Student Number Planning Manager

18-month Fixed-Term Contract £52,462 - £60,842 per annum, 32 days annual leave plus bank holidays, generous pension scheme & other benefits
Hybrid working: 2 days per week on site

Hays are delighted to be recruiting on behalf of a leading higher education organisation in Birmingham for an experienced Student Number Planning Manager to join their Planning and Performance function.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced planning and analytics professional to take a key role in developing the organisation's approach to student number planning, forecasting and performance reporting.

Working closely with senior stakeholders across academic and professional services, you will use complex data and insight to inform strategic decision-making, challenge assumptions and support effective institutional planning.

The role:

As Student Number Planning Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Leading student number planning, forecasting and reporting.
• Developing and enhancing forecasting and scenario-modelling methodologies.
• Analysing large and complex datasets to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
• Producing meaningful insight to support strategic planning and decision-making.
• Developing dashboards and management information using Power BI or similar reporting tools.
• Working with senior stakeholders across multiple functions to understand requirements and influence decision-making.
• Advising colleagues on performance, planning and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Managing and developing a small team.
• Ensuring high-quality analysis and reporting is delivered to challenging deadlines.

What we're looking for:

We are looking for an experienced analytical and planning professional who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience of student number planning, forecasting and reporting, ideally within higher education.
• Experience developing sophisticated forecasting and scenario-modelling approaches.
• Advanced ability to work with large and complex datasets.
• Strong technical skills across Excel, SQL and data extraction/analysis tools.
• Experience developing Power BI dashboards or using comparable reporting platforms.
• The ability to translate complex data into clear, meaningful insights for senior stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Experience managing or developing a small team.
• A strategic, curious and analytical approach to problem-solving.
• The confidence to challenge assumptions and identify opportunities through data-led insight.
• The ability to work collaboratively across different academic and professional service functions.

If you have the relevant experience and would like to apply, please submit your CV.

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