Program and management analysts study how government programs and offices work and recommend ways to make them work better. They gather data, measure performance, write reports, and help leaders make decisions. It's a professional-level role that people often reach after a few years in administrative, budget, operations, or project work, in government or the private sector.

Where these jobs are posted

Nearly every federal agency hires analysts, most often under series 0343 (Management and Program Analysis), usually starting around GS-7 or GS-9 and running well above that. You'll find them on USAJOBS under titles like Program Analyst, Management Analyst, and Management and Program Analyst. States, large cities, and counties hire similar roles as Management Analyst, Policy Analyst, Budget Analyst, or Performance Analyst.

What screeners look for

At this level, the "specialized experience" statement in a federal posting is everything. It usually describes specific analytical work, such as evaluating program effectiveness, analyzing data to recommend improvements, or preparing reports for leadership, at a certain level of responsibility. Your resume should show each of those tasks clearly, along with the results your work produced. Screeners also look for strong writing, because analysts spend much of their time explaining findings to people who make decisions.

Resume summary

Analytical program analyst experienced in reviewing how programs and processes work, gathering data, and turning findings into clear recommendations for leadership. Skilled at writing reports, tracking performance measures, and working across offices to put improvements in place. Looking to bring clear analysis and practical solutions to a management and program analyst role.

Skills to list

  • Program and process analysis
  • Data collection and analysis in Excel
  • Performance measures and reporting
  • Written reports and briefings
  • Budget and cost tracking
  • Policy and regulation review
  • Project coordination across offices
  • Presenting findings to leadership
  • Survey and interview design
  • Process improvement

Experience bullet points

  • Analyzed program data to measure performance against goals and identify gaps
  • Reviewed office workflows and recommended changes that reduced processing time
  • Wrote clear reports and briefing papers summarizing findings and recommended actions for leadership
  • Tracked program spending against the budget and flagged variances to managers
  • Reviewed new policies and regulations and explained their impact on day-to-day operations
  • Coordinated projects with staff from several offices, keeping timelines and tasks on track
  • Built spreadsheets and dashboards to report monthly performance measures
  • Interviewed staff and customers to understand problems before proposing solutions
  • Prepared responses to data calls and information requests on short deadlines
  • Presented findings and progress updates to managers and senior leaders

Sample federal job entry

With only two pages, every analyst entry should lead with results. Here's one that fits OPM's required details into a few lines:

Management Analyst, GS-0343-11, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Birmingham, AL. 10/2022 to Present, 40 hours per week. Analyzed processing data for a 45-person office and recommended workflow changes that cut average processing time by 18%; built monthly performance dashboards for leadership; wrote 20+ briefing papers on policy changes and their impact on operations.

Tips for this role

  • Lead with measurable results. Percentages, dollars saved, time cut, and backlogs cleared prove analytical impact better than a list of duties.
  • Cut older experience hard. The two-page limit means early-career jobs can shrink to one line or disappear. Keep the space for work that matches the specialized experience statement.
  • Show your level. Say who used your work, like a division director or agency leadership, and how many people or dollars your analysis affected.
  • Private-sector analysts qualify too. Business, operations, and data analysts often meet the requirements. Describe your work in the posting's terms: evaluating programs, measuring performance, and recommending improvements.

Build your resume free

Open the 360 Quick Resume builder, choose Government Employees, then pick Program / Management Analyst. This summary, skills list, and these bullet points load in for you to edit. The builder also adds an hours-per-week field for each job, which federal resumes require. Download as PDF, Word, or plain text, free.

Before you apply, read our full guide on how to write a government resume, including the federal two-page rule and how state merit systems work.

More government resume examples