Performance & Planning Business Partner

Financial Ombudsman Service; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency based in Coventry is seeking an Operational Performance and Planning Business Partner. You'll work to provide data insights, manage performance targets, and influence strategy by presenting to senior stakeholders. Candidates should have strong analytical skills and experience in data manipulation with tools like Power BI and Excel, along with excellent stakeholder management. This role offers a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

25 days holiday entitlement

Generous pension

Private medical insurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar analytical or performance-focused role.
• Ability to tailor data for different audiences.
• Proven track record of working with stakeholders at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Operational Delivery Directorates for performance management.
• Conduct detailed data reporting and analysis.
• Drive insights to improve performance.

Skills

Data manipulation

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Access

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Looking for a new challenge? Take a look at our current vacancies. If you see a vacancy that is right for you, we encourage you to apply!

Are you ready to make a real impact at the heart of operational strategy? We are looking for a confident and analytical professional to join us as an Operational Performance and Planning Business Partner. If you thrive on turning data into insight, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving performance improvements, this is your chance to shape how we deliver our services. With a competitive salary, flexible working, and a values-led culture, it’s more than just a job — it’s a career with purpose.

Contract: Permanent

Working hours: 35 hours per week (full time).

Salary: From £75850 (London) or from £70,000 (Coventry)

Reporting to: Head of Performance & Corporate Reporting

Office: London Docklands or Coventry. Our permanent hybrid policy requires at least four days in the office across a fortnight.

As an Operational Performance and Planning Business Partner, you’ll partner with one of our Operational Delivery Directorates. In this role, insight and analysis support strategic accountabilities to deliver a demanding portfolio of business planning, financial management, performance insight and risks to service delivery. Building relationships will be important – you’ll present information to senior management and provide constructive feedback to ensure plans reflect the total needs of the organisation.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day function associated with performance target setting (from directorate down to individual level), as well as reporting and management against performance and service standard expectations.

Taking a proactive self-starting approach, you will identify problems and develop solutions, drive insights about performance, help create improvement plans and monitor action plans. You’ll be a source of advice and support for planning teams and share knowledge and best practice around complex process and operational issues.

Key responsibilities

• Providing the link between the operational performance team and senior management within operational teams, giving consistent feedback on service issues and making recommendations to ensure targets are achieved through negotiation and prioritisation.
• Forming and maintaining effective working relationships with senior stakeholders and knowing when to challenge thinking to reach the best outcome.
• Detailed data reporting and analysis for day-to-day performance management of Casework Directorates.
• Advanced analytical skills – manipulating large data sets and reports to create forward-looking organisational insight to inform decisions.
• Delivering insights and helping implement new tools and processes to plan to meet demand and identify organisational needs.

To be considered, you’ll need to demonstrate the following minimum criteria:

Minimum Criteria

• Experience in a similar analytical or performance-focused role with data manipulation and presentation using tools such as Power BI, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to tailor data for different audiences; able to storytelling with data to influence and drive actions.
• Proven track record of working with a variety of stakeholders, including executive level, and the ability to have challenging conversations at operational and senior leadership levels.
• You are comfortable challenging thought leadership and can evidence where you have influenced and impacted performance results.

Desirable Criteria

• Having a basic understanding of complaints case-handling processes would be desirable but not essential

Why Financial Ombudsman Service?

We are a values-led organisation. Our values define our culture, influence our decisions, and underpin our vision and strategy. They set out how we play our PART through Purpose, Ambition, Respect and Trust. You can learn more about our values at the Financial Ombudsman Service website.

We offer an attractive, competitive salary and flexible benefits. Benefits include:

• 25 days holiday entitlement, with the option to buy extra or sell days
• Generous pension
• Employer-provided benefits such as Private medical insurance, virtual GP, Critical illness cover, Life assurance
• Voluntary benefits including Technology scheme, Cycle to work scheme, Will-writing service, among others
• Discounts on everyday shopping, from groceries and petrol to household goods and gift vouchers
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Extensive opportunities for personal and career development
• Fully equipped on-site gym open 24/7 (London office only)
• Extensive Well-being resources including on-site therapists (London office only)
• Beautiful and bright London office overlooking the Thames;
• Coventry office is two minutes’ walk from the main station
• Employee-led networks supporting inclusion and awareness across experiences

How to apply

Please apply with your most up-to-date CV. Applications need to be submitted by 30 October.

A full job profile is available on request for shortlisted candidates at the first stage of the assessment process.

Due to high application numbers, this advert may end earlier than the stated date, so please apply promptly.

We’re proud to be an inclusive employer

We view diversity as fundamental to our success and welcome applications from underrepresented groups across all communities. We’re committed to being a great place to work and supporting a diverse workforce.

We welcome applications from Black and other ethnic minority candidates, and female candidates, particularly for senior leadership positions where representation may be lower.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. If you require reasonable adjustments, please email [e-mail] with your preferred contact method.

Find out more

Check the following channels to learn more about life at the Financial Ombudsman Service:

• LinkedIn: Financial Ombudsman Service
• Our careers page: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/who-we-are/join-us

Good luck with your application!