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- Tasks: Lead financial planning, develop budgets, and provide strategic insights for business growth.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking organisation focused on innovation and data-driven decision-making.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving financial strategies and optimising resources for success.
- Qualifications: Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and strong analytical skills required.
- Other info: Dynamic role with excellent career progression and a collaborative team environment.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 ÂŁ per year.
The Head of Financial Planning and Analysis will lead the organization’s financial planning processes, providing strategic insights and actionable recommendations to support business growth and operational efficiency. This role is responsible for developing budgets, forecasts, and financial models, analysing performance against targets, and partnering with senior leadership to drive informed decision‑making. By leveraging data and advanced analytics, the Head of Financial Planning and Analysis ensures financial integrity, optimises resource allocation, and contributes to the achievement of long‑term strategic objectives.
Responsibilities:
- Budgeting and Forecasting: Lead the development of annual budgets and rolling forecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
- Financial Modelling: Build and maintain complex financial models to support scenario planning, investment decisions, and business cases.
- Performance Analysis: Monitor and analyse financial performance against budgets and forecasts, providing actionable insights to senior leadership.
- Strategic Support: Partner with business units to identify opportunities for cost optimisation, revenue growth, and margin improvement.
- Reporting: Deliver timely, accurate, and insightful financial reports for executive management, Board, and regulatory bodies.
- Variance Analysis: Investigate and explain variances between actual results and forecasts, recommending corrective actions where necessary.
- Data Integration: Collaborate with BI teams to ensure financial data integrity and leverage analytics for enhanced decision‑making.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key liaison between Finance and other departments, translating financial insights into operational strategies.
- Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in FP&A processes, tools, and methodologies to increase efficiency and accuracy.
- Lead the BI team: Deliver high‑quality analytics and reporting solutions aligned with business objectives.
- Drive the evolution of the Society’s data and analytics capabilities: Enable informed, strategic decision‑making across all business areas.
- Develop and execute a BI strategy: Support organisational growth and operational efficiency.
- Gathering and documenting business requirements: Perform gap analysis, facilitate workshops, and translate business needs into BI solutions.
- Act as a trusted advisor: Provide insights that influence strategic decisions.
- Collaboration with Finance teams: Budgeting and forecasting support, and financial KPI alignment.
- Provide thought leadership: Shape future products, services, and customer experiences.
- Stay updated: Industry trends, regulatory change, and emerging BI technologies.
- Leading the design, delivery, and maintenance of BI programme: Support business needs.
- Providing guidance to BI team: Priorities based on business need, processes, and business drivers.
- Production of financial models: Assist with forward planning and strategic vision.
- Ensuring regulatory reports: Maintained and up to date to meet the societies regulatory needs.
- Build solid working relationships: With 3rd parties and within the BI team environment.
- Validating the reconciliation of data: Across the Society’s systems.
- Providing commentary: On internal and/or external datasets showing trends relevant to the Society.
- Analyse, model and interpret large datasets.
- Ensure data security: Staff and members’ data is secure, accurate, and used correctly in line with the Society GDPR policy and standards.
- Adhere to the Society Financial Crime Policy: Report any incidents of actual or suspected fraud, money laundering, or financial crime.
- Complete and pass an annual training test: Financial crime and bribery prevention.
- Undertake a role of Data Owner: Within data protection policy and Information Securities policy.
- Provide support and directions to Data Stewards: Operating controls and escalation of exceptions.
- Any other duties: As required by the Financial Accountant, Head of Finance, and Finance Director.
Skills and Experience:
- Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and analysis (sector experience desirable).
- Project management / ability to prioritise work compared to business needs.
- Ability to develop and evolve long‑term strategies while driving tactical projects.
- Excellence in planning and execution.
- Ability to liaise with both technical (Infrastructure) and non‑technical (Operational) business areas.
- Actively promote a Right First‑Time culture within BI.
- A committed team player, who can prioritise appropriately and work effectively towards tight deadlines in a fast-paced and pressured environment.
- Passionate, positive, and enthusiastic.
- Proactive with a can‑do attitude and a desire to challenge and improve the norm.
- Effective communication skills (written and verbally) – able to communicate with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Numerate and analytically minded, with a passion for accuracy and quality.
- Meticulous and detail orientated, with strong evaluation skills.
- High level of literacy and the ability to present information in a user-friendly, logical format.
- Knowledge of IT systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
- Self‑motivated and ability to use own initiative.
- Excellent time management, organisation, and administrative skills.
- Ability to act in good faith towards retail customers.
- Ability to enable & support retail customers to pursue their financial objectives.
Person Specs Qualifications:
- Advanced Excel skills (e.g. Macros, Pivot tables, Vlookup etc.) and intermediate Microsoft Office.
- Knowledge of the Microsoft SQL server suite including SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).
- Detailed understanding of Data Warehouse concepts, different data sources, and transactional applications.
- Working knowledge of MS Office packages – particularly strong Excel skills.
- Understanding of BI Best practice / methodologies.
- Qualified Chartered Accountant.
- Microsoft SQL Server Experience.
- Experience in writing and developing queries using SQL and producing extracts from Data Warehouses.
- Experience with other relational database management systems (RDBMS) such as MySQL or PostgreSQL.
Head of Financial Planning & Analysis in Stoke-on-Trent employer: Hanley Economic Building Society
Contact Detail:
Hanley Economic Building Society Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Financial Planning & Analysis in Stoke-on-Trent
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the finance and BI sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s financial strategies and recent performance. Bring your A-game with data-driven insights that show how you can contribute to their goals. We want to see you shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors to refine your responses. Focus on articulating your experience in budgeting, forecasting, and performance analysis clearly and confidently.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Financial Planning & Analysis in Stoke-on-Trent
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since this role is all about data and analytics, be sure to include examples of how you've used data to drive decision-making in your previous roles. We love candidates who can demonstrate their ability to analyse performance and provide actionable insights.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications and fit for the role.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the position. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the StudySmarter team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hanley Economic Building Society
✨Know Your Numbers
As the Head of Financial Planning & Analysis, you'll need to demonstrate your expertise in budgeting and forecasting. Brush up on your financial models and be ready to discuss how you've used them to drive strategic decisions in previous roles. Bring examples of your work that showcase your analytical skills and ability to provide actionable insights.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Mindset
This role requires a strong strategic vision. Prepare to discuss how you've partnered with senior leadership in the past to identify opportunities for cost optimisation and revenue growth. Think about specific instances where your recommendations led to measurable improvements and be ready to share those stories.
✨Data-Driven Decision Making
Since this position involves leveraging data for informed decision-making, be prepared to talk about your experience with BI tools and data analytics. Highlight any projects where you integrated financial data with business intelligence to enhance operational efficiency. Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in BI technologies to show you're ahead of the curve.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Effective communication is key in this role. Think about how you've successfully engaged with various stakeholders in the past. Prepare to discuss how you translated complex financial insights into operational strategies that non-financial colleagues could understand. This will demonstrate your ability to act as a liaison between finance and other departments.