Head of Planning

Assystem; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Assystem in Birmingham is seeking an experienced Head of Planning to lead the planning function, turning business strategy into practical plans and forward-looking insight that supports performance and decision-making.

You will own forecasting, resource planning and performance management, partnering with senior leadership to align plans across functions, assess opportunities and risks, and drive continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Senior planning professional with strategic and analytical capability.
• Experience leading planning teams and delivering forecasting.
• Ability to influence at senior level and manage multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual and longer-term business planning, translating priorities into clear plans.
• Own forecasting process with accurate, timely forecasts and KPIs.
• Manage resource and capacity planning to meet objectives.
• Act as trusted advisor to senior leadership and cross-functional partners.

Skills

Strategic planning

Forecasting

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Performance management

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Head of Planning to lead the planning function and provide clear, forward-looking insight that supports business performance and strategic decision-making.

The role will be responsible for developing and driving the planning agenda across the organisation, ensuring robust forecasting, effective resource planning and strong performance management. Working closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams, the Head of Planning will turn business strategy into practical plans, identify opportunities and risks, and ensure the organisation remains focused on delivering its objectives.

This is a high-impact leadership role requiring a combination of strategic thinking, commercial acumen, analytical capability and strong stakeholder management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Business Planning

• Lead the annual and longer-term business planning process, translating strategic priorities into clear, measurable plans.
• Develop and maintain robust planning frameworks, processes and governance.
• Partner with the leadership team to assess strategic priorities, investment decisions and business opportunities.
• Provide forward-looking analysis and recommendations to support key business decisions.
• Ensure plans are aligned across functions and that dependencies, risks and opportunities are clearly understood.

Forecasting & Performance Management

• Own the forecasting process, ensuring forecasts are accurate, commercially relevant and delivered in a timely manner.
• Establish clear performance measures, KPIs and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor performance against plan and identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities.
• Lead regular performance reviews with senior stakeholders and ensure agreed actions are followed through.
• Provide clear commentary and insight rather than simply reporting numbers or activity.

Resource & Capacity Planning

• Lead effective resource and capacity planning to ensure the organisation has the right capabilities and capacity to deliver its objectives.
• Identify future demand, capacity requirements and potential constraints.
• Work with relevant functional leaders to develop scenarios and mitigation plans.
• Support prioritisation of resources against the organisation's highest-value activities.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Build, lead and develop a high-performing planning team.
• Establish a strong planning culture based on accountability, transparency and continuous improvement.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Build effective relationships across Finance, Operations, Commercial, HR, Technology and other relevant functions.
• Communicate complex information clearly and confidently to both senior and non-technical audiences.
• Continuously improve planning methodologies, systems, tools and processes.
• Introduce appropriate scenario planning and modelling to improve decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to improve the quality, efficiency and consistency of planning activity.
• Promote the use of data and insight to challenge assumptions and improve business outcomes.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a senior planning professional who combines strategic perspective with strong commercial and analytical capability.

Additional Information

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES ON RECRUITMENT FRAUD - We are committed to safeguarding candidates from fraudulent activity associated with our recruitment process. Please note that we will never offer specialist CV writing services, request payment or ask for sensitive personal information during the recruitment process.

We are committed to equal treatment of candidates and promote, as well as foster all forms of diversity within our company. We believe that bringing together people with different backgrounds and perspectives is essential for creating innovative and impactful solutions. Skills, talent, and our people’s ability to dare are the only things that matter !. Bring your unique contributions and help us shape the future.

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