Analyst, Business Planning

1. JOB DETAILS:

Position Title:

Analyst, Business Planning

Reports to:

Manager, Business Planning

Function:

Strategy Hub | Business Planning

Department:

Property Management

Grade:

6

2. POSITION SUMMARY:

The Business Planning Analyst plays a critical role in supporting the organization’s annual business planning, budgeting, and ongoing performance management processes. The role is responsible for tracking financial and non-financial performance, conducting root cause analysis, supporting forecast accuracy improvements, and enabling leadership with timely, high-quality insights.

The incumbent will work closely with the Business Planning Manager, Property Management leadership, and support functions to coordinate planning inputs, analyze variances against plan, monitor KPIs, and track the execution of transformation initiatives. This role combines strong analytical capability with cross-functional coordination to move performance discussions from “what happened” to “why it happened” and “what should be done next.”

3. JOB DIMENSIONS:

Number of Staff Supervised

Direct Reports:

N/A

Total Reports:

N/A

4. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

Position-Specific Accountabilities

Business Planning & Budgeting Support

• Support the development and consolidation of the annual business plan and budget across Property Management and related functions.
• Coordinate planning inputs from multiple departments, ensuring completeness, consistency, and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Assist in pricing analysis and financial evaluations in support of business planning and FP&A activities.
• Support periodic reforecasting exercises to improve forecast accuracy and responsiveness to business changes.

Performance Tracking & Root Cause Analysis

• Track financial and non-financial performance against approved budgets, business plans, and KPIs on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Conduct detailed variance and root cause analysis to explain deviations from plan, identifying underlying drivers and trends.
• Support the preparation of performance packs, dashboards, and executive-level presentations highlighting key insights and recommendations.
• Shift performance discussions from descriptive reporting to diagnostic and insight-led analysis (“what” to “why”).

KPI Framework & Operational Performance Monitoring

• Support the definition, maintenance, and tracking of financial and operational KPIs across Property Management functions.
• Coordinate with departments to ensure consistent KPI definitions, data sources, and reporting methodologies.
• Monitor KPI performance and flag emerging risks, underperformance, or improvement opportunities.

Transformation Roadmap Tracking

• Track progress against approved transformation initiatives and strategic roadmaps.
• Coordinate updates with initiative owners and consolidate status reporting for leadership review.
• Support performance assessment of transformation initiatives against intended financial and operational benefits.

Forecasting & Scenario Analysis

• Support the development of forecasting models and scenario analyses to enhance planning accuracy.
• Assist in sensitivity analysis and what-if scenarios to support management decision-making.
• Continuously refine planning assumptions and methodologies based on historical performance and emerging trends.

Data Coordination & Analytical Enablement

• Work closely with the Analytics team and relevant departments to validate data accuracy and integrity.
• Support the development of analytical models and reporting tools, primarily using Excel and, where applicable, Power BI or other systems.
• Contribute to the standardization of planning and performance reporting templates and processes.

Audit & Governance Support

• Support internal audit and governance requirements related to business planning, budgeting, and performance reporting.
• Ensure documentation, assumptions, and calculations are well-structured and auditable.

Generic Accountabilities

Strategy Planning, Development and/or Contribution

• Contribute to the development and implementation of Wasl’s vision, mission, and short- and long-term strategy to facilitate alignment with the organization’s mandate.
  
  
• Lead the development and execution of the departmental strategy, ensuring alignment with Wasl’s vision, mission, and corporate objectives to drive transformative outcomes and sustained organizational success.
  
  
• Direct the translation of the strategy into annual business and operational plans, and define functional targets to ensure alignment with the strategic agenda and priorities of Wasl.

Leadership

• Oversee performance and provide continuous feedback to foster high performance and attainment of organizational goals.
  
  
• Manage the effective attainment of departmental objectives through effective leadership to ensure efficient execution of plans, aligning with annual organizational targets, policies, and procedures.

Budgeting and Financial Performance

• Facilitate the consolidation of the department’s annual budget to ensure alignment with the annual business plans and achievement of the organization’s objectives.
  
  
• Monitor and review the department’s financial performance regularly against targets, identifying any anticipated cost deviations and additional budget requirements.
  
  
• Address areas of unsatisfactory performance and capitalize on potential improvement opportunities to ensure adherence to the annual financial plan and objectives.

Policies, Systems, Processes and Procedures

• Support the development and implementation of departmental policies, systems, processes, and controls, ensuring that activities are conducted in line with relevant procedural and regulatory requirements to maintain optimum business operations.

Reporting

• Ensure the preparation of timeous and accurate departmental reports, meeting organizational requirements in adherence to Wasl’s policies and quality standards.

Working as a Team

• Work constructively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team that values diversity, while ensuring the achievement of Wasl’s goals and objectives.
  
  
• Demonstrate well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to effectively consult, collaborate, and liaise with team members on both technical and non-technical issues for the purpose of achieving team objectives and maintaining a positive team environment.

Digital Transformation

• Translate conceptual thinking into tangible business deliverables by offering technical and operational subject matter expertise.
• Play an active role in shaping the future of data and analytics within our organization and making a measurable difference in how Wasl harnesses the power of data for better decision-making.

Innovation, Problem Solving, and Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to the improvement of day-to-day operations, systems, and processes associated with Wasl, fostering enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.
  
  
• Support the identification of opportunities for continuous improvement of Wasl’s systems, processes, and practices considering international best practices, improvement of business processes and cost optimization.
  
  

• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement by focusing on enhancing and streamlining current tools and processes, while also driving the implementation of novel operational methodologies

5. COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal

• Business Planning
• Analytics
• Property Management Heads and Directors (Leasing, Sales, MarCom, CX, Strategy)
• IT
• Finance
• Other departments as required

External

• IT Vendors
• Research Vendors
• Service Providers
• Government and Regulatory Entities
• Other external organizations as required

6. SELECTION CRITERIA:

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience (Essential and Desirable):

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field, from a recognized and accredited University. Master’s degree is preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in an analytical role such as FP&A, business planning, KPI management, or performance analytics.
• Exposure to budgeting, forecasting, and performance tracking processes.
• Proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and industry-specific research tools.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in the real estate sector is preferred.
• Background in strategy consulting, FP&A, or corporate planning is an advantage

Position-Specific Skills (Generic/Technical):

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to perform root cause analysis.
• Advanced Excel skills (mandatory); exposure to Power BI, SAP, planning tools, or basic coding languages is a plus.
• Ability to analyze both financial and non-financial performance data.
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain complex analysis in a structured and concise manner.
• High attention to detail with strong documentation and governance discipline.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple deliverables and deadlines.

7.  APPROVALS:

Line Manager:

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Human Resources:

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Position Holder:

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