Strategist

The goal of a strategist is to help an organisation make better decisions about where to go and how to get there. This involves understanding the market the organisation operates in, identifying what is changing, and working out what the organisation should do about it.

The daily work involves a mix of analysis and communication. You gather data on markets, competitors, and internal performance, build frameworks or models to structure the problem, and translate the analysis into a clear recommendation. A large part of the job is working with senior stakeholders to align on findings and get decisions made. The work is often project-based, with each project focused on a specific strategic question.

The main tools are Excel for financial modelling, PowerPoint for presentations, and Python or R for more data-intensive analysis. Frameworks from business strategy are commonly used to structure problems. The ability to simplify complex situations into a clear story is as important as the technical analysis.

The role is common at strategy consulting firms and at the strategy or corporate development departments of large companies. At a consulting firm, you work across different clients and industries. In-house, you work on fewer but deeper questions specific to one organisation. The role connects to the Policy Analyst role, which applies similar structured thinking in a public sector context, and to the Economic Researcher role, which uses more formal quantitative methods on related questions.