Job Overview
The Business Planning Specialist supports the planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of strategic business initiatives and projects. The role focuses on maintaining effective planning frameworks, tracking project performance, coordinating with stakeholders, monitoring milestones and deliverables, and preparing timely reports and insights to support informed business decisions.
The position works closely with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure business plans and strategic initiatives remain aligned with organizational objectives, timelines, governance requirements, and performance expectations.
Key Responsibilities
Business Planning Methodology & Tools
- Support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of business planning methodologies, processes, tools, and templates.
- Adapt planning practices to meet relevant business and operational requirements.
- Maintain standardized planning templates, documentation, dashboards, and reporting tools.
- Ensure planning information is consistent, accurate, and aligned with established organizational standards.
- Gather stakeholder feedback and performance insights to identify opportunities for improving business planning processes.
- Support the adoption of effective planning practices across relevant teams and functions.
Business Planning & Project Coordination
- Review business plans, project schedules, and supporting documents to ensure alignment with strategic and operational objectives.
- Develop and maintain project schedules covering key milestones, deliverables, dependencies, activities, and deadlines.
- Track project progress against approved plans and highlight delays, risks, dependencies, and potential deviations.
- Coordinate with stakeholders to resolve planning and execution-related issues.
- Maintain action trackers and follow up with responsible stakeholders to ensure timely completion of outstanding actions.
- Monitor key deliverables and provide updates on progress, challenges, and required actions.
- Facilitate effective communication and information sharing between internal teams, project stakeholders, and external parties where required.
Governance & Performance Reporting
- Support business and project governance activities by preparing management reports, presentations, meeting materials, dashboards, and status updates.
- Collect and consolidate business and project performance information from multiple sources.
- Analyze performance data to identify trends, variances, risks, and areas requiring management attention.
- Prepare accurate and timely reports to support strategic and operational decision-making.
- Monitor adherence to approved planning processes, governance frameworks, policies, and organizational requirements.
- Maintain complete and up-to-date business planning and project records.
- Support management reviews and provide relevant planning information for decision-making and performance evaluation.
Strategic Planning & Business Analysis
- Support strategic planning activities by gathering and analyzing relevant business information.
- Conduct basic competitive analysis and trend analysis to support planning and business development activities.
- Monitor relevant business trends and provide data-driven insights to support organizational planning.
- Assist in evaluating business performance against established objectives and targets.
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying process gaps and potential efficiency opportunities.
Role Accountabilities
Delivery & Performance
- Complete assigned planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting activities according to agreed schedules.
- Use available resources effectively to support business and project objectives.
- Prepare periodic reports covering planned activities, progress, performance, and deviations.
Problem Solving
- Identify planning, scheduling, coordination, and reporting issues and support their timely resolution.
- Escalate complex operational or project-related issues to the appropriate management level.
Quality
- Ensure planning data, reports, documentation, and performance information meet established quality and accuracy requirements.
- Apply appropriate quality-control practices to business planning and reporting activities.
Business Process Improvement
- Follow established business planning systems, policies, procedures, and work instructions.
- Identify opportunities to improve planning processes, reporting efficiency, stakeholder coordination, and workflow automation.
Compliance
- Comply with applicable company policies, procedures, governance requirements, and work instructions.
- Maintain accurate records and ensure planning activities follow approved organizational standards.
Health, Safety & Environment
- Follow applicable health, safety, quality, and environmental policies and procedures.
- Ensure relevant HSE requirements are considered within assigned business and project activities.
Educational Qualification
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Finance, Economics, Strategic Planning, or a related field.
Required Experience
- 2 to 4 years of relevant professional experience in business planning, strategic planning, project coordination, business analysis, performance management, or a related field.
Technical & Functional Skills
- Business Planning
- Strategic Planning
- Business Acumen
- Project Planning and Coordination
- Competitive Analysis
- Trend Analysis
- Performance Monitoring
- Business Reporting
- Project Scheduling
- Stakeholder Coordination
- Risk and Issue Tracking
- Governance and Compliance
- Data Analysis and Performance Reporting
- Planning Tools, Templates, and Frameworks
- Process Improvement
Location: Dubai, UAE