Director of Planning

Planning, Modelling and Performance

• Lead institutional modelling for student numbers, tuition fee income, and strategic scenarios.
• Direct the development, monitoring, and reporting of University-wide KPIs and Critical Success Factors.
• Ensure a cohesive performance management framework for academic and professional service areas.
• Providing strategic oversight to ensure full alignment and compliance with the University Strategy. Leading the preparation of comprehensive reporting, detailing progress against the strategic objectives.

Assurance and Governance

• Lead the development of quality assurance processes for statutory data returns.
• Ensure the University’s compliance with external regulatory requirements, including HESA Data Futures, CTER/HEFCW returns, SLC interactions, and HEIW monitoring.

Business Intelligence, Data Strategy and Market Insight

• Lead the University’s data strategy, business intelligence capability, and market insight functions.
• Oversee competitor analysis, sector scanning, league table interpretation, and external performance analysis.
• Promote data literacy, governance, and quality standards across the institution.

Sector Engagement and External Affairs

• Represent Bangor University at national and regional fora on planning, analytics, and regulatory matters.
• Provide senior analysis and interpretation of policy and regulatory developments across HE in Wales and the UK.

Team Leadership and Management

• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing directorate covering planning, performance, risk assurance, BI, and statutory reporting.
• Promote collaborative working and continuous improvement.
• Act as senior sponsor for transformation projects related to planning, insight, or data maturity.

Other Duties And Responsibilities

• The post holder will be expected to participate in senior leadership performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Policy and the Welsh Language Standards.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for themselves and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by their actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their post.
• Undertake additional duties as required by the Chief Financial Officer or Vice-Chancellor.

Person Specification

Essential

Qualifications / Training

• Postgraduate degree in a relevant field, or substantial equivalent senior professional experience.

Experience / Knowledge

• Significant senior-level leadership experience in HE strategic planning, forecasting, analytics, performance management, or similar.
• Expertise in institutional planning and forecasting, student number modelling, statutory data returns, performance management, risk management, and leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience working under pressure with competing priorities.

Skills / Abilities

• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to lead transformational change across complex organisations.
• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

Desirable

• Professional accreditation relevant to planning, analytics, leadership, or risk management.
• Knowledge of Welsh HE regulatory frameworks (CTER/HEFCW), data governance, business intelligence tools, student record systems, and REF processes.
• The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post.

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that you have the right to work in the UK before you can start working for us. When you apply for this post you will be required to explain the basis upon which you believe you will able to live and work in the UK legally on the commencement date of the role should your application be successful. If you do not have the right to work freely in any position in the UK already, any offer of employment we will make to you will be subject to you obtaining a right to work visa. The following link provides information on the various visa routes into employment and the eligibility requirements (including switching visa status where permissible) https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas. If you are successful in your application we will discuss visa options with you at the time of making the offer of employment.

Please note that, in the event of applications being received from candidates on the University's Redeployment Register with a reasonable skills match to the post specification, these applicants will be given prior consideration.

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