Chief Financial Officer

UKNNL are looking for an experienced senior finance professional who will bring commercial and financial expertise along with ability to provide leadership and strategic direction, as a trusted partner to the CEO.

The vacancy comes during a period of significant transformation both for the Finance function and for the organisation, as the Executive team are looking to reset primary processes, initiating behavioural change and ultimately impact the success of the business.

The position leads the organisations financial strategy, ensuring strong financial performance, governance, and compliance. They oversee finance business partnering, reporting, business planning, business control, and internal controls while driving transformation and business growth. The role is a full UKNNL Board member interacting with internal and external stakeholders including UKGI, DESNZ and Treasury to ensure achievement of strategic objectives.

The role will help drive and unlock growth opportunities across UKNNL using sound financial and commercial understanding to guide and challenge the organisation. It will play a key strategic role in UKNNLs business plans, providing expertise and clear direction to the Board, and will be accountable for setting financial and non-financial targets, acting as guarantor of financial integrity to the Board as well as the business.

It will lead commercial decision making and negotiations with the shareholder, customers, and suppliers, ensuring that a security and safety is paramount to delivery. The role may also lead the company IT function.

The location for this role is flexible and can be based at Risley, Preston, Workington or Sellafield.

• Oversee UKNNL financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cash management including ensuring there is sufficient funding to maintain working capital, and provide investment for the business.
• Ensure financial controls, processes and systems are effective to achieve best practice corporate governance, incorporating legal & tax compliance and identifying continuous improvements to annual and strategic planning processes.
• Lead the financial control of the business, including planning and management of working capital, production of company accounts and financial reporting as required by law.
• Responsibility for their departments strategy, standards and management at UKNNL, ensuring that the skills and capability are in place to deliver.
• Lead the UKNNL business planning process, ensuring 10 year plus financial plan and long-term optimising of funding through effective capital allocation strategies.
• Work with each Business Director to develop strategic financial objectives and provide support in driving home financial targets, challenging and suggesting improvements to the strategic plans.
• Lead the preparation of submissions to Government to secure appropriate funding and subsequently manage those funds.
• Produce and present timely and accurate financial reports to the Board.
• Optimise core functional systems ensuring there is alignment with the required processes within the function, to drive the transformation, operational efficiency, and change required across the organisation.
• Communicate and manage financial risks, ensuring Board members are aware of proposed measures to be adopted.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, auditors and regulatory bodies.
• Lead, develop and mentor high-performing teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and engagement.
• Communicate effectively across all levels, adapting messages for various audiences.

In addition to their responsibilities as the leader of a number of core business functions, the job holder is also required to meet certain obligations as a Company Director and to fulfil the duties of a Director as described in the Companies Act 2006, as amended.

• Degree qualified in a relevant commercial discipline (or relevant equivalent qualification), or significant experience in relevant fields; with appropriate professional qualification in finance management, for example CIMA, ACCA.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience of managing senior stakeholder relationships internally and externally to build collaborative and mutual beneficial relationships.
• Experience of applying effective corporate governance arrangements in an organisation of appropriate scale and complexity.
• Competent in meeting statutory reporting, audit and related external requirements of the Finance function accurately and on time and in presenting and publishing financial performance.
• Considerable and diverse demonstrable experience of leading a Finance function with a proven track record in delivering effective reporting, policies and accounting procedures at Board level.
• Experience and understanding of contracting arrangements and negotiations in complex…