Head of Finance

About the Blavatnik School of Government

Our vision is of a world better led, a world better served and a world better governed. We are a global school committed to improving the quality of government and public policymaking worldwide, through three routes: teaching current and future leaders; generating research with impact; and engaging with governments and practitioners.

What we offer

The School is a collaborative, friendly, and dynamic department based in an award-winning building in Oxford. We host regular events and talks with well-known guest speakers – all of which are open to staff. On the social side, we have regular coffee/cake mornings for staff, a family-friendly Halloween event, and Christmas and summer parties.

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees' wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days' annual leave
• Family leave schemes and a comprehensive range of childcare services
• Cycle loan scheme and discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs
• Opportunities for hybrid working (typically 60% of working hours on-site and 40% remotely)

About the role

Offering a unique, flexible working, senior leadership opportunity, the joint Head of Finance will play a critical role in the next exciting phase of the Blavatnik School of Government. Supporting the School's Dean and Chief Operating Officer in analysing, planning and managing the School's finances and its growing budget and research portfolio, they will contribute to key strategic decisions about the School's development and management. They will co-lead the finance and research support teams (nine people) ensuring that they provide a customer-focussed, responsive service to its stakeholders, and that management and decision-making is informed by high quality financial data and analysis.

The post holder will provide assurance to the Dean, the Chief Operating Officer, the School's Management Board and the Division that the School's financial projections are robust and well-grounded. Priorities include managing reliable costing models for the School's wide range of activities, using financial data effectively to provide input and challenge to the School's strategic planning, and bringing financial acumen to bear in developing viable financing plans for new revenue streams.

The post holder will provide leadership in financial planning activities, particularly in the preparation of the School's annual budget. They will be responsible for the continued development of effective and resilient financial processes and controls. They will take the lead in financial reporting and monitoring, ensuring the School's financial position is closely monitored and that timely, accurate management information is provided to management and others. The post holder will co-manage the School's finance and research support professionals and will be expected to recruit, train and manage any additional finance staff.

About you

The post will suit a highly motivated individual with proven flexibility and initiative who is excited about helping to shape this new joint role and way of working for the School.

The post holder should hold an accounting qualification and have substantial experience of working in a financial management role, ideally in a fast-moving environment. Experience of the use of financial data to drive strategic decision-making in a proactive way will be particularly helpful.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate complex financial issues to a non-financial audience, and be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Application process

Please upload a supporting statement that outlines how you meet the selection criteria in your own words, along with your CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is at 12 noon (UK time) on Tuesday 6 May 2025.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 5 June and Monday 9 June and will be face to face.