Finance Business Planning Manager

Role: Finance Business Planning Manager

Location: Coventry (office-based at least 3 days per week)
Pay Rate: £690-£780 per day (inside IR35)
Duration: up to 6 months initially

Morson are recruiting for a Finance Business Planning Manager to join the Financial Performance team of a leading regulated organisation.

This is a key role connecting financial, operational and regulatory planning across short, medium and long-term planning cycles. You will provide analysis and insight to support AMP8 delivery, identify risks and opportunities, and help shape the organisation's longer-term strategy and PR29/AMP9 plans.

Working closely with Finance, Operations, Asset Planning, Strategy and Regulation, you will provide clear financial and regulatory insight to support investment decisions, efficiency improvements and long-term value.

Key Accountabilities of the Finance Business Planning Manager

• Lead the integration of financial, operational and regulatory plans across annual budgeting, forecasting and longer-term business planning.
• Assess actual and forecast performance against the AMP8 business plan, identifying risks, opportunities and dependencies.
• Develop financial and regulatory scenarios to support strategic decisions, investment prioritisation and uncertainty management.
• Coordinate key planning assumptions and modelling inputs across Finance, Operations, Asset Planning, Strategy and Regulation.
• Support the development of the PR29 business plan and AMP9 strategy, including financial modelling, benchmarking and evidence development.
• Assess affordability, finance ability and deliverability of proposed plans and investments.
• Provide clear, evidence-based recommendations and constructive challenge to senior stakeholders.
• Support regulatory submissions, enhancement cases and strategic investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and performance, ensuring benefits are measurable and reflected in plans and forecasts.
• Maintain strong governance, controls, assumptions and audit trails across business planning models.
• Provide analysis to support monthly performance reporting and other key business decisions.
• Build effective relationships across Finance, Operations, Strategy, Regulation and Asset Planning.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience leading or coordinating complex business planning within a large or regulated organisation.
• Strong understanding of the water-sector regulatory environment, including price review delivery and regulatory periods.
• Experience of integrated financial, operational and regulatory planning.
• Strong financial modelling, scenario analysis and analytical skills.
• Ability to work with complex data and maintain robust assumptions, controls and data quality.
• Experience supporting strategic decision-making through clear analysis and recommendations.
• Strong commercial judgement, balancing financial, operational, customer and regulatory considerations.
• Experience working within structured planning, governance and assurance processes.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and build relationships across different functions.
• Confident challenging assumptions and providing constructive challenge.
• Relevant accounting, finance, economics or analytical qualification is desirable.

Key Skills

• Business planning
• Financial modelling
• Scenario analysis
• Regulatory planning
• AMP8 / PR29 / AMP9
• Financial performance
• Strategic analysis
• Commercial judgement
• Stakeholder management
• Governance and assurance
• Data analysis
• Senior-level influencing

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Business Planning Manager or senior finance/planning professional to take a strategic role within a major regulated organisation, with significant exposure to senior leadership and the development of future business and regulatory plans.

To be considered for this fantastic opportunity,

*Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial telephone interview. If selected from the shortlist, a formal interview process will then begin.