Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for financial planning, resource management, and driving organisational performance?
Join The Open University as a Business Planning & Resource Manager and play a pivotal role in shaping resource strategy, financial planning, and decision‑making at a senior level.
About the Role
The Business Planning & Resource Manager will work closely with the Director of Estates to lead unit‑wide planning across staff and non‑staff resources. The role is central to resource planning, including presenting proposals to senior stakeholders such as the Vice‑Chancellors Executive (VCE) Panel, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and other Finance colleagues. A key responsibility of the role is the development, coordination, and critical assessment of business cases and feasibility studies, either as reviewer or lead author, ensuring financial robustness and supporting the organisation’s annual financial planning cycle.
You will also oversee legacy financial responsibilities not covered by Finance Business Partner roles, working closely with Central Finance to ensure smooth financial operations. In addition, the post holder acts as Estates’ internal procurement expert, leading or supporting procurement exercises for works and services, ensuring compliance, value for money, and operational effectiveness. The role involves close collaboration with the Director of Estates, leadership and business partners, as well as hands‑on financial administration, tracking, ordering, and forward resource planning.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead unit‑wide business planning with the Director, covering finance, staffing, future forecasting, risk, and presentation to the VCE Panel in collaboration with Finance and People Business Partners.
* Hold lead responsibility for legacy financial activities outside FBP roles, including ordering, expenditure and income tracking, supplier liaison, invoice queries, and use of the SPA Ariba system.
* Conduct ad hoc internal financial and procurement audits to ensure compliance with policies and devolved responsibilities.
* Prepare management information and financial analysis (spend patterns, trends, datasets) to support operational needs, business cases, and feasibility studies, avoiding duplication with FBPs.
* Support capital budgeting and accounting by identifying capitalisable items, preparing budgets where required, and maintaining capital reporting with FBPs.
* Prepare financial information and supporting data for grant applications and external funding enquiries.
* Act as Unit Purchasing Card holder, authorising purchases, reconciling transactions, and approving payments.
* Play a key role in business cases and feasibility studies, ranging from contributor to lead author, including drafting, critique, stakeholder engagement, and presentation of rationale to diverse audiences.
* Provide bespoke financial input to Estates feasibility studies, ensuring data robustness and presenting findings clearly to multiple stakeholders.
* Identify and manage financial, planning, and procurement risks, contributing to and maintaining the unit risk register.
* Lead and support unit procurement activities, including sourcing strategies, tenders, quotations, evaluations, financial checks, award documentation, supplier communication, and value‑for‑money assessments.
* Maintain contractor and supplier records, support annual insurance and estates management returns, advise on tax status of self‑employed contractors, and undertake ad hoc departmental tasks and projects as required.
About You
* Proven experience in workforce/people data analysis within a complex organisation.
* Strong capability to work closely with senior leadership, Finance and People Business Partners, and administrative teams.
* In‑depth knowledge of unit planning, forecasting (staff and non‑staff), and operational practices, supporting Directors with current and future resource planning.
* Sound understanding of devolved procurement, procurement systems, supplier engagement, and value‑for‑money principles, acting as an internal procurement expert.
* Demonstrated experience in capital budgeting and the development, appraisal, and presentation of business cases and feasibility studies.
* Solid understanding of budgeting, reporting, and financial administration within operational projects.
* Advanced data analysis and management accounting skills, including handling and interpreting sensitive personal data.
* Strong stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with Strategy and Finance functions.
* Ability to carry out robust qualitative and quantitative analysis, identify risks and trends, and clearly communicate insights to technical and non‑technical audiences.
* Excellent teamwork, workload planning, prioritisation, and decision‑making skills, with the ability to work independently under pressure.
* High‑level communication, digital, and reporting skills, including use of business intelligence tools, KPI reporting, P‑Card controls, and standard collaboration software (e.g. MS Office).
* Demonstratable experience of project management and quality assurance.
* Data analysis experience with proven ability to understand complex business questions and take a lead role in the development of a coherent analytical framework which delivers insight into performance.
* Understanding of University Governance and Professional Service networks and process requirements including EDI, BIA and EIA requirements.
* Knowledge of impact evaluation and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Support with your application
If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.
Why Join The Open University?
At The Open University, we’re committed to innovation, inclusion, and excellence in education and professional services. This is your opportunity to play a key role in shaping how we plan, invest, and deliver impactful services.
We offer a supportive environment that values teamwork, professional development and continuous improvement, giving you the platform to grow your leadership career while making a tangible impact every day.
Benefits
* 33 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three‑day Christmas closure period.
* Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions.
* Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free.
* Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities.
Ready to make an impact?
Apply now and help drive strategic planning, financial excellence, and resource optimisation at one of the UK’s most respected institutions.
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