Chief Executive Office for Investment
Job summary
Increasing investment, both foreign and domestic, is crucial to the UK’s economic growth and the future prosperity of its citizens. Leveraging private investment is also fundamental to delivering new infrastructure, the energy transition and retaining international leadership as a science and technology driven economy.
The Office for Investment (OfI) was spun out of Downing Street in January 2021 and is now a joint unit between No.10, His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The OfI is an exciting, creative and dynamic place to work as part of a motivated and driven team with both commercial and public sector backgrounds. The Office works closely with Secretaries of State, Junior Ministers, and No.10 to deliver the highest-value, highest profile investment propositions.
Sitting at the heart of government, OfI sources and secures transformational investment that drives sustainable growth, creates quality jobs, and boosts productivity across the UK. We identify and deliver high-impact investment aligned with the UK’s strategic priorities. Our team of around 200 professionals brings expertise from the private sector and central and regional government, supported by specialists in 25 priority international markets.
Through our network of Senior Investment Advisers, OfI targets core global markets to attract and grow investment. We are proactive, innovative, and committed to ambitious outcomes, positioning OfI as the UK’s centre of excellence for investment promotion.
OfI's vision and mission is to secure investment to drive growth, job creation and increased productivity across the UK. We are proactive and entrepreneurial, delivering ambitious outcomes aligned to the Industrial Strategy and HMG Missions. To become a centre of excellence for attracting and growing investment we want to attract talented people from the private sector and across government – local and national - who are curious, creative and agile in pursuing emerging opportunities for the UK
Our new Chief Executive will lead this unit and shape the future of investment in the UK.
Job description
As Chief Executive for the Office for Investment, you will:
- Secure transformative investment deals that fuel UK growth, create high-value jobs, and boost national productivity.
- Define and deliver the UK’s investment vision, setting the strategic direction and driving government ambitions with clarity and pace.
- Provide strong and inspirational leadership for an elite team of investment specialists, unlocking high-impact projects and providing a world-class concierge service for major investors.
- Engage at boardroom level with global business leaders, navigating complex commercial challenges and shaping solutions that require government intervention.
- Drive performance and outcomes, using data-driven insight, barrier removal, with focus on continuous improvement to maximise impact.
- Influence across the investment ecosystem, building powerful relationships with No. 10, HM Treasury, Ministers, and senior Whitehall leaders to align efforts behind the UK’s economic growth mission.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
The successful candidate should be clearly motivated by public service and have a desire to deliver HM Government's growth agenda. They will also be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:
- Experience of working with global corporates and investors at board level to originate and land major commercial deals, as a principal or advisor, with a strong understanding of what is investable.
- Existing credibility with global CEOs, Chairs and Cabinet Ministers or a proven ability to build these relationships.
- Candidates should have a demonstrable interest in public policy and government. Government or wider public service experience, whilst not essential, would be an advantage.
- A resilient leader with proven ability to achieve tangible results in a complex environments where ambiguity can be a factor.
- Strategic and analytical insight to design and deliver an approach to increase inward investment.
- Experience setting high-performances culture and developing a highly skilled teams.
- Ability to work across private and public-sector boundaries with a delivery focus.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £208,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £60,257 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.Selection process details
To apply for the role, please submit:
A comprehensive CV (no more than two pages);
- A supporting statement (no more than two pages) which sets out your interest in the role and explains how your experience meets the criteria listed in the Person Specification.
- A completed Diversity Information Form. This can be found as an attachment on the job posting on the Civil Service Jobs website
- Please also include details of two referees (who would only be contacted with your express permission)
Please email these documents to: ApplicationsKF@kornferry.com before mid-day on Monday 16 February 2026.
We are committed to ensuring everyone can access this application process. This includes people with sight loss, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairments. Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, or you are unable to apply online please contact anna.jackson@kornferry.com
For a conversation in confidence, please contact peter.guilder@kornferry.com
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Peter Guilder
- Email : peter.guilder@kornferry.com
Recruitment team
- Email : peter.guilder@kornferry.com
Further information
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission ComplaintsAttachments
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Salary range
- £208,000 per year