Assistant Director – Resource Planning

Assistant Director Resource Planning

This is an exciting time for Resource Planning at Roke as we build on the professionalism of our people and work closely with the business to develop and implement Roke business and people strategy. The Central Operations Team partners with Business Unit Operations Teams in order to drive business performance and growth.

Roke are a leading technology & engineering company with clients spanning National Security, Defence and Industry 4.0 through our Futures business and Intelligence as a Service. You will work alongside our customers to solve their complex and unique challenges.

To enable for us to deliver our strategy, we want to attract a Resource Planning Professional with demonstrable experience in:
* Maximising resource productivity across multiple complex business units in a dynamic and growing environment
* Leading Resource Planning activities in a technology-based, professional services matrix organisation.
* Leading and managing various aspects of an Integrated Business Planning (IBP) process including (but not limited to) Capacity Planning and Enterprise Risk.
* Delivering sustainable and profitable growth.
* Owning, assuring, developing and analysing Management Information (dashboards) to present actionable insight and recommendations to the business.
* Being a trusted advisor to senior leadership who provides balanced and pragmatic advice on operational performance and risk.
* Liaising, influencing and challenging effectively to build relationships at all levels and with multiple stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:
* Team Leadership leadership of the Resource Management Office (currently 13 FTE).
* Resource Management support and mentor the Head of Resourcing and the Resource Management Office in order to deliver a balance of budgeted productivity into the business. Act as final point of escalation for resourcing conflicts, working with peer Assistant Directors to broker compromise and resolution. Validation of contractor demand.
* Operational Performance Manage the work of the Central Business Operations Manager and Business Analyst to support BAU business operations and provide actionable insight to the wider business. Provide operational assurance of MI ensuring one version of the truth.
* Roke Operating Board support various workstreams in the Roke Operating Board, providing timely and accurate operational reporting in relation to business performance, process and enterprise risks with an opportunity to serve on the Roke Operating Board at some point.
* Integrated Business Planning (IBP) participate in and direct various aspects of the Roke IBP process including (but not limited to) the external and internal demand activities.
* Operations Forum - participate in the Operations Forum, with a focus on delivering a consistent approach to operations across all business units, whilst accommodating tolerable differences where appropriate.
* Capacity Planning provide 1st line assurance of IBP capacity planning analysis and outcomes/recommendations. Validate proposed recruitment of BU engineering resource against availability/capacity of similar resource pan-Roke. Work with L&D and Supply Chain to promote ‘blended’ solutions to gap closure where appropriate.

Built over a 60-year heritage, Roke offers specialist knowledge in sensors, communications, cyber, and AI and ML. We change the way organisations think and act through dynamic insights from the analysis of multiple layers of data. We take care of the innovative, technical stuff that keeps everyone safe that’s our mission, passion, and motivation.
Joining a team united by purpose and ambition, you’ll be at the heart of an exciting growth journey: having doubled in size over the last 4 years, we intend to double our headcount by 2027. At Roke, every individual counts. We push technical boundaries, together. We re-invest in product innovation, and we empower our people to make a difference.

Key Requirements / Experience:
Essential:
* Minimum of 10 years’ experience in a commercial professional services environment with the following attributes:
* Experience of leading Business Resource Management in Professional Services or similar matrix organisation at a senior level.
* Experience of operational resourcing in a professional services/technology setting and connection to business performance (not recruitment).
* Regarded as SME within stakeholder community and leads on defining approach to Business Operations.
* Ability to edit and summarise complex data in a concise manner, presenting actionable insight and multiple courses of action to a diverse audience.
* Key stakeholder experience of IBP processes in a people-based organisation.
* Highly resilient with demonstrable ability to challenge key senior stakeholders; evidencing ability to change opinions and mindsets.
* Able to demonstrate being comfortable with complexity and working with often ambiguous requirements.
* Able to be the operational bridge to strategy; demonstrating an understanding of both Company and Business Unit strategies to ensure informed decisions are made.

Desirable:
* Experience of working in Defence and/or National Security sectors.
* Experience of technology sector including exposure to Software Development, Cyber, AI & ML, Data Science and Systems Engineering professions.
* Experience of delivering/leading continuous improvement/operational excellence activity

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours:
* Detailed understanding of Business Resource Management in a professional services/consultancy setting.
* Strong communication and interpersonal skills across all channels with an emphasis on senior stakeholder management.
* Not willing to accept non-compliance of process and relentless approach to driving conformity through good governance.
* High degree of proactivity, recognising and escalating operational risks in addition to identifying where other team members might require support.
* A genuine team player, able to collaborate x-functionally across Business and Corporate Services to deliver.
* Able to apply creative problem-solving techniques in a fast-paced environment.
* High level of prioritisation/organisational skills and excellent time management. Willing to flexible in terms of working patterns and occasional travel to satellite offices.
* Good judgement, balancing the needs of the individual, customer and the business.

Technical competencies

* Understanding of Resource Management tooling/technology such as core PSA provision, or dedicated RM tools such as Profinda (or similar).
* Previous use of dash boarding tools such as PowerBI.
* Experience of MS Teams/All Microsoft 365 applications, including good competency level in MS Excel.

Where you’ll work
ROMSEY - Alongside hybrid and flexible working options, you’ll find our Romsey site located within beautiful Hampshire countryside, close to the picturesque New Forest District and not far from a superb stretch of the south coast. This is no corporate concrete jungle; this is a manor house site, with ample parking an on-site gym and a driveway full of daffodils in the spring.

Clearances
Due to the nature of this role, we require you to be eligible to achieve SC clearance.

The Next Step...
Click apply, submitting an up-to-date CV. We look forward to hearing from you.