management Analysts should be especially skilled with excel and PowerPoint.

What strategic business analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Robert Gitter

Joseph A. Meek Professor of Economics, Ohio Wesleyan University

Too many students believe there is a direct relationship between one's major and the occupation they wind up in. The relationship is a lot less direct than they believe. If a student were to take a gap year, I would recommend getting an internship or volunteer in a field they might want to enter or perhaps additional coursework in an area of interest. Frankly, in 2019 I might have recommended traveling to new places during a gap year but would not make the same recommendation today.

What type of skills will young strategic business analysts need?

Missy Gutkowski

Assistant Dean, Bucknell University

As remote and flexible work continues to penetrate industries across the country, daily office check-in conversations and hallway chatter are rare. New employees should be prepared to bring to the table analytical skills to gather, review, and synthesize information for further review, clarification, and report outs.

New employees should be prepared to communicate well and often, not only expressing expectations of what they need to complete their work but also to frequently updating supervisors and coworkers. Quickly learning the communication preferences and style of a supervisor and organization will set a new employee up for success in any industry.

What technical skills for a strategic business analyst stand out to employers?

Melody Buckner Ph.D.

Associate Vice Provost | Digital Learning and Online Initiatives, Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Arizona

The ability to communicate via technology will be essential in the workplace. Employees will be required to navigate virtual environments, networks, privacy and security issues. Digital literacy should become digital fluency. We need to go beyond be familiar with digital skills and become comfortable or entrenched in these skills. Example: don't just drive the car but know how the car is made and be able to fix it.

Do you want to know more?

List of strategic business analyst skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a strategic business analyst resume and required skills for a strategic business analyst to have include:

Data Analysis
Tableau
SQL
Project Management
Business Analysis
SAS
Financial Models
Business Development
Business Intelligence
Business Stakeholders
Financial Analysis
Business Process
Competitor Analysis
KPIs
Strategic Sourcing
Business Plan

Strategic Decisions
ERP
CRM
Financial Performance
Regression
Product Development
Analytical Support
Competitive Analysis
Market Analysis
Strategic Plan
SME
Business Cases
R
Business Strategy
Business Model
Data Quality

RFP
Business Rules
User Stories
ROI
Executive Management
UAT
Test Cases
Internal Systems
Product Line
Cost Savings
Competitive Intelligence
External Clients
Growth Strategies
Customer Data
Market Research

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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