Planning and Performance Manager, SEO, Perm, Liverpool

Job purpose:

You will lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of organisational planning, performance and reporting arrangements that support the delivery of strategic objectives and business outcomes.

You will provide leadership and expert advice on organisational planning, performance management and portfolio oversight, ensuring that plans are aligned to strategic priorities, supported by robust performance measures and informed by evidence-based analysis.

Working across directorates and corporate functions, the role will maintain an integrated organisational planning framework that identifies key milestones, dependencies, risks, assumptions and resource requirements, providing senior leaders with the insight and assurance needed to make informed decisions and drive delivery performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management

• Lead the development and maintenance of integrated organisational plans that support the delivery of corporate objectives and priorities
• Ensure organisational plans clearly identify milestones, dependencies, risks, assumptions, deliverables and success measures.
• Coordinate planning activity across business areas to ensure alignment between operational delivery, strategic priorities and resource availability.
• Support prioritisation and decision-making by providing analysis of organisational capacity, competing demands and delivery impacts.
• Maintain oversight of organisational commitments and delivery portfolios, ensuring progress is monitored and reported effectively.

Performance Management and Reporting

• Lead the development and maintenance of the organisational performance framework, ensuring meaningful performance indicators are in place to measure delivery and outcomes.
• Produce high-quality performance reports and management information for senior leaders, governance boards and stakeholders.
• Provide analysis, forecasting and insight to support evidence-based decision-making and effective organisational performance management.
• Identify emerging issues, trends and risks and provide recommendations to improve performance and delivery confidence.
• Ensure performance information supports organisational accountability, assurance and continuous improvement.

Governance, Risk and Assurance

• Establish and maintain planning, performance and reporting standards, processes and controls across the organisation.
• Monitor delivery risks, dependencies and issues, escalating concerns and recommending corrective action where appropriate.
• Support organisational governance processes by providing accurate and timely planning and performance information.
• Work with colleagues across governance, programme management, finance and business areas to ensure effective organisational assurance arrangements are maintained.

Resource Planning and Business Improvement

• Work collaboratively with Finance, Programme Management and operational teams to identify future resource requirements and capacity constraints.
• Support workforce and resource planning activity through analysis of current and future organisational demand.
• Promote the use of planning and performance management best practice across the organisation.
• Lead or contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance organisational planning, reporting, governance and performance capability.
• Act as a subject matter expert on organisational planning, performance management and portfolio oversight.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following:

• A blind CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skill and experiences.
• A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role outlined on the Job Description.

We will assess your CV and Personal Statement against the Essential criteria for the role.

We will ask you to carry out a Presentation at interview and we will assess you against the following Behaviours at interview:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview Arrangements

Interviews will be taking place face to face in our Bootle Office

The sift is due to take place on the 25/09/2026

Interviews will be taking place on 07th & 08th October 2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.

Behaviours:

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

This post is full time however those applicants who do or wish to work an alternative working pattern are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available. You should discuss this with the vacancy holder.

Reasonable Adjustment:

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve Lists:

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying:

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly.

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Concerns/Complaints:

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance hrselfservice@charitycommission.gov.uk.

If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web page https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact/.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.