Head of Planning - Strategic

Babcock International Ltd; South Hams; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense and engineering company seeks a Head of Planning - Strategic at its Devonport site. The role focuses on strategic business planning, leadership in complex programme management, and establishing cooperative relationships. Candidates must have a degree or substantial experience in related fields. Competitive compensation and benefits package offered, including generous leave and development opportunities.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Matched contribution pension scheme

Digital GP access

Employee share scheme

Professional fees payment

Special leave for reservists

'Be Kind Day' volunteering leave

Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic planning of complex operating environments.
• Proven track record in defining and leading complex programmes.
• Ability to summarize complex information for senior management.
• Experience in creating budgets and forecasts.
• Knowledge of Project/Programme/Portfolio management methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Implement Strategic Business Planning across long-term planning.
• Establish a baselined demand signal for long-term outputs.
• Identify gaps between demand and supply capability.
• Chair relevant planning forums with stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain a strategic plan for the site.

Skills

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Communication

Budget creation

Project management

Change management

Education

Degree in relevant discipline

Job description

Job Title: Head of Planning - Strategic
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Compensation: Competitive + Benefits
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF61299

At Babcock we're working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as the Head of Planning - Strategic at our Devonport Royal Dockyard site.

The role
As the Head of Planning - Strategic, you'll have a role that's out of the ordinary. This is a highly strategic and collaborative role, and in this capacity, the post holder will need to establish trusting relationships with the business's key internal leaders and stakeholders, to ensure that there is a free flow of ideas and information and coordinated activity across the programme to meet the business objectives and customer programme demands.

Day-to-day, you'll ensure the effective implementation of Strategic Business Planning across the long-term planning horizon.

• Work with customers (internal and external) and other planning leads to establish a baselined demand signal for long term across all defence and business outputs for the site, ensuring that any changes to this are subject to a robust change management process.
• In consultation with the Portfolio Supply Leads, establish the site's current capability to service this demand and proactively identify where gaps exist between demand and supply capability or capacity. The Head of Planning will then facilitate the identification and assessment of options to address these gaps, making recommendations to stakeholders through the Devonport Governance Framework.
• Chair the relevant planning forum, bringing together relevant stakeholders and inputs from the other Planning and Portfolio Supply Leads.
• Establish and maintain a strategic plan for the site that sets our objectives, demands and supply arrangements, ensuring coherence with the long-term site strategy and near-term annual plans.

This role is full time, 35 hours per week and is based on site at Devonport Royal Dockyard.

Essential experience of the Head of Planning - Strategic

• Experience in strategic planning of complex operating environments.
• Experience in defining and leading complex programmes. Possessing strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop cross-functional teams.
• The ability to pull together complex information and present it in a coherent manner at the appropriate level for the audience. Refining and summarising information for senior management. Good presentation skills, ability to influence and articulate arguments.
• Experienced in the creation of budgets and forecasts and demonstrate commercial awareness, with an ability to translate business questions into financial analysis.
• Significant experience and knowledge of Project / Programme / Portfolio management across methodologies (MSP) Knowledge - Desirable.
• Good understanding of Change Management best practice and continuous improvement methodologies.

Qualifications for the Head of Planning - Strategic

• A degree in a relevant discipline or extensive recent experience in a similar environment/business sector.

Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.
Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at United Kingdom Security Vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

What We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance
• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Access to a Digital GP, annual health check, and nutritional consultations through Aviva DigiCare+
• Employee share scheme
• Employee shopping savings portal
• Payment of Professional Fees
• Reservists in the armed forces receive 10-days special paid leave
• Holiday Trading is a benefit that allows the majority of employees to buy additional leave or to sell up to one working week of annual leave from their annual entitlement
• 'Be Kind Day' enables employees to take one working day's paid leave a year (or equivalent hours) to undertake volunteering work with their chosen organisation or registered charity
• Excellent development opportunities and benefits package including an employee assistance programme supporting physical, mental and financial wellbeing

Babcock International
For over a century Babcock has helped to defend nations, protect communities and build a better world. To continue, we must adapt, advance and be a sustainable business with a shared goal.
We are a disability confident committed employer. If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please email with the subject header 'Reasonable adjustments requirement'. We're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone's free to thrive. We are happy to talk about flexible working - please ask about alternative patterns of work at interview.

Closing Date: 05/08/2025

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