Chief Financial Officer - CFO (Contract)

Chief Financial Officer, UKRI

Contract Term: This is a permanent, open-ended position.

Please note, this role includes regular travel to sites across the UK and international travel on occasion.

Direct Reports: The postholder will have line management responsibility for ~7 direct reports which includes roles such as Chief Information Officer, Finance Director and General Counsel & Head of Legal.

Successful candidates will be encouraged to take up their appointment as soon as possible, following the successful completion of pre-appointment checks and security clearance.

Security Level: The successful candidate must hold, or be willing to undergo, Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.

We bring together nine executive council partners (the seven Research Councils plus Innovate UK and Research England) with a shared vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

UKRI also provides coordinated strategic advice to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on the balance of funding between research disciplines.

Any knowledge-driven economy must support curiosity-driven research to provide the novel ideas that underpin the application of research, which ultimately leads to innovative companies that deliver the products and services which change our lives.

We employ around 9,000 staff who support some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects.

We develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world and work collaboratively with industry, academia and government in exciting partnerships.

Supporting skills and talent, from doctoral training to leadership in academia, industry and the public sector.

Building and sustaining national research infrastructure, including major facilities, data capabilities and digital platforms.

Driving place-based growth, supporting clusters and strengthening local innovation ecosystems across the UK.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior strategic leader and principal adviser to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Board. As a principal decision-maker, the CFO provides organisation-wide leadership across the following UKRI functions:

• finance
• legal
• digital and data
• risk and assurance

Alongside the CEO, the CFO is an executive member of the UKRI board.

The CFO is responsible for ensuring the organisation manages public money with strong governance, effective stewardship of public funds, and the highest standards of financial management, assurance and control.

They should provide strategic leadership on all aspects of public sector finance. They must ensure that financial decisions are robust, evidence-based, and aligned with government priorities and the organisation’s statutory responsibilities.

The CFO leads the organisation’s engagement with Spending Reviews and wider fiscal planning, ensuring that:

• financial forecasts are credible and sustainable
• the organisation can demonstrate strong financial management to ministers, the sponsoring department, HM Treasury, and other stakeholders.

Working in close partnership with the CEO, the CFO plays a central role in shaping and delivering UKRI’s long-term strategic vision.

The role requires a deep understanding of the political, economic and societal context in which UKRI operates, translating external drivers and risks into clear strategic priorities and operational plans.

The CFO also manages a number of senior leaders across UKRI, building organisational capability and resilience.

Externally, the CFO will build confidence and engage at the highest levels of Government, industry, academia and with international partners.

The CFO will be a member of the Executive Committee and the UKRI Board, carrying overarching responsibility for managing finance and commercials across the UK Research & Innovation portfolio worth ~£10Bn.

The CFO will establish and maintain a legally robust, risk-based governance and control framework that supports confident decision-making and delivery.

They will lead engagement with the Government Internal Audit Agency and the Audit Committee, providing clear assurance to the Accounting Officer and Board on the effectiveness of governance, risk management and internal control.

They will also serve as a non-executive director on UKRI spin-out company boards where required, offering governance, challenge and commercial insight to support growth and protect public value.

Guiding the development and execution of UKRI’s long-term strategy, exercising sound judgement in balancing DSIT objectives, financial constraints, and emerging national opportunities to position UKRI as a world-leading research and innovation organisation.

Overseeing day-to-day executive operations as a core member of the Executive Committee, with direct accountability for finance, digital, data, risk and legal, across UKRI’s entire portfolio.

Representing the CEO and UKRI at high-level engagements, deploying strong influencing skills to build trust with industry, and steward key relationships at central and local government levels, as well as with major customers, strategic partners and corporate service providers.

Serving as a non-executive director on UKRI spin-out boards as required, bringing strong governance, commercial insight, and independent judgement to high-growth ventures.

Extensive experience holding enterprise-wide responsibility for financial probity, governance, and the effective delivery of financial outcomes within a large, complex organisation.

Strong understanding of the drivers of UK economic growth, including wider policy, sectoral, and market trends that shape national research and innovation priorities.

Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to establish credibility quickly and build productive partnerships with industry, central and local government, universities, and other external institutions.

Demonstrated commitment to personal growth, organisational learning, and continuous improvement, contributing to a culture of high performance and innovation.

Flexible Working: ~30 days annual leave + Public Holidays ~ Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme ~ Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider.