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What does a strategic planning analyst do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Surekha Rao

A strategic planning analyst specializes in developing strategies to help businesses deal with organizational issues and reach their short and long-term goals. Among their responsibilities include understanding the company's needs and goals, performing extensive research and analysis to identify client and business opportunities, setting up guidelines and timelines, gathering and analyzing data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current operations, and developing analytical models and forecasts. Moreover, a strategic planning analyst must recommend solutions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

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Strategic planning analyst responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real strategic planning analyst resumes:

  • Lead central team summarizing and prioritizing all DOD opportunities, enabling more efficient and effective resource allocation across several program departments.
  • Assist management with evaluation of restructuring alternatives, procurement of financing, negotiations with multiple constituencies and issuance of new securities.
  • Develop summary charts per SOX requirements for total IPT roll-up visibility and presentations to management.

Strategic planning analyst skills and personality traits

We calculated that 11% of Strategic Planning Analysts are proficient in PowerPoint, Data Analysis, and Market Research. They’re also known for soft skills such as Problem-solving skills, Time-management skills, and Analytical skills.

We break down the percentage of Strategic Planning Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • PowerPoint, 11%

    Created and developed PowerPoint project presentations to supplement and summarize the detailed strategic planning reports.

  • Data Analysis, 9%

    Process oversight and coordination, group facilitation, consultation, data analysis and secondary market research.

  • Market Research, 9%

    Supported Strategic Planning process by ensuring that all levels of management had access to all competitive intelligence and market research information.

  • Strategic Plan, 6%

    Advised and assisted senior management in establishing a new long-term strategic planning process and developing a five-year plan for the organization.

  • Financial Analysis, 4%

    Performed feasibility studies and financial analysis for each new restaurant site.

  • Business Development, 4%

    Performed financial modeling and risk/opportunity analyses of business development deals and evaluated potential industry mergers.

Common skills that a strategic planning analyst uses to do their job include "powerpoint," "data analysis," and "market research." You can find details on the most important strategic planning analyst responsibilities below.

Problem-solving skills. The most essential soft skill for a strategic planning analyst to carry out their responsibilities is problem-solving skills. This skill is important for the role because "management analysts must be able to think creatively to solve clients’ problems." Additionally, a strategic planning analyst resume shows how their duties depend on problem-solving skills: "leveraged data mining and statistical analysis to identify individual store performance issues and provide solutions for profitable change. "

Time-management skills. Another essential skill to perform strategic planning analyst duties is time-management skills. Strategic planning analysts responsibilities require that "management analysts often work under tight deadlines and must use their time efficiently to complete projects on schedule." Strategic planning analysts also use time-management skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "analyze pos data, on time delivery and inventory levels for all items and customers. "

Analytical skills. This is an important skill for strategic planning analysts to perform their duties. For an example of how strategic planning analyst responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "management analysts must be able to interpret information and use their findings to make proposals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a strategic planning analyst: "generated market analysis for the chief economist. ".

Communication skills. For certain strategic planning analyst responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "communication skills." The day-to-day duties of a strategic planning analyst rely on this skill, as "management analysts must be able to convey information clearly in both writing and speaking." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what strategic planning analysts do: "support planning and business manager in developing communication of final business plan to the organization and department. "

Most common strategic planning analyst skills

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Strategic Planning Analyst Resume
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Compare different strategic planning analysts

Strategic planning analyst vs. Consultant

Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field. Consultants would usually assist organizations in planning, often giving advice when the need arises. They would, at times, take the lead in activities that involve data gathering and interpretation of data gathering results so that they can provide solid recommendations on actions that the organization may undertake. They may also guide the organization in implementing any changes brought about by their consultancy and in evaluating the effectiveness of the changes.

We looked at the average strategic planning analyst salary and compared it with the wages of a consultant. Generally speaking, consultants are paid $1,078 higher than strategic planning analysts per year.Even though strategic planning analysts and consultants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require data analysis, market research, and business development in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, strategic planning analyst responsibilities require skills like "powerpoint," "strategic plan," "financial analysis," and "market trends." Meanwhile a typical consultant has skills in areas such as "customer service," "strong analytical," "project management," and "c++." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Consultants earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $85,405. On the other hand, strategic planning analysts are paid more in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $80,698.consultants tend to reach similar levels of education than strategic planning analysts. In fact, consultants are 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.6% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Strategic planning analyst vs. Analyst sales

Analyst sales, or a sales analyst, is an individual who is responsible for increasing sales and revenue of a company by running competitive analysis and making recommendations on how the marketing and sales team should move forward. Sales analysts must assist in the review of monthly financial statements and prepare complex financial statements for retail and service businesses. They develop and provide market intelligence data solutions for the sales team to maximize territory sales efforts. Sales analysts must also maintain a business relationship with key account top management to deliver outstanding customer service and assistance.

On average, analyst sales earn a $8,741 lower salary than strategic planning analysts a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both strategic planning analysts and analyst sales have skills such as "data analysis," "market research," and "financial analysis. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that strategic planning analyst responsibilities requires skills like "powerpoint," "strategic plan," "data collection," and "financial models." But an analyst sales might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "salesforce," "customer service," "crm," and "sales data."

Analyst sales may earn a lower salary than strategic planning analysts, but analyst sales earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $80,458. On the other hand, strategic planning analysts receive higher pay in the hospitality industry, where they earn an average salary of $80,698.In general, analyst sales achieve lower levels of education than strategic planning analysts. They're 10.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for strategic planning analysts in the next 3-5 years?

Surekha RaoSurekha Rao LinkedIn profile

Professor of Economics, Indiana University Northwest

It would be almost essential that fresh graduates have some computer skills and do fundamental data analysis, even if using Excel. Without this skill, it would be limited job possibilities.
As remote working is catching up, everyone needs to be moderately tech-savvy to use it.

Strategic planning analyst vs. Procurement analyst

Procurement analysts procure favorable contracts by acting as liaisons between suppliers and their employers. They are hired by organizations that rely on supply chain management to analyze and evaluate potential suppliers, prepare reports about monthly supply costs, and negotiate contracts. With good critical thinking skills, these procurement analysts who are also known as purchasing analysts, evaluate vendors and suppliers based on the speed of delivery, quality, and price. They use quantitative methods to support fact-based decision-making to become competitive and to ensure cost-efficiency and high quality of the products and services.

On average, procurement analysts earn lower salaries than strategic planning analysts, with a $13,386 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on strategic planning analysts and procurement analysts resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "data analysis," "market research," and "financial analysis.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from strategic planning analyst resumes include skills like "powerpoint," "strategic plan," "business development," and "market trends," whereas a procurement analyst is more likely to list skills in "purchase orders," "supplier performance," "customer service," and "procurement policies. "

Procurement analysts make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $66,395. On the other hand, strategic planning analysts are paid the highest salary in the hospitality industry, with average annual pay of $80,698.When it comes to education, procurement analysts tend to earn lower degree levels compared to strategic planning analysts. In fact, they're 6.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Strategic planning analyst vs. Analyst

Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.

Analysts typically earn lower pay than strategic planning analysts. On average, analysts earn a $4,827 lower salary per year.According to resumes from strategic planning analysts and analysts, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "data analysis," "market research," and "financial analysis. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A strategic planning analyst uses "powerpoint," "strategic plan," "market trends," and "analytical support." Analysts are more likely to have duties that require skills in "customer service," "troubleshoot," "management system," and "project management. "analysts enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $79,330. For comparison, strategic planning analysts earn the highest salary in the hospitality industry.The average resume of analysts showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to strategic planning analysts. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 8.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

Types of strategic planning analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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