Planning Analyst

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University is seeking a Planning Analyst to develop and embed the university’s integrated planning capability. The role provides analysis, forecasts and management information to support priority setting, affordability and governance across the institution.

The post involves building planning artefacts, dashboards and reports, working with stakeholders to improve data quality and deliver evidence-based recommendations for senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification or equivalent relevant professional experience in planning, performance, strategy or related discipline.
• Experience in planning, performance, portfolio, PMO or similar environments in a complex organisation.
• Experience supporting financial planning, forecasting, reporting or resource allocation processes.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data and provide evidence-based recommendations.
• Ability to translate complex information into clear insights and reports for senior stakeholders.
• Experience producing governance materials and presentations for senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across organisational boundaries.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, especially Excel and Power BI.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated planning artefacts to support university-wide planning and decision-making.
• Analyse planning, financial, performance and change portfolio data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Support development of forecasting and scenario modelling capabilities.
• Contribute to the design and improvement of the future planning model for ongoing operations.
• Create management information, forecasts and dashboards combining financial and operational measures for executives.
• Support planning cycles through analysis of submissions, impacts and risks.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather inputs, challenge assumptions and improve data quality.
• Develop planning standards, templates and guidance to promote governance.
• Conduct capacity, workforce and affordability analysis to inform investment decisions.
• Provide planning insight and recommendations for governance forums and executive reporting.

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Excel

Power BI

Microsoft 365

Problem solving

Education

Degree qualification or equivalent

Tools

Power BI

Excel

SharePoint

Teams

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Title: Planning Analyst

Grade and Salary range: Grade 7, £38,448 to £48,337 per annum

FTE and working pattern: Full-time (35 hours per week), Open-Ended

Organisation Name: University Governance & Operations

Purpose of Role

The Planning Analyst plays a key role in developing and embedding the University's integrated planning capability. The postholder develops insight into strategic priorities, operational activity, financial performance, capacity, dependencies and risk to support effective planning and decision-making across the institution.

Working across a complex stakeholder environment, the role produces analysis, forecasts and management information that support prioritisation, affordability, governance and resource allocation decisions, while contributing to the development of planning standards, processes and reporting.

About our Directorate and Team

Heriot‑Watt University is a leading UK university recognised for world‑class teaching and impactful, industry‑relevant research, with campuses in the UK, Dubai and Malaysia.

University Governance & Operations governs and directs both the University's global commercial operations and the governance arrangements that underpin its charitable status and professional services functions.

The Integrated Planning function sits within the Change, Performance & Transformation Directorate, which is responsible for establishing and embedding the University's change, planning, performance and transformation capabilities. The function provides a university-wide view of demand, capacity, performance, affordability, risk and resource utilisation, bringing together strategic, operational and financial planning information to support prioritisation, investment decisions and delivery of Strategy 2035.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated planning artefacts, including demand, capacity, dependency, resource and roadmap views to support University-wide planning and decision-making.
• Analyse planning, financial, performance, workforce and change portfolio information to identify trends, risks, constraints, opportunities and delivery implications.
• Support the development of integrated planning, forecasting and scenario modelling capabilities, providing insight into affordability, capacity, prioritisation and delivery feasibility.
• Support the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the future planning model while the University’s ongoing operational planning and decision-making continue.
• Develop and maintain management information, forecasts, dashboards and reporting that combine financial, operational and delivery measures to support executive decision-making.
• Support planning and prioritisation cycles through analysis of submissions, impacts, dependencies, risks and trade-offs.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders across the University to gather planning inputs, challenge assumptions, improve data quality and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Develop and maintain planning standards, methodologies, templates and guidance that promote consistent planning practices and effective governance.
• Undertake capacity, workforce and affordability analysis to support investment decisions, operational performance management and resource allocation.
• Contribute to governance forums and executive reporting through the provision of planning insight, forecasts, risk assessments and recommendations, while identifying opportunities to improve planning processes, reporting and ways of working.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Degree qualification or equivalent relevant professional experience in planning, operational performance, change portfolio management, strategy, finance or a related discipline.
• Experience working within planning, performance, portfolio, PMO, operational management or similar environments in a complex organisation.
• Experience supporting financial planning, forecasting, prioritisation, management information, performance reporting, or resource allocation processes.
• Strong analytical skills, including experience interpreting financial, operational and performance information to assess impacts, identify risks and opportunities, and develop evidence-based recommendations.
• Demonstrable experience translating complex information into clear insights, reports and recommendations for decision-makers.
• Experience producing management information, governance materials, briefing papers and presentations for senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, challenge constructively and build effective working relationships across organisational boundaries.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, particularly Excel, Power BI, Word, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint.

Desirable

• Experience working within higher education, the public sector or another complex matrix organisation.
• Experience supporting integrated planning, strategic planning, change portfolio management or transformation initiatives.
• Experience using Power BI or similar tools to create dashboards and performance reporting, and/or a relevant professional qualification in portfolio, programme or project management.

Heriot-WattUniversity is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-WattUniversity values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University