Senior Specialist - Business Planning

Role Overview

The Senior Specialist - Business Planning serves as a pivotal contributor to the Marketing function, driving the development, execution, and monitoring of strategic objectives, annual business plans, and key initiatives. This role ensures seamless alignment between departmental priorities, organizational goals, and workforce strategies while fostering robust performance tracking and governance across the Marketing organization. By collaborating closely with Marketing leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, the Senior Specialist will facilitate planning cycles, monitor performance metrics, and deliver actionable insights to support informed decision-making and the successful achievement of business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Specialist - Business Planning will be responsible for the following core functions:

• Business Planning & Performance Management:
  • Lead the development and coordination of the Marketing annual business plan and operational plans in alignment with strategic objectives.
  • Monitor progress against key performance indicators (KPIs), strategic objectives, and departmental targets, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
  • Consolidate performance updates from Marketing teams and provide clear, data-driven insights to leadership.
  • Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual business reviews, highlighting achievements, challenges, and actionable recommendations.
  • Track critical initiatives, ensuring timely follow-up on action items and deliverables to maintain project momentum.
  • Support the cascading of organizational objectives into departmental and team-level plans, ensuring clarity and accountability.
• Strategic Planning & Execution:
  • Contribute to the refinement and execution of Marketing strategic priorities and high-impact initiatives.
  • Evaluate strategic projects, business cases, and growth opportunities to assess feasibility and potential impact.
  • Conduct in-depth research and analysis on market trends, industry benchmarks, and strategic developments to inform decision-making.
  • Prepare executive-level presentations, reports, and materials to support strategic discussions and high-level decision-making processes.
  • Monitor the implementation of strategic initiatives, identifying potential risks, dependencies, and delays to proactively mitigate challenges.
• Workforce Planning & Budget Coordination:
  • Support workforce planning activities across the Marketing function, ensuring alignment with business priorities and resource requirements.
  • Maintain workforce planning trackers and monitor recruitment progress against approved plans to ensure timely talent acquisition.
  • Collaborate with HR, Finance, and departmental stakeholders to align workforce requirements with budgetary constraints and business objectives.
  • Assist in budget planning, tracking, and reporting activities for Marketing initiatives and projects, ensuring financial accountability and efficiency.
  • Support resource allocation and planning exercises to optimize the utilization of departmental resources and maximize operational effectiveness.
• Governance & Reporting:
  • Prepare and deliver monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for Marketing leadership, providing comprehensive insights into performance and strategic progress.
  • Develop and maintain dynamic dashboards and performance tracking tools to enhance visibility and transparency of progress against strategic objectives.
  • Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and integrity across all planning and reporting activities to support reliable decision-making.
  • Support governance meetings by preparing agendas, coordinating logistics, documenting minutes, and tracking action items to drive accountability and execution.
  • Maintain comprehensive documentation of business plans, strategic initiatives, governance decisions, and reporting outputs for future reference and compliance.
• Stakeholder Management & Collaboration:
  • Engage with Marketing teams and cross-functional stakeholders to gather critical business updates and consolidate insights.
  • Coordinate planning and reporting requirements across multiple departments to ensure seamless integration and alignment.
  • Facilitate alignment between Marketing priorities and corporate strategic objectives to drive cohesive organizational execution.
  • Build and nurture strong working relationships with internal stakeholders to foster collaboration and streamline planning processes.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Identify opportunities to enhance planning, reporting, governance, and performance management processes to drive operational excellence.
  • Support the implementation of innovative tools, templates, and methodologies that improve business planning effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Champion best practices in project tracking, reporting, and strategic execution to elevate the overall performance of the Marketing function.

Qualifications & Experience

To excel in this role, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Education:
  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Strategy, Finance, Economics, Project Management, or a related field.
  • A Master's degree or MBA is considered a strong advantage.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 3-5 years of progressive experience in business planning, strategic analysis, or a related field, with a proven track record of supporting high-impact initiatives.
  • Demonstrated experience in financial planning, budgeting, and performance tracking within a corporate environment.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
  • Proven expertise in stakeholder management, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple functions and levels of the organization.
  • Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate strategic insights to executive leadership.
  • Proficiency in using business intelligence tools, spreadsheet software, and presentation platforms to support planning and reporting activities.