Grade 7 – £66,627 – £85,845. Working 36.5 hours per week. Sponsorship is not available; applicants must have the right to work in the UK without employer sponsorship.
Head of Financial Planning
About the Role
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 take the role of Head of Financial Planning. This pivotal position sits 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.
Key Responsibilities
- 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
About You
You will bring a combination of experience, credibility and leadership skills suitable for a complex, high‑profile environment.
- 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
Why Join Birmingham City Council?
- 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
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data shows that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are under‑represented, and therefore we will use positive action to support diverse shortlists. Recruitment times may be longer, but we consider this necessary 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 will undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Proof of right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.
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