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impact planner

title: 'Impact Planner: Job Description, Key Responsibilities, and Skills'
salary: $85,000 - $130,000
categories: [Social Impact, Strategy, Data Analysis, Sustainability, ESG]
description: A comprehensive overview of the key responsibilities, required technical skills and professional background for the role of a 'Impact Planner: Job Description, Key Responsibilities, and Skills'.

🎯 Role Definition

An Impact Planner is a strategic professional dedicated to bridging the gap between an organization's mission and its measurable outcomes. You are the architect and analyst of positive change, responsible for designing, implementing, and communicating the framework that proves and improves social and environmental impact. This role requires a unique blend of analytical rigor, strategic thinking, and compelling storytelling. You will collaborate across all business functions to embed purpose into operations, guide investment decisions, and ensure accountability to stakeholders, turning ambitious goals into tangible, data-backed results.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Program Coordinator / Associate
  • Data Analyst (especially in the non-profit or social sector)
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Associate
  • Research Assistant (in a relevant academic field)

Advancement To:

  • Senior Impact Manager / Director of Impact
  • Head of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)
  • Director of Strategy & Impact
  • Chief Impact Officer

Lateral Moves:

  • Sustainability Strategist
  • Grantmaking Officer / Foundation Program Officer
  • Product Manager (for a social impact tech company)
  • Policy Advisor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement, and refine the organization's impact measurement and management (IMM) framework, incorporating methodologies like Theory of Change, Logic Models, and the Five Dimensions of Impact.
  • Lead the end-to-end data lifecycle for impact assessment, from designing data collection tools (surveys, interviews, focus group guides) to cleaning, analyzing, and reporting on findings.
  • Translate complex quantitative and qualitative data into actionable insights and compelling narratives for diverse audiences, including executive leadership, board members, investors, and the public.
  • Author and manage the production of high-stakes communications, such as annual Impact Reports, ESG disclosures, and B Corp certification submissions.
  • Collaborate deeply with cross-functional teams (including Product, Marketing, Operations, and Finance) to integrate impact metrics and considerations into core business strategies and decision-making processes.
  • Conduct thorough landscape analyses and due diligence on potential programmatic partners, social enterprises, and impact investment opportunities to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
  • Manage and cultivate strategic relationships with a portfolio of external partners, such as non-profits, academic institutions, community leaders, and co-investors.
  • Serve as the internal subject matter expert on emerging trends, best practices, and global standards in impact measurement, ESG reporting (GRI, SASB), and sustainability.
  • Facilitate strategic planning workshops and exercises with senior leadership to define, prioritize, and articulate the organization's long-term social and environmental objectives.
  • Monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress of all impact initiatives against established KPIs and targets, creating dashboards and regular progress reports for internal accountability.
  • Ensure the absolute integrity, accuracy, and ethical handling of all impact-related data by establishing and overseeing robust data governance, validation, and privacy protocols.
  • Design and manage grant-making or impact investment cycles, from developing the investment thesis and application process to reviewing proposals and monitoring grantee performance.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer emerging strategic questions from leadership and program teams.

  • Contribute to the organization's broader data strategy and roadmap, advocating for the tools and infrastructure needed for sophisticated impact analysis.

  • Collaborate with business units and technical teams to translate data needs into clear engineering requirements for data warehousing and business intelligence.

  • Participate actively in sprint planning, retrospectives, and other agile ceremonies within the data and strategy teams.

  • Develop and deliver training, toolkits, and capacity-building workshops on impact measurement principles for internal staff and external partners.

  • Represent the organization at industry conferences, working groups, and thought leadership forums to share learnings and build our network.

  • Develop robust business cases for new social or environmental initiatives, modeling potential impact and financial returns to secure buy-in and funding.

  • Conduct materiality assessments to identify and prioritize the most critical sustainability issues for the organization and its key stakeholders.

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.

  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.

  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.

  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Impact Measurement Frameworks: Deep expertise in applying frameworks such as Theory of Change, Logic Models, B-Analytics, IRIS+, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Mixed-Methods Research: Advanced proficiency in both quantitative (statistical analysis, regression, etc.) and qualitative (thematic analysis, interviewing) data collection and analysis.
  • Data Analysis & Visualization: Hands-on experience with statistical software (R, Stata, SPSS) or Python/Pandas, and proficiency with data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI.
  • Survey & Research Design: Proven ability to design and implement effective surveys, focus groups, and other data collection instruments using platforms like Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey.
  • ESG & Sustainability Reporting: Familiarity with major ESG reporting standards and frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB, TCFD, B Corp).
  • Project Management: Strong command of project management principles and software (e.g., Asana, Jira) to manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives from conception to completion.

Soft Skills

  • Strategic & Systems Thinking: Ability to see the big picture, connect disparate pieces of information, and anticipate future trends and consequences.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional skill in building and maintaining relationships, fostering trust, and managing expectations with a wide range of internal and external partners.
  • Compelling Storytelling: The ability to translate complex data and abstract concepts into clear, persuasive, and inspiring narratives for any audience.
  • Influence & Collaboration: A natural collaborator who can influence without direct authority and drive consensus across different teams and levels of seniority.
  • Analytical Problem-Solving: A highly analytical and curious mindset with a structured approach to diagnosing problems, analyzing root causes, and identifying solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Public Policy (MPP), Business Administration (MBA with a social impact focus), Public Administration (MPA), International Development, Economics, or a related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Public Policy & Administration
  • Economics / Statistics
  • International Development / Global Affairs
  • Environmental Science / Sustainability Studies
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of professional experience in a relevant role.

Preferred: Direct experience in a dedicated impact measurement, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), or ESG strategy role within a foundation, B Corp, impact-focused company, non-profit, or impact investing firm. A demonstrated track record of leading projects that involve rigorous data analysis and stakeholder reporting is highly desirable.

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