Job Title: Head of Strategic Planning
Location: Plymouth, Devon + Hybrid Working Arrangements
Compensation: Competitive including company car, bonus and healthcare
Role Type: Full time / Permanent
Role ID: SF
At Babcock we’re working to create a safe and secure world, together, and if you join us, you can play your part as a Head of Strategic Planning at the Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth.
The role
As a Head of Strategic Planning, you’ll have a role that’s out of the ordinary. Devonport has a unique opportunity to modernise its infrastructure, systems, and capabilities to meet current and future defence needs. With increasing complexity across the site, it's essential that operations are integrated and focused on delivering this transformation.
Babcock is evolving how it operates at Devonport through enhanced Governance, Business Planning, Decision Making, Capability Development, and Strategy Execution.
We’re seeking a senior leader passionate about driving operational improvement to secure a stronger future for our customers and stakeholders.
Day-to-day, you'll lead the implementation of Integrated Business Planning at Devonport, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to align long-term demand with site capabilities. You’ll chair strategic planning forums, coordinate inputs from planning and supply leads, and maintain a coherent business plan that supports both customer and business objectives. A key part of your role will be identifying gaps between demand and supply, facilitating solution development, and driving decisions through the governance framework, all while fostering collaboration and ensuring planning efforts are integrated and future-focused.
1. Establish and maintain a long-term demand baseline across all Defence and Business outputs, ensuring changes are governed through a robust change management process.
2. Assess site capability and capacity in collaboration with Portfolio Supply Leads, identifying and addressing gaps between demand and supply through structured option development and governance.
3. Chair strategic planning forums, bringing together key stakeholders, planning leads, and supply leads to ensure alignment and coordinated planning activity.
4. Develop and maintain a comprehensive Business Plan, aligning long-term objectives, demand forecasts, and supply arrangements with the medium-term strategy and annual plans.
5. Provide strategic recommendations through the Devonport Governance Framework, ensuring planning decisions are evidence-based, transparent, and aligned with customer and business priorities.
This role is full time, 35 hours per week and provides hybrid working arrangements.
Essential experience of the Head of Strategic Planning
6. Proven expertise in programme management, with a track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives to successful outcomes.
7. Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate, and communicate effectively at all levels, both internally and externally.
8. Excellent analytical and presentation abilities, capable of synthesising complex data into clear, actionable insights tailored to senior audiences.
9. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, working independently and across teams to deliver under pressure and meet multiple deadlines.
Qualifications for the Head of Strategic Planning
We welcome applications from all industries and backgrounds; defence experience would be of benefit however not an essential requirement.
10. Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent suitable experience.
11. Extensive experience in a similar business role.
Security Clearance
The successful candidate must be able to achieve and maintain Security Check (SC) security clearance for this role.
Many of the positions within our company are subject to national security clearance and Trade Control restrictions. This means that your eligibility for certain roles may be affected by your place of birth, nationality, current or former citizenship, and any residency you hold or have held. Further details are available at