Chief Financial Officer

UKNNL are looking for an experienced senior finance professional who will bring commercial and financial expertise along with the ability to provide leadership and strategic direction, as a trusted partner to the CEO. The vacancy comes during a period of significant transformation both for the Finance function and for the organisation, as the Executive team are looking to reset primary processes, initiating behavioural change and ultimately impact the success of the business.

The position leads the organisations financial strategy, ensuring strong financial performance, governance, and compliance. They oversee finance business partnering, reporting, business planning, business control, and internal controls while driving transformation and business growth. The role is a full UKNNL Board member interacting with internal and external stakeholders including UKGI, DESNZ and Treasury to ensure achievement of strategic objectives. The role will help drive and unlock growth opportunities across UKNNL using sound financial and commercial understanding to guide and challenge the organisation. It will play a key strategic role in UKNNL’s business plans, providing expertise and clear direction to the Board, and will be accountable for setting financial and non-financial targets, acting as guarantor of financial integrity to the Board as well as the business. It will lead commercial decision making and negotiations with the shareholder, customers, and suppliers, ensuring that security and safety is paramount to delivery. The role may also lead the company IT function. The location for this role is flexible and can be based at Risley, Preston, Workington or Sellafield.

Main Responsibilities:

• Oversee UKNNL financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cash management including ensuring there is sufficient funding to maintain working capital, and provide investment for the business.
• Ensure financial controls, processes and systems are effective to achieve best practice corporate governance, incorporating legal & tax compliance and identifying continuous improvements to annual and strategic planning processes.
• Lead the financial control of the business, including planning and management of working capital, production of company accounts and financial reporting as required by law.
• Responsibility for their department’s strategy, standards and management at UKNNL, ensuring that the skills and capability are in place to deliver.
• Lead the UKNNL business planning process, ensuring 10 year plus financial plan and long-term optimising of funding through effective capital allocation strategies.
• Work with each Business Director to develop strategic financial objectives and provide support in driving home financial targets, challenging and suggesting improvements to the strategic plans.
• Lead the preparation of submissions to Government to secure appropriate funding and subsequently manage those funds.
• Produce and present timely and accurate financial reports to the Board.
• Optimise core functional systems ensuring there is alignment with the required processes within the function, to drive the transformation, operational efficiency, and change required across the organisation.
• Communicate and manage financial risks, ensuring Board members are aware of proposed measures to be adopted.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, auditors and regulatory bodies.
• Lead, develop and mentor high-performing teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and engagement.
• Communicate effectively across all levels, adapting messages for various audiences.

Duties and obligations required of a Director of the Company:

In addition to their responsibilities as the leader of a number of core business functions, the job holder is also required to meet certain obligations as a Company Director and to fulfil the duties of a Director as described in the Companies Act 2006, as amended.

Key Skills required of Job Holder:

• Experience of operating at a CFO or senior leadership level in Finance, with deep understanding of public sector and regulated organisations and experience at interfacing and managing processes within government bodies including treasury.
• Degree qualified in a relevant commercial discipline (or relevant equivalent qualification), or significant experience in relevant fields; with appropriate professional qualification in finance management, for example CIMA, ACCA.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience of managing senior stakeholder relationships internally and externally to build collaborative and mutual beneficial relationships.
• Experience of applying effective corporate governance arrangements in an organisation of appropriate scale and complexity.
• Competent in meeting statutory reporting, audit and related external requirements of the Finance function accurately and on time and in presenting and publishing financial performance.
• Considerable and diverse demonstrable experience of leading a Finance function with a proven track record in delivering effective reporting, policies and accounting procedures at Board level.
• Experience and understanding of contracting arrangements and negotiations in complex and regulated industries along with Procurement and Supply Chain understanding through both direct transactions and partnering arrangements.
• Ability to add value, reduce costs and make business improvements.
• Results driven, possessing a proven track record of delivering against targets.
• A solution focused approach to team and stakeholder problems, who can lead by example in line with UKNNLs values.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and get the best out of a team, proven with experience.
• Ability to obtain DV level security clearance (this includes but is not limited to identity, employment, financial, criminal record checks, interview plus 10 years of UK residency).

Why join us?

UKNNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

Employee Benefits:

• Sector leading Family‑Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
• Attractive pension plans: If you contribute 5%, UKNNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), UKNNL will still contribute 10%.
• Annual Leave: Benefit from days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK.
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco‑friendly.
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance.
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and / or physiotherapist (limits apply).

About The Company:

UKNNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole. This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

UKNNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where UKNNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you.