Finance Director in London

Location: Bootle, Cheltenham, London

As an executive member of the Board and a key member of the ONR Executive and Senior Leadership teams, the Finance Director has responsibility for leading the Finance Directorate (finance, procurement, commercial, risk management, estates) and IT and CISO Directorates to deliver strategic intent coherently, effectively, and efficiently.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership to the Executive, Senior Team, wider organisation and Board on Finance Directorate matters.
• Lead the Finance Directorate Management Team and support effective building of stakeholder confidence, credibility, engagement and influence.
• Lead delivery of the IT business plan and oversee secure, stable and cost-effective digital and technology services aligned with ONR priorities and collaboration needs.
• Provide executive leadership to the CISO, ensuring cyber security is managed as an enterprise and financial risk, with clear separation between IT operations and independent cyber risk oversight.
• Ensure technology and cyber investment decisions reflect organisational priorities, affordability and long-term sustainability.
• Make a strong, value-adding contribution to ONR’s strategy and support delivery of Corporate Plan priorities and ambitions.
• Ensure sound financial management, value for money, improved efficiency, and delivery of budget and financial outturn in line with Board expectations.
• Promote financial probity, governance, accountability and control across the organisation.
• Embed procurement and commercial strategies that reflect best practice and strengthen commercial focus.
• Lead change and improvement across the directorates and wider organisation, role-modelling ONR’s culture and values.
• Provide expert, impartial advice on commercial, risk and financial matters to meet accounting and audit requirements.
• Lead the production and reporting of budgets, annual reports, accounts, statutory returns and controls.
• Lead ONR’s Integrated Audit and Assurance activity, including Regulatory Assurance.
• Lead all estates functions, including strong contract management and lease renegotiation.
• Work with colleagues to improve the certainty and effectiveness of industry charging arrangements and maintain stakeholder confidence in ONR’s charging and financial management.
• Develop organisational capability through coaching, leadership and succession planning.
• Support the organisation through business partnering, collaboration, governance and operational efficiency.
• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to identify issues affecting ONR and agree appropriate action.
• Actively foster an inclusive and respectful team environment by completing DEI training, role-modelling inclusive behaviours, valuing diverse perspectives in decision-making, addressing non-inclusive behaviours promptly, ensuring team practices promote fairness and belonging for all members.
• Ensure risks are identified, assessed and managed in line with ONR’s Risk Management Framework.
• Ensure staff comply with key policies, procedures, guidance and mandatory training requirements.
• Ensure you and your teams actively role model and advocate good practice in health, safety and wellbeing at work (HSW), and support the implementation of the HSW through personal leadership and commitment that demonstrates our desired safety culture.

Accountabilities:

• As a member of ONR’s ELT and SLT, demonstrate enterprise leadership throughout ONR to develop and instil a culture that will enable ONR to deliver its strategic objectives and meet its declared values.
• Provide leadership and direction to the Finance and Commercial function ensuring ONR operates in line with the principles set out in HM Treasury’s “Managing Public Money” to ensure a robust central focus for securing sound financial management at ONR with appropriate and proportionate financial controls.
• Executive owner of financial, digital and cyber risk, ensuring appropriate controls, assurance and reporting to the SLT and ONR Board.
• Executive Director and lead officer for ARAC, and with ARAC Chair, setting agenda to ensure quality of assurance and engagement.
• Oversee the production of budgets, business plans, accounts, annual reports, statutory returns ensuring implementation and control.
• Ensure compliance with government policies/initiatives that apply to ONR’s policy and regulatory work.
• Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) accountabilities for a number of strategic change projects.

Person Specification:

Essential qualifications:

• Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject area (or equivalent).
• Hold a professional CCAB Accountancy qualification or internationally recognised equivalent.

Essential Skills/Job Related Expertise:

• Leadership: A highly accomplished finance leader with a proven track record of sustained success, bringing extensive experience contributing at senior leadership and Board level to shape organisational direction and strategic focus. Provides authentic, visible, and inspiring leadership across the directorate and wider organisation, with a strong ability to manage and influence teams by creating an environment that both supports and challenges, fostering the development of high-performing teams.
• Technical Expertise: Extensive experience in strategic planning and the successful execution of finance initiatives, with proven expertise in managing corporate financial accounting and reporting.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrates strong experience in building and sustaining collaborative relationships and strategic partnerships, with a proven ability to influence and establish credible, trusting relationships with colleagues, external partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Communication: Combines the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely with extensive senior leadership experience in delivering complex, multi-faceted programmes and strategies. Brings strong maturity, gravitas, and presence, underpinned by high emotional intelligence, alongside a proven capability to simplify complexity and drive clear, effective outcomes.
• Judgement and Decision Making: Demonstrates strong risk management judgement and effective decision-making, leveraging subject matter expertise and evidence to provide sound recommendations to the CEO, Board, and committees. Adopts a logical, purposeful approach with high motivation, resilience, and a positive outlook, remaining composed and decisive under pressure. Acts as a trusted advisor and collaborative team player, committed to integrity and serving the public interest.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience working in both the Public and Private sectors.
• Multi-functional responsibility across two or more of finance, procurement, commercial, planning, risk management, business intelligence, IT and estates functions.

Location / Travel:

This post may be undertaken from a base at any one of ONR’s office locations (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London). If not Bootle based, the successful candidate will need to be prepared to travel to Bootle on a frequent basis as well as potential other UK travel. The successful applicant requires a full driving licence which permits the holder to drive in the UK unless reasonable adjustments can be made under the Equality Act 2010. ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and/or at home) as part of our flexible working policy. There is an expectation that everyone will spend some time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will collaborate with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

Security Clearance:

The successful candidate must hold or be able to secure SC clearance.

For more information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button below.