Head of Financial Planning JDPS.pdf

Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in Europe, serving over one million residents and delivering essential services to one of the UK's most diverse and dynamic cities. As we continue our financial reset and transformation journey, we are seeking a highly capable and strategic leader to join us as Head of Financial Planning. This is a pivotal role at the heart of the Council's financial recovery and long-term sustainability programme. You will lead the Council's financial planning function, shaping the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), overseeing budget setting and monitoring, and supporting the delivery of our improvement and transformation priorities. Working closely with the Corporate Leadership Team, Commissioners, and Elected Members, you will provide authoritative financial advice and play a key role in restoring financial resilience and embedding best practice financial management across the organisation.,

• Lead the development and delivery of Birmingham City Council's Medium-Term Financial Strategy, aligning resources to corporate priorities and statutory responsibilities
• Oversee the annual budget setting process and multi-year financial planning within a complex, high-profile environment
• Produce and interpret robust and dynamic financial planning and settlement funding models. Understand the key inputs and drivers of such models.
• Provide strategic financial advice to Directors, Cabinet Members, and senior stakeholders, including Commissioners
• Drive the Council's financial recovery programme, identifying sustainable savings, efficiencies, and income generation opportunities
• Ensure robust financial governance, compliance with CIPFA standards, and transparency in financial decision-making
• Strengthen financial planning processes, modelling, and scenario analysis to support informed decision-making
• Lead and develop a high-performing financial planning team, building capability and resilience
• Support major transformation programmes and service redesign with expert financial insight
• Maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including auditors, central government, and regional partners
  
  We are looking for an experienced and resilient finance professional with the credibility and leadership skills to operate effectively in a complex and high-profile environment.
You will bring:
• A CCAB qualification (CIPFA, ACA, ACCA) or equivalent
• Experience in strategic financial planning, ideally within local government or the wider public sector
• Strong understanding of local government finance, including finance settlements, funding pressures, statutory requirements, and regulatory frameworks
• Demonstrable experience of leading financial recovery, transformation, or large-scale savings programmes
• Proven ability to influence and challenge at senior officer and political levels
• Strong leadership skills, with experience building and developing high-performing teams
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
  
  Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city., The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.
There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:
• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.
We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership - that's being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.


• A unique opportunity to play a leadership role in one of the most significant financial recovery programmes in UK local government
• The chance to make a lasting impact on the future of the city and its communities
• Work at scale in a complex, fast-paced, and high-profile organisation
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Generous Local Government Pension Scheme and employee benefits
• Commitment to professional development and continuous improvement
Please upload your up-to-date CV via the attachments part of your application, this is required for shortlisting. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV attached We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim. Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application., In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.