What does a strategic planning director do?
A strategic planning director is responsible for overseeing the organization's operations and processes to identify strategic initiatives that would drive the company to its long-term growth and development. Strategic planning directors identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and profits by conducting data and statistical analysis with the current industry trends. They also monitor sales and marketing activities to ensure the efficient delivery of promotional campaigns on various market platforms. A strategic planning director must have excellent communication skills, especially in negotiating contracts with clients and maintaining a long-lasting business relationship.
Strategic planning director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real strategic planning director resumes:
- Manage, implement, and assess key strategic initiatives with a focus on client relations and maximizing ROI.
- Lead central team summarizing and prioritizing all DOD opportunities, enabling more efficient and effective resource allocation across several program departments.
- Direct the identification and development of reporting and analytics packages measuring sales and marketing outcomes against state business goals and metrics.
- Align budgets and resources with clients' business goals and demonstrate solid ROI for marketing dollars.
- Develop and execute production plans initially in spreadsheets and convert to customize ERP software.
- Train and mentore staff in proper utilization of current proprietary procurement system technologies and ERP systems development and implementation.
- Facilitate monthly revenue planning sessions for tactical and strategic financial plans using Hyperion planning software.
Strategic planning director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Strategic Planning Directors are proficient in Project Management, Business Development, and Financial Models. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Creativity.
We break down the percentage of Strategic Planning Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 11%
Position entailed developing strategic business plans (and medical) and project management and communication plans for greater veterinary practice.
- Business Development, 9%
Created extensive financial analysis and cash flow projections that helped secure crucial investor funding for technology and business development plans.
- Financial Models, 6%
Developed financial models for various strategic business opportunities.
- Financial Analysis, 5%
Conducted financial analysis for market assessments, corporate valuation, and budget forecasts.
- Executive Leadership, 4%
Nominated by the CEO and accepted into the firm s three year executive leadership program.
- Strategic Priorities, 4%
Develop and communicate strategic priorities to guide grant allocation decisions.
Most strategic planning directors use their skills in "project management," "business development," and "financial models" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential strategic planning director responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a strategic planning director to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what strategic planning directors do because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." Additionally, a strategic planning director resume shows how strategic planning directors use analytical skills: "managed and directed analysis of market, customer, product line and industry trends, gathered data and created actionable insight. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling strategic planning director duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." According to a strategic planning director resume, here's how strategic planning directors can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "mentor operational vp's as requested by chapter president: communications, marketing, it, finance, strategic partnerships. "
Creativity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of strategic planning directors is creativity. This skill is critical to many everyday strategic planning director duties, as "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "deliver kpis and inventory reporting. "
Interpersonal skills. A big part of what strategic planning directors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to strategic planning director responsibilities because "managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical strategic planning director tasks: "trained new employees in business practices, new business development, and interpersonal communication. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a strategic planning director to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what strategic planning directors relies on this skill, since "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." How this skill relates to strategic planning director duties can be seen in an example from a strategic planning director resume snippet: "conducted strategic business analysis to support the organizational re-design of all cnn news groups to include cnn national and international bureaus. "
The three companies that hire the most strategic planning directors are:
- Pediatric Partners, now a member of the Sevita family16 strategic planning directors jobs
- American Express4 strategic planning directors jobs
- Microsoft4 strategic planning directors jobs
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Strategic planning director vs. Business development manager
A business development manager's duties include identifying business opportunities, developing effective models and strategies to improve business performance, searching for potential clients to generate income and attract partnerships. A business development manager must have extensive knowledge of the market trends and adjust strategies as needed to meet the needs of the client. Excellent communication, decision-making, critical thinking, and leadership skills are just some of the key factors that business development managers should possess to communicate and negotiate with the clients.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a strategic planning director are more likely to require skills like "financial models," "financial analysis," "executive leadership," and "strategic priorities." On the other hand, a job as a business development manager requires skills like "customer service," "healthcare," "business relationships," and "customer relationships." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Business development managers tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $103,515. In contrast, strategic planning directors make the biggest average salary, $138,098, in the manufacturing industry.On average, business development managers reach lower levels of education than strategic planning directors. Business development managers are 10.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Strategic planning director vs. Marketing manager
Marketing managers are experienced employees who oversee the marketing department of the organization. They manage activities such as marketing campaigns, social media postings, company branding, and other strategic marketing activities. They provide strategic direction and come up with departmental goals. They also provide proper training for employees in the department to ensure that they have a deep understanding of its marketing tools. Marketing managers should be creative, should have good interpersonal skills, and should be flexible.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, strategic planning director responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "financial models," "financial analysis," "executive leadership," and "strategic priorities." Meanwhile, a marketing manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "marketing campaigns," "email marketing," and "customer service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Marketing managers may earn a lower salary than strategic planning directors, but marketing managers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $115,553. On the other hand, strategic planning directors receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $138,098.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Marketing managers tend to reach lower levels of education than strategic planning directors. In fact, they're 11.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Strategic planning director vs. Manager, strategy
A strategy manager is an individual who reviews a company's objectives for growth and works with executives to formulate actionable plans to achieve these objectives. To make comprehensive recommendations, strategy managers must conduct data analysis of the organization as well as the overall industry. They must provide assessments of market trends and identify business threats and opportunities. Strategy managers should also work with department heads to develop individual team goals and break them down into actionable steps for the employees to complete.
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 director resumes include skills like "strategic priorities," "human resources," "program management," and "strategic business plan," whereas a manager, strategy is more likely to list skills in "portfolio," "client facing," "digital marketing," and "business strategy. "
Managers, strategy earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $116,769. Comparatively, strategic planning directors have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $138,098.Most managers, strategy achieve a higher degree level compared to strategic planning directors. For example, they're 6.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Strategic planning director vs. Director of strategy
A director of the strategy works together with senior managers in a company to determine where the company is going and how it will get there. This role is frequently found in big companies. The director of the strategy directly reports to senior management and can also be a valuable member of the management lineup. The director often works with a small team consisting of analysts and support staff. The director of the strategy is also responsible for getting and assessing information about the industry and current market trends, competitors, and possible business opportunities.
Types of strategic planning director
Updated January 8, 2025











