Business Planning Lead

Business Planning Lead

Salary £72,102

Hemel Hempstead

Shape the financial future of a purpose-driven organisation

We are recruiting a Business Planning Lead to take ownership of our long-term financial planning and play a key role in shaping strategic decisions across Hightown.

This is not a back-office number-crunching role it’s a hands-on, high-impact position at the heart of our Finance and Corporate Finance team. You will ensure our Business Plan is robust, insightful and forward-looking, giving leaders the clarity they need to make confident, informed decisions.

What you will lead

Business Planning & Forecasting

• Build and develop our 30-year Business Plan, including what-if scenarios, sensitivity analysis and stress testing.
• Convert the plan into the Regulator’s Financial Forecast Return (FFR) and oversee accurate submission.
• Update forecasts monthly to highlight emerging risks, opportunities and strategic impacts.

Insight & Strategic Support

• Turn complex data into clear insights and reports for Executive and Board audiences.
• Challenge and refine assumptions across the organisation, enabling better planning conversations.
• Stress-test against key risks and work collaboratively to shape realistic, time-bound mitigations.

Regulatory & Treasury Support

• Lead Quarterly Financial & Risk Survey (QFRS) submissions via NROSH+.
• Support treasury operations, cashflow management and financing activities including credit rating.
• Produce cashflow forecasts, liquidity reports, variance analysis and contribute to key regulatory and treasury reporting.

What you will bring

• A professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with strong post-qualification experience.
• Proven ability in long-term planning, modelling, stress testing and turning complex data into actionable insight.
• Advanced Excel skills and confidence working with large, detailed datasets.
• Experience within social housing and regulatory returns (FFR, QFRS, NROSH+) is an advantage but not essential.
• Strong communication skills, able to make financial information clear to non-financial colleagues.
• A proactive, analytical approach, with excellent attention to detail and sound judgement.

Who you are

You take ownership, deliver high-quality work and partner confidently with colleagues across the organisation. You are curious, resilient and comfortable challenging assumptions to get to the right answer. Most importantly, your approach reflects who we are collaborative, respectful and focused on getting things right for our customers and communities.

What We Offer:

• Professional Growth: Opportunities for training and development to enhance your skills.
• Annual leave: 33 days including Bank Holidays (Pro Rata)
• Competitive Salary: £72,102 per annum for a 35-hour week.
• Monthly Attendance Bonus
• Hybrid working 2 days in the office
• Workplace Pension Scheme: And life assurance cover of three times your annual salary.
• Discounts and Savings: Online and high street retailers, gyms, restaurants, and cinemas.
• Employee Support: Health & wellbeing services.
• Free On-site Gym Access

Why join us?

This role is central to safeguarding our long-term financial strength and supporting investment that directly improves lives. If you want to use your expertise where it genuinely makes a difference, we would love to hear from you.

We will be shortlisting and interviewing on an ongoing basis and may close the vacancy early.

Hightown is proud to be an Equal Opportunities & Disability Confident Employer.