UK

United Kingdom · Corporate strategy · Entry Level (0-2 years)

Analyst, Business Development & Strategy

As an Analyst, Business Development & Strategy, you turn raw data into the insights that fuel our next big move.

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandEntry Level (0-2 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toAssociate, Business Development & Strategy
  • UK framework levelUsually someone starting out, or keeping a process running

Also advertised as Junior Strategy Analyst · Growth Analyst · Corporate Development Analyst · Strategic Insights Assistant

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF) Highfield Qualifications · Level 3 · covers 2 of 5 standards
NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts NOCN · Level 4 · covers 3 of 5 standards
BCS Level 4 Diploma - Digital Modular Programme for Data Analysts BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT · Level 4 · covers 2 of 5 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 4 · covers 2 of 5 standards
OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 3 of 5 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Data Analysis Highfield Level 3 Diploma for Team Leaders and Supervisors (RQF)
Investment Business: Strategy, Clients and Commercial Performance CFA UK Level 3 Award in Investment Business: Strategy, Clients and Commercial Performance
Data Analytics Primer NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts
Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Computing for England
Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Analyst, Business Development & Strategy

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Data Analysis Highfield Qualifications · covers 2 of 5 standards Level 3
  2. Investment Business: Strategy, Clients and Commercial Performance CFA Society of UK · covers 1 of 5 standards Level 3
  3. Data Analytics Primer NOCN · covers 3 of 5 standards Level 4
  4. Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 2 of 5 standards Level 4
  5. Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 3 of 5 standards Level 7
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as an Analyst, Business Development & Strategy?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

How the AI economy is changing work like this

A broad read on this kind of work, not an analysis of this job on its own. Roles that share a pattern get the same answer here.

Fading: AI does more of this

AI is taking over the repetitive data gathering and initial summarisation tasks.

→
Rising: worth more because of AI

Your ability to critically analyse and interpret AI-generated insights becomes more valuable.

The new skill this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration (for Research)
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Analyst, Business Development & Strategy plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

We see you

You wonder if AI will take over the tedious data gathering, freeing you to focus on the strategic questions that really matter. Yet, there's a part of you that's anxious about keeping up with these new tools and their potential.

This analyst role involves researching data and market trends to support corporate strategy and business development decisions. You dig into the numbers, pull together research, and help build the case for what a business does next. It covers how a business grows over time. The work involves learning fast and making sure senior staff have the right information to hand.

4A day in the life

Not a job advert. A real day, built from what this role actually holds.

08:45
You start your day by running a pre-defined search on PitchBook, gathering the latest market data for an upcoming strategic review.
11:00
You're deep into summarising a lengthy market research report, distilling it into a concise one-page brief that highlights key takeaways.
14:30
After lunch, you meet with your manager for a daily check-in, discussing the progress on your current tasks and receiving feedback.
16:15
You spend the afternoon updating the internal knowledge base on Notion, ensuring your research findings are clearly documented for future use.

5What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Microsoft Excel (Power Query, XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables) Intermediate

Cleaning raw data, building simple tables and charts, populating existing financial templates, using basic formulas like VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP and SUMIF.

PitchBook / S&P Capital IQ / Crunchbase Pro Intermediate

Running pre-defined company searches, pulling basic company profiles, exporting data for analysis, tracking investment rounds and M&A activity.

Salesforce (Sales Cloud) Basic

Logging research activities, updating company records, running standard reports on partner pipelines or customer segments (under guidance).

Notion / Confluence Intermediate

Documenting research findings, contributing to project pages, using templates for meeting notes and knowledge sharing, maintaining team wikis.

Microsoft PowerPoint / Google Slides Intermediate

Building and formatting presentation slides, inserting charts and images, ensuring consistent branding and layout for strategic decks.

6What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Data Source Selection for Research Follow manager's guidance or use pre-approved sources. Escalate if primary sources are unavailable. Propose relevant data sources based on research needs, with manager's approval. Justify choices. Select and justify primary and secondary data sources independently. Recommend new tools if needed.
Approach to Data Cleaning Follow established data cleaning protocols and templates. Escalate complex data anomalies. Independently apply standard data cleaning techniques. Propose improvements to existing processes. Design and implement new data cleaning methodologies. Define best practices for the team.
Content for Presentation Slides Populate slides with data and text provided by senior team members. Ensure formatting consistency. Draft initial slide content and data visualisations based on analysis. Seek feedback on narrative. Design full presentation narratives and visualisations. Make recommendations on key messages.
Prioritisation of Daily Tasks Work with manager daily to prioritise tasks. Escalate conflicts or workload concerns immediately. Manage own daily task list within project scope. Inform manager of potential delays or conflicts. Set priorities for workstreams. Negotiate deadlines with stakeholders. Delegate tasks to junior team members.

7How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Data Accuracy
The percentage of research tasks, data entries, and spreadsheet calculations that are free from errors.
Target · 98%+ accuracy

You pull a list of 50 potential acquisition targets from PitchBook. We'd expect fewer than 1-2 errors in company size or sector classification.

Task Timeliness
The percentage of assigned research, data gathering, or presentation building tasks completed by the agreed deadline.
Target · 95% on-time delivery

If you're asked to summarise a market report by Friday, we expect it done by Friday, not Monday morning. We understand things come up, but it shouldn't be a regular thing.

Research Efficiency
The time it takes to complete recurring research tasks, showing improvement over time.
Target · 15% reduction in time for standard tasks over 6 months

If profiling a new company typically takes you 4 hours, we'd hope to see that drop to around 3 hours after six months, as you get faster with the tools and process.

Feedback Incorporation Rate
How consistently you apply feedback from your manager or senior team members to subsequent tasks.
Target · Consistently apply 80%+ of actionable feedback

If your manager points out that you need to cite sources more clearly in your slides, we'd expect to see that improvement in your next presentation, not just hear 'okay'.

Quality of Research Summaries
How well you distil complex information into clear, concise, and relevant summaries for the team.
  • Your summaries are easy to read, highlight the key points, and directly answer the questions asked. Senior team members don't need to re-read the original source to understand your findings. You're able to separate the signal from the noise, even if you're not yet an expert.
Attention to Detail
Your ability to spot small errors, inconsistencies, or missing information in your own work and in the data you're given.
  • You catch typos in your slides before they're reviewed. You notice when a data set has a column that doesn't quite make sense. You double-check your calculations without being prompted. You're the one who spots the slightly off-brand colour in a presentation template.
Proactive Learning & Questioning
Your willingness to ask thoughtful questions, seek out new information, and actively try to understand the 'why' behind tasks.
  • You're not just waiting for instructions
  • you're asking 'What's the goal of this analysis?' or 'How does this fit into the bigger picture?' You bring up relevant articles you've read. You ask for clarification when something isn't clear, rather than just guessing. You're not afraid to admit you don't know something and ask for help.
Team Collaboration & Support
How effectively you work with colleagues, offer help, and respond positively to requests from the wider team.
  • You're responsive to requests from other team members. You offer to help when you see someone struggling (if you have capacity). You share useful resources you've found. You're generally seen as a helpful and approachable member of the team, not someone who just keeps their head down.

8Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Learning & Development

You'll be constantly exposed to new industries, business models, and strategic problems. Every research task is an opportunity to learn something new about how businesses grow and compete.

You'll spend a week researching the global EdTech market, then the next week diving into the nuances of B2B SaaS pricing models. It's a constant learning curve.

Direct Contribution & Impact

Your work isn't just busywork; it directly feeds into presentations for senior leadership and informs real business decisions. You'll see your data points and slides in the final decks.

You'll pull the key market size figures for a new product launch, and those exact numbers will be presented to the CEO. You're a vital part of the chain.

Structured Problem Solving

You'll be given clear problems to solve (e.g., 'Find the top 5 competitors in X market'). You'll learn structured ways to approach these problems, gather evidence, and present findings.

Your manager will give you a framework for competitive analysis, and you'll apply it to research a new market, building out a structured view of the landscape.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Shiny Object' Syndrome: A senior leader reads an article, and suddenly your carefully planned research gets put on hold for a new, urgent (and often short-lived) request.
  • Messy Data: You'll spend a surprising amount of time cleaning up inconsistent data from various sources before you can even start analysing it.
  • Hurry Up and Wait: You'll work flat out on a presentation for a big meeting, only for the meeting to be postponed for weeks, leaving you in limbo.
  • Repetitive Tasks: There's a certain amount of routine data gathering and formatting that just has to be done, even if it's not the most exciting part of the job.
  • Lack of Context (sometimes): You might be asked to do a specific piece of analysis without fully understanding the bigger strategic question it's feeding into. You'll need to ask for that context.
What this role does not give you
  • Full ownership of strategic initiatives from day one – you'll be supporting, not leading.
  • Immediate exposure to C-suite decision-making – you'll be preparing materials that go to them, but not typically presenting yourself.
  • A predictable, unchanging daily routine – priorities can shift quite a bit.
  • A role where you only do 'glamorous' strategic thinking – there's a lot of foundational work involved.

9Who you work with

Your accurate and timely research directly supports the strategic recommendations made by the Corporate Strategy team. Without your foundational work, the team can't properly assess new markets, potential partners, or acquisition targets. Essentially, you're helping us avoid bad bets and spot good ones early on.

Inside the business
  • Corporate Strategy Team (Associates, Senior Associates)
  • Finance Department (for data requests)
  • Product Management (for market insights)
Outside the business
  • Market research providers (e.g., PitchBook, S&P Capital IQ)
  • Industry analysts (indirectly, through reports you'll read)

10What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A genuine interest in business strategy and how companies grow (we'll spot the difference between genuine interest and interview answers!).
  • Strong numerical aptitude – you don't need to be a maths genius, but you can't be scared of numbers.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (British English, naturally).
  • The ability to learn new software and processes quickly – we'll teach you, but you need to pick it up fast.
  • A solid work ethic and a proactive attitude – we're a busy team, and we need people who want to contribute.

11What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Excel Modelling & Automation

As you move up, you'll need to build more complex financial models and automate repetitive data tasks within Excel. Knowing how to use Power Query for data ingestion and basic VBA for macros will save you (and the team) huge amounts of time.

Dynamic Array Formulas · Power Query for Data Transformation · Basic VBA for Macros · Scenario Analysis with Data Tables

  • This week: Watch a few YouTube tutorials on Power Query in Excel. Try to connect to a public dataset.
  • This month: Rebuild one of your existing spreadsheets using dynamic array formulas where appropriate.
  • Month 2: Experiment with recording a simple macro to automate a formatting task you do regularly.
  • Month 3: Try to build a small scenario analysis table for a simple business problem.

Quick win: Start using XLOOKUP instead of VLOOKUP immediately. It's much more flexible and easier to use once you get the hang of it.

SQL Fundamentals for Data Extraction

As we grow, more and more of our data will live in databases. Being able to pull specific data yourself, rather than always asking a data engineer, will make you much faster and more independent. It's a critical skill for any serious analyst.

SELECT, FROM, WHERE clauses · JOIN operations (INNER, LEFT) · GROUP BY & Aggregate Functions (SUM, COUNT, AVG) · Basic Database Structure

  • This week: Sign up for a free online SQL course (e.g., Codecademy, SQLZoo) and complete the introductory modules.
  • This month: Practice writing simple SELECT statements on a dummy database. Try to pull specific customer data.
  • Month 2: Work with a senior colleague to understand our internal database structure and try to run a simple query on real (non-sensitive) data.
  • Month 3: Attempt to write a query that joins two tables and aggregates some data, with guidance.

Quick win: Start by understanding the data schema of our CRM (Salesforce) or a common internal database. Just knowing what tables exist and what's in them is a huge first step.

12Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly read industry publications like The Economist, Financial Times, or specific tech/FinTech blogs. Stay curious about what's happening.
  • Attend webinars or online courses on topics like market research methodologies, basic financial analysis, or new digital tools.
  • Participate in internal knowledge-sharing sessions or 'lunch and learns' to pick up tips from senior colleagues.
  • Seek out feedback actively and apply it. Don't wait for your annual review to hear how you're doing.

13The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration (for Research)

Competitors are already using AI to draft market summaries and identify trends in minutes. Analysts who can effectively 'talk' to these models will be dramatically more productive than those who don't. It's about getting the best out of the tools.

  • Effective Prompt Construction
  • Context Windows & Token Limits
  • Output Validation & Hallucination Detection
  • RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) Basics

14What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Market Sizing & Opportunity Analysis (TAM/SAM/SOM)
  • Competitive Intelligence Gathering
  • Business Case & Financial Modelling (Basic)
  • Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy Fundamentals

15The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Graduate Programme / University Hire

    Direct entry (0 years experience)

    Skills to master

    • Foundational analytical skills, structured thinking, strong communication, and a keen willingness to learn our specific tools and processes.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Strong academic performance in quantitative subjects.
    • Relevant internships (e.g., consulting, finance, corporate strategy).
    • Demonstrated ability to work in teams and deliver under pressure.
  2. 2

    Analyst from a Consulting Firm

    1-2 years experience

    Skills to master

    • Translating consulting frameworks to an in-house corporate environment, adapting to longer project cycles, and deepening industry-specific knowledge.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Experience in client-facing analytical roles.
    • Proficiency in building presentations and basic models.
    • Ability to work independently on defined tasks.
  3. 3

    Data Analyst / Research Assistant

    1-2 years experience

    Skills to master

    • Applying data analysis skills to strategic business questions, understanding commercial implications of data, and developing presentation skills.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Strong Excel and potentially SQL skills.
    • Experience with data cleaning and basic visualisation.
    • A clear interest in moving into a more business-focused strategic role.

16How people get here · where they go next

Came from
Graduate Programme / University Hire
Direct entry (0 years experience)
You mastered foundational analytical skills and the ability to work under pressure in team environments.
You are here
Analyst, Business Development & Strategy
Entry Level (0-2 years)
This analyst role involves researching data and market trends to support corporate strategy and business development decisions. You dig into the numbers, pull together research, and help build the case for what a business does next. It covers how a business grows over time. The work involves learning fast and making sure senior staff have the right information to hand.
Goes to
Associate, Business Development & Strategy (L2)
2-3 years in the Analyst role
This role involves owning specific analytical workstreams and starting to manage small projects.

The long view: This work can lead to managing strategic projects and stakeholder relationships. From there it can lead to owning a strategic area such as partnerships or M&A. It can also lead to senior roles shaping company-wide growth strategy.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Analyst, Business Development & Strategy is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Associate, Business Development & Strategy (L2)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Data Analysis, worked against Analyst, Business Development & Strategy.

Data Analysis Level 3

Applied to your work in Analyst, Business Development & Strategy

This unit aims to equip learners with the skills to collate and analyse data from various sources using appropriate techniques. Learners will be able to interpret data analysis results and create structured reports, effectively communicating key insights and recommendations using visual aids.

The Coach Last time, we worked on summarising market research reports. How did it go with using AI for this task?

You It was quicker, but I'm not sure if I captured all the key points.

The Coach Let's focus on refining your prompts to improve the AI's output. Try applying this to your next report and we'll review the results together.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my plan, free
A year from now

A year from now, you're confidently using AI to enhance your strategic insights, becoming a trusted source of valuable recommendations.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Analyst, Business Development & Strategy
  • Market Sizing & Opportunity Analysis (TAM/SAM/SOM)
  • Competitive Intelligence Gathering
  • Business Case & Financial Modelling (Basic)
  • Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy Fundamentals
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Analyst, Business Development & Strategy is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Associate, Business Development & Strategy (L2)

    2-3 years in the Analyst role

    You'll move from executing tasks to owning specific analytical workstreams and making routine decisions. You'll start to manage small projects.

    • Advanced Financial Modelling Building more complex models like discounted cash flow (DCF) analyses.
    • End-to-End Market Sizing Owning the full process of quantifying a market opportunity.
    • Basic Partnership Structuring Understanding the components of a commercial agreement.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a lot of entry-level strategy work involves sifting through mountains of information and doing repetitive tasks. But what if you could offload some of that to AI? At Zavmo, we're not just talking about it; we're actually doing it. We want you to spend less time on the tedious bits and more time on learning, thinking, and adding real value.

As an Analyst, you'll be using AI tools to make your day-to-day work smoother and faster. Think of AI as your super-efficient research assistant and first-draft generator. It won't replace your critical thinking, but it'll certainly give you a serious head start on tasks that used to eat up hours.

Automated Market Scanning

Imagine an AI agent constantly monitoring the news, competitor announcements, and regulatory changes for you. Instead of manually checking dozens of sources, you'll get a daily, summarised intelligence briefing directly to your inbox. You'll still need to validate and interpret, but the initial heavy lifting is done.

Rapid Report Synthesis

Got a 50-page market research report from Gartner or Forrester to read? Feed it into an LLM and ask it to pull out the key market size figures, growth drivers, and top competitor weaknesses. You'll get a one-page summary in minutes, freeing you up to focus on the nuances and implications, rather than just reading.

Target List Generation

When we're looking for potential partners or acquisition targets, you'll often start with a broad search. You can give an AI tool our 'ideal profile' (e.g., 'SaaS company, £5-10M ARR, focused on supply chain logistics in the UK'). The AI will then scour public data to give you an initial long-list of companies to review, saving you hours of manual searching.

First-Draft Communications

Need to draft an email to a data provider, an internal memo summarising your research, or even the executive summary for a business case? AI can generate a solid first draft in seconds. You'll then refine it, add your specific insights, and ensure it sounds like you, but you won't be staring at a blank page anymore.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become an Analyst, Business Development & Strategy?

Common routes in include Graduate Programme / University Hire (Direct entry (0 years experience)), Analyst from a Consulting Firm (1-2 years experience) and Data Analyst / Research Assistant (1-2 years experience). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can an Analyst, Business Development & Strategy progress to?

This role can lead on to Associate, Business Development & Strategy (2-3 years in the Analyst role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for an Analyst, Business Development & Strategy?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration (for Research). These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 2

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in corporate strategy

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The analytical and strategic skills built in this role transfer well elsewhere. People with this background move into venture capital, private equity, management consulting, or product strategy roles in other companies.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.