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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and modernise the planning function across multiple locations for efficient operations.
- Company: Established technical services organisation with a focus on growth and innovation.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact on operational efficiency and revenue generation in a leadership role.
- Qualifications: Senior experience in planning or service coordination, with strong leadership skills.
- Other info: High visibility role with opportunities for career advancement.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Leicester (Hybrid with occasional UK travel)
Reporting to: Managing Director / Operations Director
About the Company
We are working with a well-established, privately backed technical services organisation operating across multiple locations in the UK. The business provides specialist testing, inspection, and compliance services to clients across infrastructure, construction, utilities, and regulated industries. With continued growth and operational expansion, the company is now looking to appoint a Head of Planning to lead and modernise the national planning and service coordination function.
The Role
This is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the end-to-end planning lifecycle from order handover through to work completion and handover to finance for billing. The role is focused on operational flow, planning discipline, utilisation, and billing readiness rather than technical delivery. You will lead the planning function nationally, ensuring work is scheduled efficiently, delivered predictably, and handed over cleanly for invoicing and cash collection. You will also play a key role in implementing and embedding a central planning system across multiple operational sites.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the Planning function across multiple locations
- Own the planning lifecycle from order handover to work completion
- Improve utilisation, workflow, and operational efficiency through planning
- Ensure completed work is handed to Finance fully ready for billing
- Implement and embed a central planning and scheduling system
- Monitor KPIs such as backlog, utilisation, and unbilled work
- Act as the key interface between Planning, Operations, Sales, and Finance
- Support operational performance, revenue flow, and cash collection through planning discipline
About You
- Senior experience leading planning, scheduling, or service coordination teams
- Experience in multi-site service, engineering, construction, testing, or infrastructure environments
- Strong commercial and financial awareness
- Comfortable using data, KPIs, and dashboards to drive decisions
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
- Experience implementing planning or scheduling systems would be advantageous
Why This Role
This role is critical to ensuring the business delivers work efficiently, improves utilisation, and converts completed work into revenue and cash more effectively. It is a high-impact leadership position with significant visibility across operations, finance, and senior leadership.
Head of Planning in Loughborough employer: Solutions Driven
Contact Detail:
Solutions Driven Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Planning in Loughborough
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who might know someone at the company you're eyeing. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to a referral, which is golden when it comes to landing that interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by researching the company inside out. Understand their services, recent projects, and challenges they face. This will help you tailor your answers and show them you’re genuinely interested in the role of Head of Planning.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get a friend or mentor to do mock interviews with you. Focus on articulating your experience in leading planning functions and how you can improve operational efficiency – that’s what they want to hear!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Planning in Loughborough
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Planning. Highlight your experience in leading planning functions and any relevant achievements in operational efficiency. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this senior leadership role. Share specific examples of how you've improved workflows or implemented planning systems in the past. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: Since this is a leadership position, make sure to emphasise your experience in managing teams and stakeholders. We’re looking for someone who can inspire and drive change, so don’t hold back on sharing your successes in this area.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Solutions Driven
✨Know Your Planning Lifecycle
Make sure you understand the end-to-end planning lifecycle thoroughly. Be ready to discuss how you would manage the process from order handover to billing, and think of examples from your past experience that demonstrate your ability to improve operational flow and efficiency.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a senior role, they’ll be looking for strong leadership qualities. Prepare to share specific instances where you've led teams, improved workflows, or implemented systems. Highlight your stakeholder management skills and how you’ve successfully interfaced with different departments.
✨Familiarise Yourself with KPIs
Get comfortable with key performance indicators relevant to the role, such as backlog, utilisation, and unbilled work. Be prepared to discuss how you’ve used data and dashboards in previous roles to drive decisions and improve performance.
✨Understand the Company’s Operations
Research the company’s operations and their approach to planning and service coordination. Knowing their business model and challenges will help you tailor your responses and show that you’re genuinely interested in contributing to their success.