Business Planning Manager

Beighton; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Sheffield City Council is seeking an experienced Business Planning Manager to lead the 30-year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan and support long-term financial sustainability across Housing services.

You will use complex financial modelling, forecasting and scenario analysis to advise senior leaders and elected members on risks, options and investment choices. The role connects financial planning with operational priorities and asset investment.

Qualifications

• Detailed knowledge of local authority housing finance and 30-year HRA business planning.
• Extensive experience in business planning, financial planning or strategic planning in public housing.
• Experience with complex financial modelling, scenario analysis and sensitivity testing.
• Knowledge of Rent Standard and regulatory framework for council housing.
• Ability to translate complex financial data into clear recommendations.
• Experience producing reports, business cases and briefings for senior audiences.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management across multiple teams.
• Degree or professional qualification with relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, delivery and review of the 30-year Housing Revenue Account Business Plan.
• Coordinate inputs to maintain a robust, credible plan.
• Use financial models, forecasts and scenario analysis to inform decisions and manage risks.
• Provide options appraisals and briefings for leaders and governance forums.
• Ensure plan meets legislative and regulatory requirements including HRA ring-fence.
• Monitor delivery, performance and risks; update the plan as needed.
• Align financial planning with operations, asset investment and service delivery.
• Incorporate tenant feedback into budgeting and investment decisions.
• Collaborate with Housing service and Finance to ensure alignment.
• Support maximizing value from the HRA through income/ expenditure assessments.

Skills

HRA business planning

Financial modelling

Scenario analysis

Policy familiarity

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Education

Relevant degree or professional qualification

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Help Shape the Future of Housing in Sheffield

Sheffield City Council is one of the UK's largest social landlords, responsible for nearly 40,000 council homes and delivering services that make a real difference to tenants and residents across the city.

As part of our Housing transformation, we are strengthening strategic planning, governance and regulatory assurance. We are seeking an experienced Business Planning Manager to lead our Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and support the long-term financial sustainability of Housing services.

About the Role

Reporting to the Regulation and Governance Service Manager you will lead the development, delivery and review of the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, ensuring it is sustainable, evidence-based and aligned with Housing priorities and statutory responsibilities.

You will use financial modelling, forecasting and scenario analysis to advise senior leaders and elected members on risks, options and investment choices. Working closely with Housing services, Strategic Finance and Finance Business Partnering, you will connect financial planning with operational priorities, asset investment and service delivery.

The role has no direct line-management responsibility but requires strong professional leadership, co llaboration and influence across organisational boundaries. You will be part of our senior management team and you will be expected at times to deputise for the Service Manager and Assistant Director

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the development, delivery and review of the 30-year Housing Revenue Account Business Plan.
• Coordinating evidence, assumptions and service inputs to maintain a robust and credible plan.
• Using complex financial models, forecasts, scenario analysis and sensitivity testing to inform decisions and manage risk.
• Providing options appraisals, recommendations and briefings for senior leaders, elected members and governance forums.
• Ensuring the plan meets legislative, regulatory and financial requirements, including the HRA ring-fence and Rent Standard.
• Monitoring delivery, financial performance and key risks, and updating the plan when circumstances change.
• Aligning financial planning with operational priorities, asset investment, service delivery and value for money.
• Ensuring business planning, budget setting and investment decisions are informed by tenant, resident and leaseholder feedback
• Work across the Housing service to ensure the needs and investment requirements of all departments are understood and influence budget setting
• Work closely with our Finance Business Partner to ensure alignment between the practices of the Council and the Housing Service
• Support with maximising the value received from the HRA through detailed assessments of the income and expenditure, to ensure we achieve value for money for tenants and residents.

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced business-planning professional who can demonstrate:

• Detailed knowledge of local authority housing finance and 30-year HRA business planning, including rents, service charges, the HRA ring-fence and revenue and capital planning.
• Substantial experience of business planning, financial planning, policy or strategic planning in a complex public-service or housing environment.
• Experience of complex financial modelling, scenario analysis and sensitivity testing to support decision-making.
• Knowledge of the policy and regulatory framework for council housing, including the Rent Standard.
• The ability to analyse complex financial, operational and policy information and turn it into clear recommendations.
• Experience of producing reports, business cases and briefings for senior managers, elected members, boards or governance forums.
• Strong communication, stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the ability to coordinate work across multiple teams and deliver to deadlines.
• A relevant degree or professional qualification with appropriate experience, or equivalent relevant experience.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to influence the long-term sustainability and investment priorities of one of the country's largest local authority housing services. Your work will support responsible investment, effective use of resources and better outcomes for tenants and residents.

Interested?

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyoneand where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.