Head of Financial Planning & Analysis

Durham University - Finance

Placed On: 9th February 2026
Closes: 22nd February 2026
Job Ref: 26000180

The Role and the Department

This key role is new within the University and is responsible for the vision, direction, objectives and timelines to drive the Finance Digital Strategy. The position will provide senior-level leadership and data expertise, supporting the Reporting team and working collaboratively with our skilled wider Business Intelligence and CIS teams. We need a confident communicator who can translate technical analysis into clear business narratives and provide project management and oversight to drive success.

This role is all about shaping the way the University uses financial data to grow. You’ll have the ability to influence and design systems, processes, and insights that directly influence the University’s continued success, while building a culture where data is integral to decision-making. There are a number of imminent key projects which you will be able to direct and shape, as well as oversee the development, maintenance and continuous improvement of the tools and processes once in place. You will work at all levels of the organisation, collaborating with senior management but also selling your vision and objectives to wider colleagues.

An existing reporting team, consisting of 2 FTE, will be reporting into you and work alongside you to achieve your objectives. This is a critical, exciting yet challenging role and one which you will be able to own and shape in order to meet the University’s need for enhanced financial data and decision-making in its changing and complex external environment.

Key Objectives for the Role:

• Leading on the development of reporting structures and software platforms that combine financial and non-financial data and spearheading the use of PowerBI and Microsoft Fabric as key data tools for financial analysis and performance understanding.
• Leading on the improvements to the University’s budgeting and forecasting processes using new platforms as required together with the embedding of existing tools and methodologies.
• Leading the development of data strategy, reporting frameworks, and insight tools that empower teams to make informed, data-led decisions.
• Working closely with technical teams to transform raw data into accessible and meaningful outputs through the creation, maintenance and continuous improvement of a Finance data lakehouse.
• Building dashboards, reports, and data visualisations that translate numbers into stories and opportunities that drive decision making and continuous improvement to processes.
• Partnering with the Head of Business Intelligence to deliver the strategic planning and delivery of data services, analytics and knowledge management, data-driven decision-making cultural change and data policy as affects Finance.
• Acting as the bridge between technical specialists, Finance senior management and budget holders, making sure data and assumptions used are both reliable and relevant.
• Championing a culture of data fluency across the organisation by coaching teams and promoting self-service reporting.
• Provide expert strategic data insight and intelligence leadership and advice into the digital service and wider University, including strategic digital programmes.
• Engage with Finance and wider University teams to actively promote the value of high-quality data and the skills to best utilise information; to improve the timely, accurate recording of data and ownership of information to provide first class insightful valued analysis.