Commercial Planning Manager

Why Business

Our aim is to create a world-class BT Business unit that delivers long-term value for our customers, colleagues, partners, investors, and other stakeholders, both in the UK and internationally, across the full range of business segments from small enterprises to governments and multinational companies. This includes:

• Driving full integration of channels and products to best serve our business, government, and wholesale customers in the UK and internationally.
• Investing strategically in present and future needs of customers, aligned behind common digital, network and security platforms.
• Accelerating our transformation plans and delivery of next generation products and services, making it easier for customers to do business with BT and for BT to transact more profitably with customers continuing to invest in the skills, technology and partnerships required to return to growth and become the leading provider of secure multi-cloud connectivity.

Why this job matters

Our newly formed Small and Medium Business team will support businesses with between1 to 249 employees. That could be anything from a sole trader through to a small contact centre. We're already the market leader for small and medium businesses in the UK and we have a big opportunity for Business to be even better for its customers. We’ve got big growth and transformation ambitions for this segment and in this role, you will play a key role in forming this new combined unit and working with the leadership team to continue to drive for growth.

The small business customers we serve across the UK have many challenges, from trying to grow, stay afloat, reduce costs, deal with uncertainty, keep their employees happy, and keep their customers happy. It’s tough out there. 

Through our technology, our expertise, our scale and reach we have the ability to change the way they do business to make them more productive, be leaner, do things faster, better, smarter.

We do this by really understanding our customers and standing in their shoes, getting out there with them and seeing how they work. And we translate this into brilliant value propositions that they simply can’t get anywhere else, this is why they come to BT.

The Business Planning team acts as a “mission control” function to the SMB business – ensuring our business and financial plans are aligned to the strategic objectives, and working effectively across SMB and the wider Business organisation to ensure component parts of the plan are delivered. 

What you’ll be doing

• Own and build the SMB P&L models which shows the hydraulics of the business plan, ensuring full alignment to SMB strategy
• Own the SMB MTP story and initiative list to ensure accountability across SMB to deliver
• Own and update the rolling P&L outlooks ensuring accurate picture of P&L outturn vs. MTP
• Maintain the Risks & Opportunities to drive the business towards hitting MTP targets
• Work closely with and provide council to key stakeholders who input into Business Planning processes, including Trading, Marketing, Propositions, Sales Channels, Finance, Service
• Govern SMB to ensure delivery of activities against commitments and targets
• Build business cases for new investment proposals (propositions, transformation, other), ensuring alignment and prioritisation against SMB strategy. Ensure investment proposal go through Business Capex processes
• Transform and optimise business planning processes in near and longer term enabling Business Planning to improve forecasting and planning processes

The skills you’ll need

What we would like to see on your CV

• Business Planning: Skill in developing comprehensive business plans that align with strategic objectives. This involves setting clear goals, defining actionable strategies, outlining resource requirements, and establishing performance metrics to monitor progress and measure success.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills are essential for success in this role
• Financial Analysis: Ability to perform financial analysis to evaluate the financial health and viability of business initiatives. 
• Strategic Analysis: Proficiency in conducting strategic analysis to assess internal and external environments. 
• Markets: A solid understanding of the markets in which we operate, across Fixed, Mobile, SaaS and futures. Knowledge of how these markets operate, what factors affect their prices etc.

Benefits Include

• Competitive salary
• Up to 10% on target bonus
• Pension scheme (up to 10% BT contributions)
• Flexible Hybrid working
• Access to training and development to help you grow with us
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• Shares Plan
• Flexible benefits: cycle to work, healthcare, etc.
• Discounted BT products and services

Flexible Working

BT have moved to a hybrid working model - you can work from home 2 days per week. This means you’ll be at your contractual location 3 days a week.