Head of Strategic and Financial Planning

Job Description

Overall purpose of the job

To deliver Kew’s mission by providing leadership and oversight of all aspects of strategic, corporate and financial planning to enable the strategic development of Kew and achieve the objectives of the Breathing Planet Programme. To lead strategic business change and prioritisation across the organisation.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

To provide leadership and assume accountability for:

• 1. the design, implementation and successful functioning of Kew’s strategic business, financial and organisational planning framework “Strategic Planning Framework” (SPF).
• 2. a SPF that translates Kew’s vision and strategic priorities into clear and meaningful strategies and plans, working with the Director, Corporate Executive and Heads of Departments to ensure integration of activities across the organisation and avoid duplication.
• 3. representing Kew, ‘horizon-scanning’ and influencing central government/sponsor department ensuring Kew’s financial planning and funding arrangements reflect Corporate Social Responsibility, Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) and Public Value Programme (PVP) etc.
• 4. a SPF that allows resource allocation to business priorities, including long and medium-term financial forecasting and scenario planning.
• 5. the development, implementation and monitoring of a strategic business change and prioritisation system, reporting on progress and developments to the Executive and the Board of Trustees

Annual Corporate, Operational Planning and Reporting

To provide leadership and assume accountability for:

• 1. annual preparation and finalisation of the Corporate Plan.
• 2. preparation and finalisation of the high level Corporate Operational Plan by Department and reconciling it to the Breathing Planet Programme.
• 3. reviewing, maintaining, improving and reporting on corporate/strategic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and promote and be advocate for the development of departmental and other operational KPIs as part of the high level Operational Plan and the Breathing Planet Programme.
• 4. review and improve project and activity based costing.
• 5. maintaining the Performance Report provided to the Board of Trustees.
• 6. proposing and agreeing timescales and processes for planning and reporting.

Internal Liaison

• 1. To collaborate with the Head of Finance to ensure financial planning is seamlessly joined up with in-year financial control, financial reporting and forecasting. This will include working jointly on financial systems development and implementation of the agreed back-office solution.
• 2. To collaborate with the Head of Human Resources to ensure that strategic and financial planning embraces the people aspects of the organisation including management, development and rewards. To also develop systems and practice to reconcile individual objectives and job plans to departmental high level business plans to ensure appropriate allocation, accountability and consistency, and avoid duplication.

Cost Allocation Systems

• 1. To develop, maintain, report on and promote appropriate cost allocation systems in accordance with corporate, statutory, Breathing Planet Programme and departmental needs.

Other

• 1. To line manage an assistant.
• 2. Responsible for a consultancy budget of £30,000.
• 3. Maintain an awareness of relevant external developments in government and beyond and actively engaging with appropriate external bodies so as to anticipate future strategic developments.