At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial strategy and performance for the National Wealth Fund, shaping its future.
- Company: Join the National Wealth Fund, a key player in UK investment and growth.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, unique learning opportunities, and a chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with a focus on diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Be a strategic partner to the CEO and influence major investment decisions.
- Qualifications: Extensive senior finance leadership experience and strong commercial judgement required.
The predicted salary is between 117000 - 143000 £ per year.
At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continuing to drive forward the Government's growth ambitions.
We are looking for skilled and results-oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution.
Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office.
Deadline to Apply: 29th November 2026. Please submit a CV and supporting statement to responses@russellreynolds.com quoting the search reference NWF CFO in the subject line.
Role Purpose
The Chief Financial Officer will be a key strategic partner to the CEO, Board and Executive Committee, helping to shape the financial strategy, performance and long-term sustainability of the National Wealth Fund. As both a Board and Executive Committee member, the CFO will contribute well beyond the leadership of the finance function. They will bring financial and commercial judgement to the Fund’s strategy, provide constructive challenge as its portfolio grows, and help ensure that capital is deployed effectively against the National Wealth Fund’s objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, Executive Committee and Board on strategy, performance and long-term value creation.
- Support the development and execution of the Fund’s strategy, ensuring robust financial insight informs key decisions.
- Provide strategic leadership and challenge on capital allocation, portfolio optimisation, balance sheet development and investment performance.
- Identify and evaluate growth opportunities, strategic partnerships and innovative approaches to delivering the organisation’s objectives.
- Bring external market insight and commercial perspective to Executive and Board discussions.
Commercial and Financial Performance
- Maintain accountability for the Fund’s financial performance, balance sheet and capital resources.
- Drive high-quality financial planning, forecasting, performance management and decision support.
- Provide commercial challenge and insight on major investments, initiatives and strategic opportunities.
- Ensure effective management of financial resources to maximise both investment impact and organisational performance.
- Develop reporting and performance frameworks that support informed decision-making at Board and Executive level.
External Stakeholder Management
- Represent the Fund with Ministers, HM Treasury, other government departments, investors, regulators and other senior stakeholders.
- Develop strong, productive relationships across government and industry.
- Act as a credible ambassador for the Fund within the financial and investment community.
Governance, Risk and Controls
- Lead the maintenance and continued evolution of the Fund’s financial control environment and financial risk management framework.
- Ensure the organisation meets the highest standards of financial governance, reporting and regulatory compliance.
- Support the CEO in fulfilling their responsibilities as Accounting Officer.
- Act as Senior Accounting Officer for the Fund, ensuring all duties are fulfilled accordingly.
- Oversee the development of finance systems, controls and processes capable of supporting a sophisticated and growing investment institution.
Enterprise Leadership and Capability Building
- Build and develop a high-performing finance function capable of supporting a complex, commercially focused investment organisation.
- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement and value creation.
- Attract, develop and retain exceptional finance talent.
Experience and Capabilities
Candidates are likely to bring substantial senior finance leadership experience from a sophisticated banking, investment or other financial institution, or from an organisation with comparable balance sheet, capital allocation and investment complexity. We will be particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Substantial CFO leadership experience, ideally gained as a CFO, divisional or legal-entity CFO, or in a role of comparable breadth and accountability within a significant financial institution.
- Deep understanding of balance sheet and capital management, with the experience to contribute credibly across lending, credit, equity investment and portfolio-level capital allocation.
- Strong investment and commercial judgement, with the ability to look across a portfolio, understand the interaction between risk and return, and provide constructive challenge on major investment and strategic decisions.
- A track record as a strategic partner to a CEO, Board and Executive Committee, contributing beyond the finance function to enterprise strategy, performance and organisational development.
- Experience operating in a sophisticated governance and control environment, with sufficient technical finance depth to inspire confidence with the Board and Audit and Risk Committee.
- Outstanding stakeholder capability, with the presence and judgement to represent NWF credibly with government, investors, financial institutions and other senior external stakeholders.
- Leadership of high-performing finance teams through growth or transformation, including the ability to develop strong capability and succession beneath them.
- Experience spanning both the private and public sectors would be valuable, but is not essential.
- A professional accountancy qualification would be advantageous.
A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do. We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience.
Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.
Chief Financial Officer employer: UK National Wealth Fund
At the National Wealth Fund, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and inclusive work culture. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through unique learning opportunities that blend private and public sector expertise, empowering you to make a meaningful impact on the UK's future. With competitive benefits and a focus on driving national security and clean energy initiatives, joining our team means contributing to a mission that truly matters.
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We think this is how you could land Chief Financial Officer
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We think you need these skills to ace Chief Financial Officer
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