Assistant Finance Director

Role Overview

Deputy Finance Director – Fixed term (6–12months) located in Green Park, Reading (free onsite parking). The role supports the Finance Director in stabilising and strengthening a complex finance function during a period of transformation and programme delivery.

• Assist the Finance Director in stabilising and strengthening the finance function through a period of transformation.
• Rapidly assimilate AWE’s financial position at a strategic level, providing insightful analysis and highlighting key risks, issues and opportunities to senior stakeholders.
• Ensure delivery of accurate, timely and high‑quality financial and management reporting.
• Drive the integrity and consistency of financial data, ensuring a single version of the truth across corporate systems.
• Ensure financial data is effectively structured to enable informed decision‑making.
• Provide technical accounting expertise across UK GAAP and IFRS.
• Partner with the Finance Director to define and implement a target operating model.
• Drive improvements in performance, accountability and outputs.
• Identify inefficiencies and support resolution of capability gaps.

• Qualified, impact‑oriented Finance Director‑level leader experienced in complex, multi‑entity environments (ACA, CIMA or ACCA).
• Demonstrated experience partnering with executive leadership teams and board stakeholders.
• Strong track record in finance transformation, process improvement and performance uplift.
• Deep expertise in financial reporting, governance and control frameworks.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate financial data into clear, actionable insight.
• Decisive, resilient and delivery‑focused, able to build credibility quickly in a complex environment.
• A collaborative, people‑centric leader with a record of developing team capability and improving performance.
• Experience in a regulated or arm’s‑length body is preferable but not essential.

• 9‑day working fortnight (every other Friday off) plus 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market‑leading contributory pension scheme with employer contributions between 9% and 13% of pensionable pay.
• Family‑friendly policies: 39‑week maternity leave at full pay and 4‑week paternity leave at full pay.
• Professional career development funding, including annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life assurance at 4× annual salary.
• Access to savings and discounts across everyday spending.
• Special leave policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

• British citizenship required.
• Candidate must have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years to obtain Security Clearance, and for 10 years for Development Vetting.
• Sufficient security clearance will be funded by the employer.