Business Planning Analyst in Exeter

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work for a leading defence company based at Devonport in Plymouth as a Business Planning Analyst. The Business Planning Analyst provides data driven insight and modelling to ensure the organisation has the right people, with the right skills, in the right roles, at the right time. The role supports long term strategic planning through workforce analytics, scenario modelling, and evidence based recommendations that inform organisational design, talent strategy, capability development, and financial planning.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Workforce Analytics & Insights - Analyse workforce data (e.g., headcount, turnover, skills, demographics, recruitment trends) to identify patterns, risks, and opportunities. Build dashboards, reports, and visualisations to support strategic decision making. Conduct forecasting of labour supply and demand using modelling techniques.
• Strategic Workforce Planning - Support the development and execution of multi year strategic workforce plans aligned to organisational strategy. Conduct gap analyses to compare current workforce and future skill requirements. Model scenarios related to growth, transformation, automation, and organisational change. Provide recommendations on workforce interventions such as talent pipelines, reskilling, strategic hiring, and organisational design.
• Data Modelling & Scenario Planning - Run “what if” scenarios to assess future workforce risks and resourcing needs. Use quantitative modelling to test assumptions around demand, skills, attrition, and productivity. Work collaboratively with Finance to align workforce forecasts with budget planning.
• Stakeholder Engagement - Partner with HR Business Partners, Finance, Organisational Development, and senior leaders to capture business insights. Communicate complex data in a clear, compelling narrative tailored to different audiences. Support directorates with workforce planning capability building and tools.
• Reporting & Governance - Maintain governance processes for workforce planning cycles. Produce strategic workforce reports for Executives, Boards, and planning committees. Ensure data integrity, quality, and consistency across systems and reporting processes.

Skills & Experience required for this role:

• Essential - Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to interpret complex datasets. Experience in workforce planning, HR analytics, business analytics, or strategic planning. Proficiency in data tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI/Tableau, HRIS reporting tools). Knowledge of modelling techniques such as forecasting, scenario analysis, and trend modelling. Ability to translate data insights into strategic recommendations. Excellent communication and storytelling skills.
• Desirable - Experience in organisational design, capability frameworks, or skills analysis. Knowledge of financial planning and resourcing models. Understanding of labour market dynamics and external workforce trends. Experience in transformation or change heavy environments.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strategic thinking – sees big picture implications and connects workforce insights to organisational strategy.
• Critical analysis – challenges assumptions and provides evidence based advice.
• Collaboration – builds strong partnerships across HR and the wider organisation.
• Influencing – able to guide decision makers and shape conversations with senior stakeholders.
• Curiosity & continuous improvement – proactive in seeking new data sources, methods, and tools.

Typical Outputs

• Workforce forecasts and scenario models
• Strategic workforce plans and capability analyses
• Skills and role segmentation frameworks
• Monthly/quarterly workforce dashboards
• Business cases for workforce interventions

Due to the nature of the work involved candidates will need to obtain MOD SC clearance prior to starting work. This is a remote role but candidates need to be able to get to a local office in either Bristol, Rosyth, Plymouth or London.