Chief Financial Officer & Director of Corporate Functions

Job summary

The NSTA is recruiting a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Director of Corporate Functions to provide strategic leadership and oversight of financial management and of several established vital corporate functions including digital and data. The postholder will ensure robust financial stewardship, modern and efficient corporate services, and contribute as a key member of the NSTA Board and Leadership Team including providing the principle advice and support to the Chief Executive in their role as the Accounting Officer, responsible to Parliament, and acting when needed as the Deputy Accounting Officer.

Job description

Brief overview of role

The NSTA is recruiting a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) & Director of Corporate Functions to provide strategic leadership and oversight of financial management and of several established vital corporate functions including digital and data. The postholder will ensure robust financial stewardship, modern and efficient corporate services, and contribute as a key member of the NSTA Board and Leadership Team including providing the principle advice and support to the Chief Executive in their role as the Accounting Officer, responsible to Parliament, and acting when needed as the Deputy Accounting Officer.

As the CFO, a key priority for the successful candidate will be to ensure the NSTA continues to have a clear financial strategy and sound financial structure. You will ensure the integrity of all financial services including delivery, analysis, controls and internal and external reporting is of the highest quality and robust. Additional responsibilities with regards to fraud prevention and financial auditing fall within your remit.

The role has direct line management responsibilities for the Head of Finance, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Data Officer and Head of Corporate Services and Programme Delivery. The Directorate currently comprises of c50 staff.

As we work with government to respond to the North Sea Future Plan, we are reviewing potential further activities that may be overseen by this role, all of which will be discussed with the successful candidate.

Detailed job description and key responsibilities

Financial Leadership

• Lead long‑term financial strategy, ensuring robust controls, transparency, and compliance.
• Ensure the NSTA remains compliant with government and company financial management, spending controls and obligations.
• Ensure all duties of the Chief Financial Officer are conducted in accordance with our obligations, including planning, forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting. Manage financial risk, audit oversight, fraud prevention, and financial governance.
• Provide authoritative financial advice to the Board and senior leadership and act as Deputy Accounting Officer to Parliament as required.

Corporate Functions Leadership – including Digital & Data

• Strategic leadership of the key corporate functions including finance, data and digital services, facilities, procurement and the project management office.
• Ensure corporate functions lead and deliver efficient strategic and modern support to organisational delivery.
• Empowering, motivating and developing both the corporate leadership team and the wider directorate.
• Manage approx. 50 staff via corporate functional heads.
• Work with Chief Executive & Head of HR to consider the further evolution of this successful team as we respond to the North Sea Future Plan

Leadership & Organisational Contribution

• Be a full and impactful member of the Board of Directors in their work to provide the overall strategic direction and governance of the NSTA.
• Work collaboratively as a key member of the Leadership Team in their work to execute the organisation’s strategic priorities, shape delivery and maintain the NSTA as a great place to work.
• Play an active role in the NSTA’s ongoing transformation, enable continuous performance improvement, and ensure a clear focus on clarity of purpose, communication and engagement.
• Role model the NSTA behaviours and values.

Person specification

Competence 1: Decision Making and Judgement

• Create evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions. Ability to achieve and deliver organisational objectives while minimising risk and balancing a wide range of considerations to drive and deliver outcomes. Ensure involvement and consultation where necessary and take decisive action when required.

Competence 2: Leading and Communicating

• Inclusive, engaging and values-based leader, who is able to collaborate and engage colleagues and stakeholders, deliver a vision, particularly during periods of change, whilst also showing evidence of listening, adapting and being open to change. As a strategic thinker, be able to set a clear direction and vision whilst managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity. Effectively lead and manage teams through periods of change as the organisation evolves.

Competence 3: Delivery

• Build a culture of strong performance allowing delivery of outcomes with a firm focus on prioritisation and addressing performance resolutely, fairly and promptly. Demonstrate the ability to provide the focus, energy and agility to drive activities forward, often through appropriate delegation and encouraging staff to perform effectively in a challenging and changing environment. Accountability for the delivery of outcomes within the Directorate.

Competence 4: Planning, Performing and Achieving

• Lead the successful delivery of key transformation organisational objectives ensuring the appropriate planning, prioritisation, allocation of resource, cost-efficiency and an agile approach. Demonstrate the ability to translate complex aims into clear and manageable plans and determine resource requirements to support implementation.

Specialist Skills, Qualifications, Experience, Licences, Memberships or Language

Essential:

• Experience of working as a senior finance leader alongside experience of directing other corporate functions.
• Professional accounting qualification.
• Demonstrable record of understanding public and/or private finances, experience of best practice financial procedures and the UK regulatory framework for corporate governance.
• Experience of leading experts from highly skilled functions, driving performance without micromanaging activity.
• Experience in maintaining and improving services by managing risks to ensure own area and partners deliver against defined outcomes.
• Experience of successfully managing complex stakeholder relationships.

Desirable

• Experience of directing corporate functions including information technology (digital and data), facilities, procurement and project management.
• Experience and demonstrable credibility in a Board level role.
• Able to critically analyse long-term strategic objectives and develop strategies that support achievement of objectives.
• Experience in, and/or knowledge of, the sectors directly regulated by the NSTA.
• Experience in, and/or knowledge of, the UK public sector and civil service.

Benefits

Mandatory text:
- This advertised role is not within the Civil Service or an accredited Non Departmental Public Body, as such your continuity of service may be affected if you apply and are successful.
- This role does include an option to apply for a Civil Service Pension.

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

Competence based sift and interview process against the competencies detailed in the job description. First round interviews w/c 18th May 2026

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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 : NSTA Recruitment
• Email : NSTArecruitment@nstauthority.co.uk
• Telephone : 0300 020 1010 or 1090

Recruitment team

• Email : NSTArecruitment@nstauthority.co.uk

Further information

https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/careers/what-to-expect/regulations-and-duties/
https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/