At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial planning and forecasting across the Group, ensuring accuracy and alignment.
- Company: Join a dynamic organisation focused on excellence in financial planning.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and opportunities for career advancement.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on process improvement and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on decision-making through robust financial insights.
- Qualifications: Strong FP&A leadership experience and a professional accounting qualification required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About the Role
The Head of Planning & Forecasting is responsible for leading the planning and forecasting capability within the Group FP&A Centre of Excellence.
The role defines and governs how financial planning and forecasting is delivered across the Group, ensuring outputs are consistent, robust, and support effective decision‑making.
The job holder is accountable for establishing planning frameworks, improving forecast accuracy, and ensuring clear alignment between planning, forecasting, and performance management outputs.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead planning & forecasting across the Group.
- Accountable for the delivery of the Group‑wide annual business planning process, including governance, timelines, and coordination across business units.
- Responsible for quarterly forecasting and rolling reforecast processes, ensuring outputs are consistent, accurate, and aligned to business performance.
- Defines and embeds driver‑based planning methodologies across the organisation.
- Challenges assumptions with senior stakeholders to improve the quality and robustness of financial plans.
- Ensures scenario analysis, stress testing, and sensitivity modelling are embedded within planning processes.
- Supports long‑term planning, ensuring alignment with capital requirements, risk considerations, and actuarial assumptions.
- Acts as Group process owner for planning and forecasting, setting standards, governance, and policies.
- Drives standardisation and simplification of planning processes across business units.
- Improves forecast accuracy and transparency through enhanced modelling, data, and assumptions.
- Leverages systems and automation to improve efficiency and reduce manual activity.
- Owns the integration between planning outputs and management information, ensuring consistency between plan and forecast outputs.
- Partners with the Performance Management Team to align KPI definitions, assumptions and reporting structures.
- Ensures MI outputs reflect key business drivers and provide a clear link to forecast assumptions.
- Drives improvements in clarity, consistency and efficiency of MI processes, with a focus on forward‑looking insight and decision support.
- Must Haves
- Strong FP&A leadership experience with deep expertise in financial modelling, planning and forecasting.
- Experience in insurance or financial services is preferred.
- Degree level education and a professionally qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
- Strong understanding of finance processes within a complex organisational environment.
- Experience of off‑shoring processes is preferred.
- Excellent analytical capability, with the ability to interpret financial data and translate it into clear business insight.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence, challenge and build credibility with senior leaders.
- Experience of driving process improvement and supporting change within finance environments.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively.
- High level of attention to detail, sound judgement and strong commercial awareness.
- Experience of using financial systems, planning tools and data analytics to support decision‑making.
- Proactive and independent approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to deadlines.
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Group Head of Planning and Forecasting employer: Hiscox Underwriting Group Services Ltd (HUGS)
Hiscox is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the heart of London or York. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide ample opportunities for professional development through hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI technologies and a commitment to supporting citizen AI initiatives. Join us to be part of a forward-thinking team that values your contributions and empowers you to make a meaningful impact.
Contact Details:
Hiscox Underwriting Group Services Ltd (HUGS) Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Group Head of Planning and Forecasting
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We think you need these skills to ace Group Head of Planning and Forecasting
Some tips for your application 🫡
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How to prepare for a job interview at Hiscox Underwriting Group Services Ltd (HUGS)
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with Hiscox Underwriting Group Services Ltd (HUGS).
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✨Show Your Passion for Finance
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Before your interview, reach out to current or former Hiscox Underwriting Group Services Ltd (HUGS) employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.
