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Emerging Occupations

Business Continuity Planner

Business continuity planners prepare organizations to respond to significant business disruptions such as extended power outages, computer system failures, leaked client information, epidemics and natural disasters.

This is an emerging occupation. It may have evolved from an existing occupation or emerged in response to consumer needs or technological advances.

Also Known As

Business Continuity Analyst, Business Continuity Consultant

NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 1122: Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management*

2006 NOC-S

  • B022: Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management*

2011 NOC

  • 1122: Professional occupations in business management consulting*

2016 NOC

  • 1122: Professional occupations in business management consulting*

2021 NOC

  • 11201: Professional occupations in business management consulting*

2023 OaSIS

  • 11201.00: Professional occupations in business management consulting*

*This NOC group is considered similar to the Business Continuity Planner occupation. Because this occupation is only similar to the NOC group, related details and labour market information may not be accurate.

Duties
Updated May 17, 2021

Business continuity planners assess risks to the ongoing operation of businesses and make plans to eliminate, reduce, transfer or accept those risks. For example, businesses that handle personal financial transactions online may be susceptible to computer hackers. Business continuity planners recommend ways to reduce company risks and provide step-by-step instructions that assist employees to return operations back to normal as efficiently as possible should a risk become reality.

Larger organizations may need business continuity plans for several types of risks.

In general, business continuity planners:

  • Assess an organization’s risk of disruption from unplanned or planned events
  • Coordinate input from leaders and business areas throughout the organization to identify critical business functions and processes, and the impact disruption may have
  • Develop relationships with information technology and other departments that provide services to the business areas
  • Research and understand current best practices from subject matter experts on ways to counteract or minimize disruptions to at-risk business functions
  • Recommend risk management and business recovery strategies, and prioritize options
  • Identify the organization’s emergency response and ongoing operational plan for critical business areas (for example, reducing services or providing services at alternate locations)
  • Review emergency plans (for example, ordering building evacuations, identifying emergency command centres)
  • Create inventory lists of primary equipment, systems and resources
  • Identify potential vendors and key contacts for emergency repairs and supplies
  • Design and facilitate emergency response and continuity training exercises
  • Arrange for testing and staff training of the response plan, to ensure it will perform as intended
  • Evaluate and revise continuity plans based on exercise results and ongoing developments
  • Develop presentations, awareness programs and training manuals

In times of crisis, business continuity planners:

  • Lead the implementation of business continuity plans
  • Set up off-site command and recovery centres, if necessary
  • Coordinate recovery efforts
  • Act as a liaison and coordinator with public authorities, emergency workers, external agencies and members of the media
  • Utilize designated crisis communication protocols for effective flow of information
  • Assist with recovery and return-to-normal procedures after the incident is over
Working Conditions
Updated May 17, 2021
  • Strength Required Lift up to 5 kg

Business continuity planners work in offices. They may also work off site through the use of mobile technology. When coordinating responses to business disruptions they may work a considerable amount of overtime, including evenings and weekends, in locations that are offsite or related to the disruption.

Traits & Skills
Updated May 17, 2021

Business continuity planners need:

  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Organizational, problem-solving and leadership skills
  • Oral and written communication skills
  • Effective decision-making skills in times of crisis
  • The ability to handle multiple tasks with competing priorities
  • The ability to work as part of a team

They should enjoy:

  • Analyzing organizational methods
  • Conducting research
  • Taking charge of situations
  • Providing critical assessments and constructive advice

They should feel comfortable presenting findings and recommendations to decision makers and responding to criticism.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Top 10 Skills Employers Are Looking For

Professional occupations in business management consulting*

2016 NOC: 1122

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Business Continuity Planner occupation.

This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 102 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Feb 23, 2023 and Apr 19, 2024.

Review these skills to learn:

  • Whether or not this occupation matches your skill set
  • What training you may need to get these skills
  • What skills to highlight in your resumé, cover letter, and interview.
Tasks: Analyze and provide advice on the managerial methods and organization of an establishment
Tasks: Conduct research to determine efficiency and effectiveness of managerial policies and programs
Tasks: Conduct quality audits and develop quality management and quality assurance standards
Tasks: Propose improvements to methods, systems and procedures
Tasks: Plan the re-organization of operations
Attention to detail
Computer and Technology Knowledge: MS Excel
Construction Specialization: Excellent written communication
Construction Specialization: Organized
Construction Specialization: Excellent oral communication
Educational Requirements
Updated May 17, 2021
  • Minimum Education 4 years post-secondary

Most emerging occupations develop from more than one occupation. People working in this occupation may come from a variety of education and training backgrounds. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should contact associations and employers in this field to investigate education options and employment possibilities.

Employers generally prefer to hire applicants who have several years of related experience in addition to a bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance or information technology and certification in business continuity planning. Project management skills are a definite asset.


To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Certification Requirements
Updated May 17, 2021
  • Certification Not Regulated

Voluntary certification is available from Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) Canada. They offer 4 levels of certification for business continuity professionals

Also, the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) offers several progressive grades of certified membership that lead to internationally recognized credentials in business continuity.

Employment & Advancement
Updated May 17, 2021

Emerging occupations typically are the result of:

  • An increased human need
  • Technological advances
  • Greater specialization within an occupation

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, it can be difficult to define advancement opportunities or employment outlook. Some Albertans already are working in this emerging occupation, but future demand for it is unknown.

Business continuity planners may be self-employed or employed by:

  • Government departments
  • Large organizations
  • Management consulting firms

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

In the 1122: Professional occupations in business management consulting* occupational group, 78.4% of people work in:

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Business Continuity Planner occupation.

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment

Explore emerging workplace trends in Alberta that could affect this occupation.

In Alberta, the 1122: Professional occupations in business management consulting* occupational group is expected to have an average annual growth of 1.9% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 308 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Business Continuity Planner occupation.

Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.

Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook

Related Alberta Job Postings
Wage & Salary
Updated May 17, 2021

Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, no current provincial salary data is available for this occupation.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Professional occupations in business management consulting*

2016 NOC: 1122

*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Business Continuity Planner occupation.

Average Wage
$51.25
Per Hour
Average Salary
$99,558.00
Per Year
Average Hours
37.5
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 1122 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

A: High Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.


Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $20.19 $60.89 $37.83 $36.98
Overall $25.14 $88.56 $51.25 $49.90
Top $30.00 $126.69 $65.26 $59.13

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
Educational Services
Health Care & Social Assistance
Other Services (Repair, Personal Services and Related)
Public Administration

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
28%
28%)
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
15%
15%
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
3%
3%
Vacancy Rate
2%
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Business, Management and Administrative Studies
  • Computer and Information Technology
Other Sources of Information
Updated May 17, 2021

Business Continuity Institute (BCI) Canada website: www.thebci.org

Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) Canada website: www.dri.ca

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.

Updated Mar 31, 2021. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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