Head of Finance and Corporate Governance

Location: Flexible (any Care Inspectorate office)

Salary: £100,878

Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 08:00 on Tuesday 8 September 2026

Interview date: We anticipate holding interviews on 21 September 2026 at our Dundee Office.

About us

We are a scrutiny body that supports improvement. That means we look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. We are responsible for providing assurance and protection for people who experience care services, their families, carers and the wider public. Our vision is that people across Scotland experience high-quality care that meets their needs, rights and choices.

Our values:

• Person-centred: we put people, empathy, compassion, and kindness at the heart of everything we do
• Respect: we value everyone's dignity and are respectful in everything we do
• Equity: we embrace diversity and nurture an inclusive environment where everyone is supported to achieve equal outcomes
• Integrity: we act impartially, fairly, and consistently, upholding transparency and accountability in all our actions
• Impact: we focus on making a positive impact for everyone experiencing care in Scotland whilst ensuring our work delivers the best value to the public

Work-life balance

Our desire is to achieve an effective and balanced way of working, which enables us to meet organisational needs and achieve a work-life balance that promotes wellbeing and collaboration opportunities. Our hybrid working policy gives you the flexibility to mix working from home with attendance at your base office and other work locations, spending no more than 60% of your working time working from home, measured over a four-week period.

About the role

We are excited to announce a fantastic opportunity to join the Care Inspectorate as our head of finance and corporate governance. In this influential leadership role, you will play a key part in shaping the organisation's future by driving significant and sustainable improvements in how we manage and maximise our financial resources. You will provide strategic leadership across finance and corporate governance, ensuring the Care Inspectorate continues to operate effectively, efficiently, and transparently as Scotland's independent scrutiny, assurance, and improvement body. This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to public services, supporting our mission to ensure high-quality care and positive outcomes for people across Scotland. If you are passionate about making a difference, thrive on leading transformational change, and want to play a key role in an organisation that improves lives through better care, we would love to hear from you.

The role will provide strategic leadership for finance and corporate governance, ensuring effective delivery of financial reporting, planning and management, procurement, risk management, corporate governance, health and safety, facilities/environmental management, and business continuity. Support the executive director in driving organisational performance, resilience, continuous improvement, and best value.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the development and delivery of corporate strategies, objectives, and improvement plans across finance, governance, procurement, risk, health and safety, facilities management, and business continuity.
• Provide expert financial and strategic advice to the Chief Executive, Board, Executive Team, and senior leaders, supporting informed decision-making and organisational planning.
• Oversee financial stewardship, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, payroll, capital and revenue planning, audit, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead the development and implementation of governance, risk management, business continuity, and disaster recovery frameworks to support organisational resilience.
• Ensure effective procurement and contract management arrangements that deliver compliance, value for money, and best value principles.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and high-quality service delivery across all functional areas.
• Lead, develop, and motivate multidisciplinary teams, promoting high standards of performance, inclusion, professional development, and wellbeing.
• Build strong relationships with Board members, auditors, regulators, Scottish Government, partner organisations, and other key stakeholders to support organisational objectives and change initiatives.
• Deputise for the Executive Director of Corporate and Customer Services as required.

About you

We are looking for a candidate educated to degree level (or equivalent). You will demonstrate a strong commitment to maintaining and enhancing your professional expertise through ongoing CPD. Ideally, you may also hold a Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) qualification and a relevant management or leadership qualification, such as an MBA or Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) accreditation.

Skills, knowledge and experience:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic finance leader with a strong track record of leading high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams and delivering organisational improvement. The successful candidate will bring:

• Senior-level experience in public sector finance, accounting, financial planning, governance, procurement, and audit.
• Proven ability to provide strategic leadership, translating long-term organisational goals into effective operational delivery and measurable outcomes.
• Expertise in corporate governance, risk management, procurement, contract governance, and ensuring the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to drive efficient and effective use of resources and support sustainable organisational performance.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build productive relationships at all levels internally and externally.
• Political awareness and the ability to navigate complex organisational environments with sound judgement and resilience.
• A track record of leading change, driving continuous improvement, and challenging traditional thinking in a constructive and innovative manner.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex information, solve problems, and make well-informed decisions.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility, ensuring these principles are embedded within organisational practice.
• Strong digital and IT literacy, with experience of using technology and data to support effective communication, decision-making, and service delivery.

Key leadership attributes:

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• The ability to inspire, lead and develop professional teams, creating a clear sense of direction and purpose.
• Strong resource and budget management skills, delivering strategic objectives through effective planning and performance management.
• The capacity to influence and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve shared goals and improve outcomes.
• Resilience, credibility, and confidence in leading change and making difficult decisions in a complex environment.
• A commitment to delivering high-quality, efficient, and effective services that support organisational success.

Starting salary: The salary for this role is £100,878 per annum. We also offer a generous benefits package.

Next steps: If you would like more information or an informal chat about the role, please contact Recruitment. If you believe that your skills, experience and motivation make you a suitable candidate for this post, please complete our online application form by 08:00 on Tuesday 8 September 2026. We anticipate holding interviews on 21 September 2026 at our Dundee Office.