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About the Role

The Strategic Planning & Insight Manager will sit within the Business Management portfolio at the heart of Open University Worldwide Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Open University which sits within the Business Development Unit (BDU). Working closely with the Head of Strategic Planning and Insight, the post holder will play a key role in supporting development of the BDU’s strategy and plans to reach more and diverse groups of learners, employers and partners, to deliver income growth and extend the OU’s reach.

The postholder will be responsible for:

• planning and delivery of strategic development projects that support business activity, including the creation of compelling business cases and plans
• generation of research and business insights and analysis (qualitative and quantitative) to inform and contribute to the Unit’s strategy and business planning process
• contributing to new product development insight and planning

The post holder will have good strategic awareness, develop a sound knowledge and appreciation of the University’s operations, and build effective relationships with stakeholders across the institution.

Key Responsibilities

• Work within the Business Management team to deliver high quality outputs and services to the Unit and the wider University, work proactively and collaboratively with a focus on continuous improvement
• Working with the Head of Strategic Planning and Insight and BDU’s leadership team, play a key role in the formulation of the Unit’s strategy and business plans, including, where appropriate, developing strategic cases for investment that support the University’s income diversification
• Identify information sources and develop frameworks for research and analysis that support key strategic questions as directed by the Senior Leadership team in the BDU
• Conduct ongoing analysis of higher education markets and the political and regulatory environment as well as tracking key market data and analysis of trends and consequences
• Develop and use sector and product insights to support identification and navigation of business opportunities
• Play a key role in market sizing and in target and student number planning, informed by business insights and market research. Work with stakeholders to gain institutional agreement for planning assumptions
• Effectively share market and policy insights and conclusions with internal stakeholders (e.g. Marketing and Communications, Government and External Affairs) in the most appropriate format as required
• Cultivate and manage appropriate relationships within the University (e.g. BDU, faculties, project teams) as well as with external clients and other stakeholders, and act as a representative for the BDU 
• Where appropriate, lead and participate in wider University projects that help deliver the BDU’s objectives and targets, as directed by Head of Strategic Planning and Insight and the Senior Leadership Team

About You

Essential:

• Proven ability to develop complex and compelling business plans, proposals and investment cases
• An ability to analyse complex information quickly and accurately for communicating simple narratives effectively to multiple internal and external audiences, through reports, papers and briefs
• Experience of complex stakeholder engagement, building relationships, influencing and negotiating at multiple levels, in a challenging and dynamic environment
• Proven ability to think strategically and proactively identify and resolve complex problems and issues
• Strong commercial awareness and strategic business acumen
• Excellent planning and prioritisation skills, with a proven track record of managing multiple competing deadlines
• Experience of working in fast-paced, high-pressure environments with frequent change
• Experience of developing strategic insights that support navigation of opportunities and business decisions
• Capacity for leading and managing projects – no formal qualifications or specific prior experience is required, but candidates should be able to demonstrate excellent project management skills or experience

Desirable:

• Experience of working in Higher Education sector or HE-related knowledge is desirable

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be on average once per week.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

We anticipate that interviews for this role will be taking place during the week commencing 20 October 2025. 

Early closing date notification

We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following document(s):

• CV
• A personal statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job description

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.