Head of Commercial Planning & Performance (Education)

TL;DR

Head of Commercial Planning & Performance (Education): Leading commercial planning and prioritisation to align strategic goals with execution within the UK's largest academic qualifications provider with an accent on portfolio management and cross-functional alignment. Focus on building a new planning capability from the ground up and managing complex delivery roadmaps in a regulated environment.

Location: Hybrid (Manchester, UK) - typically 2+ days per week in the office

Salary: £67,000 - £76,000

Company

hirify.global is the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, dedicated to advancing education for teachers and students.

What you will do

• Lead commercial planning and prioritisation to ensure alignment between enterprise strategy and commercial delivery.
• Create visibility across programmes, projects, and strategic initiatives using 1-3 year roadmaps.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and resource challenges to support senior leadership decision-making.
• Build and develop a new planning capability and team from the ground up.
• Coordinate activity across Commercial and partner functions to drive a unified "one team" approach.
• Own performance tracking and reporting, holding functions accountable for agreed commitments.

Requirements

• Experience leading complex programmes, portfolios, operational planning, or business transformation.
• Proven track record of managing competing priorities across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience working within a regulated environment.
• Strong leadership skills and a history of developing people and teams.
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical plans and tangible outcomes.
• Must be based in or able to commute to Manchester for hybrid work (2+ days/week)

Nice to have

• Knowledge of Airtable to support planning and workflow management.

Culture & Benefits

• 35-hour working week with flexible, hybrid working arrangements.
• 25 days' annual leave, rising to 30, plus Christmas closure days.
• Comprehensive benefits package including BUPA healthcare and wellbeing programmes.
• Pension scheme with combined contributions of up to 18.5%.
• Inclusive, values-led culture with active employee networks and volunteering opportunities.

Hiring process

• Initial application via CV and role-related questions.
• First-stage interview conducted via Microsoft Teams.
• Final-stage assessment and interview.