Head of Department of Finance (University College London)

About us This newly created job is based within the FP&A team. The Directorate leads on financial strategy, planning, internal management reporting and compliance reporting to our regulators, analysis and modelling. About the role The job will play a leading role in the next iteration UCL’s financial strategy, which will set out the direction of travel of the university beyond 2026/27. Central to this will be ensuring that both Operating and Capital expenditure align to strategic priorities. This requires working with teams beyond finance to agree and understand spending priorities, and setting out UCL’s options to fund those ambitions. You'll also undertake horizon scanning to inform the future shape of UCL’s financial strategy and define its requirements. You'll use your communication skills to engage with UCL’s Strategy, Estates, HR, and Change and Improvement functions. You will also play a key role in finance's relationship with the Planning team on our biggest (>£1bn) income budget: tuition fees. A full list of responsibilities can be found on the attached job spec. This is a Grade 9 post and UCL's salary scales at this level are £65,698 to £71,357 (inclusive of London weighting.) We may be able to pay slightly more for an exceptional candidate. About you To do this job you'll need: -To be a fully qualified accountant with experience in a financial planning or strategy role -Successful experience of developing financial strategy in a complex environment -Significant experience communicating complex ideas and choices to senior stakeholders, in writing (including data visualisation) and orally -A track record of financial leadership and influencing stakeholder If you've worked in the higher education sector before, then that's great. But if you haven't, and still tick our other boxes, then we'd love to hear from you! Please review the attached job description, paying particular attention to the essential and desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered off in your application. What we offer As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below: • 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) • Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme • Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) • Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan • Immigration loan • Relocation scheme for certain posts • On-Site nursery • On-site gym • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay • Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service • Discounted medical insurance Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Academicoxy

About us

This newly created job is based within the FP&A team. The Directorate leads on financial strategy, planning, internal management reporting and compliance reporting to our regulators, analysis and modelling.

About the role

The job will play a leading role in the next iteration UCL’s financial strategy, which will set out the direction of travel of the university beyond 2026/27. Central to this will be ensuring that both Operating and Capital expenditure align to strategic priorities. This requires working with teams beyond finance to agree and understand spending priorities, and setting out UCL’s options to fund those ambitions. You'll also undertake horizon scanning to inform the future shape of UCL’s financial strategy and define its requirements.

You'll use your communication skills to engage with UCL’s Strategy, Estates, HR, and Change and Improvement functions. You will also play a key role in finance's relationship with the Planning team on our biggest (>£1bn) income budget: tuition fees.

A full list of responsibilities can be found on the attached job spec.

This is a Grade 9 post and UCL's salary scales at this level are £65,698 to £71,357 (inclusive of London weighting.) We may be able to pay slightly more for an exceptional candidate.

About you

To do this job you'll need:

-To be a fully qualified accountant with experience in a financial planning or strategy role

-Successful experience of developing financial strategy in a complex environment

-Significant experience communicating complex ideas and choices to senior stakeholders, in writing (including data visualisation) and orally

-A track record of financial leadership and influencing stakeholder

If you've worked in the higher education sector before, then that's great. But if you haven't, and still tick our other boxes, then we'd love to hear from you!

Please review the attached job description, paying particular attention to the essential and desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered off in your application.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

If you apply for this position please say you saw it on Academicoxy

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