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As an executive member of the Board and a key member of the ONR Executive and Senior Leadership teams, the Finance Director has responsibility for leading the Finance Directorate (finance, procurement, commercial, risk management, estates) and IT and CISO Directorates to deliver strategic intent coherently, effectively, and efficiently.

Job description

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership to the Executive, Senior Team, wider organisation and Board on Finance Directorate matters.
Lead the Finance Directorate Management Team and support effective building of stakeholder confidence, credibility, engagement and influence.
Lead delivery of the IT business plan and oversee secure, stable and cost-effective digital and technology services aligned with ONR priorities and collaboration needs.
Provide executive leadership to the CISO, ensuring cyber security is managed as an enterprise and financial risk, with clear separation between IT operations and independent cyber risk oversight.
Ensure technology and cyber investment decisions reflect organisational priorities, affordability and long-term sustainability.
Make a strong, value-adding contribution to ONR’s strategy and support delivery of Corporate Plan priorities and ambitions.
Ensure sound financial management, value for money, improved efficiency, and delivery of budget and financial outturn in line with Board expectations.
Promote financial probity, governance, accountability and control across the organisation.
Embed procurement and commercial strategies that reflect best practice and strengthen commercial focus.
Lead change and improvement across the directorates and wider organisation, role-modelling ONR’s culture and values.
Provide expert, impartial advice on commercial, risk and financial matters to meet accounting and audit requirements.
Lead the production and reporting of budgets, annual reports, accounts, statutory returns and controls.
Lead ONR’s Integrated Audit and Assurance activity, including Regulatory Assurance.
Lead all estates functions, including strong contract management and lease renegotiation.
Work with colleagues to improve the certainty and effectiveness of industry charging arrangements and maintain stakeholder confidence in ONR’s charging and financial management.
Develop organisational capability through coaching, leadership and succession planning.
Support the organisation through business partnering, collaboration, governance and operational efficiency.
Work with the Senior Leadership Team to identify issues affecting ONR and agree appropriate action.
Actively foster an inclusive and respectful team environment by completing DE&I training, role-modelling inclusive behaviours, valuing diverse perspectives in decision-making, addressing non-inclusive behaviours promptly, ensuring team practices promote fairness and belonging for all members
Ensure risks are identified, assessed and managed in line with ONR’s Risk Management Framework.
Ensure staff comply with key policies, procedures, guidance and mandatory training requirements.
Ensure you and your teams actively role model and advocate good practice in health, safety and wellbeing at work (HSW), and support the implementation of the HSW through personal leadership and commitment that demonstrates our desired safety culture.

Accountabilities

As a member of ONR’s ELT and SLT, you will demonstrate enterprise leadership throughout ONR to develop and instill a culture that will enable ONR deliver its strategic objectives and meet its declared values.
Provide leadership and direction to the Finance and Commercial function ensuring ONR operates in line with the principles set out in HM Treasury’s “Managing Public Money” to ensure a robust central focus for securing sound financial management at ONR with appropriate and proportionate financial controls.
Executive owner of financial, digital and cyber risk, ensuring appropriate controls, assurance and reporting to the SLT and ONR Board.
Executive Director and lead officer for ARAC, and with ARAC Chair, setting agenda to ensure quality of assurance and engagement.
Oversee the production of budgets, business plans, accounts, annual reports, statutory returns ensuring implementation and control.
Ensure compliance with government policies/initiatives that apply to ONR’s policy and regulatory work.
Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) accountabilities for a number of strategic change projects.

Person Specification

Essential qualifications

Postgraduate degree in a relevant subject area (or equivalent)
Hold a professional CCAB Accountancy qualification or internationally recognised equivalent.

Essential Skills/Job Related Expertise

Leadership:

A highly accomplished finance leader with a proven track record of sustained success, bringing extensive experience contributing at senior leadership and Board level to shape organisational direction and strategic focus. Provides authentic, visible, and inspiring leadership across the directorate and wider organisation, with a strong ability to manage and influence teams by creating an environment that both supports and challenges, fostering the development of high‑performing teams.

Technical Expertise:

Extensive experience in strategic planning and the successful execution of finance initiatives, with proven expertise in managing corporate financial accounting and reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Demonstrates strong experience in building and sustaining collaborative relationships and strategic partnerships, with a proven ability to influence and establish credible, trusting relationships with colleagues, external partners, and senior stakeholders.

Communication:

Combines the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely with extensive senior leadership experience in delivering complex, multi-faceted programmes and strategies. Brings strong maturity, gravitas, and presence, underpinned by high emotional intelligence, alongside a proven capability to simplify complexity and drive clear, effective outcomes.

Judgement and Decision Making:

Demonstrates strong risk management judgement and effective decision-making, leveraging subject matter expertise and evidence to provide sound recommendations to the CEO, Board, and committees. Adopts a logical, purposeful approach with high motivation, resilience, and a positive outlook, remaining composed and decisive under pressure. Acts as a trusted advisor and collaborative team player, committed to integrity and serving the public interest.

Person specification

Desirable skills and experience

Experience working in both the Public and Private sectors.
Multi-functional responsibility across two or more of finance, procurement, commercial, planning, risk management, business intelligence, IT and estates functions.

Location / Travel

This post may be undertaken from a base at any one of ONR’s office locations (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London).

If not Bootle based, the successful candidate will need to be prepared to travel to Bootle on a frequent basis as well as potential other UK travel.

The successful applicant requires a full driving licence which permits the holder to drive in the UK unless reasonable adjustments can be made under the Equality Act 2010.

ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and / or at home) as part of our flexible working policy. There is an expectation that everyone will spend some time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will collaborate with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

Security Clearance

The successful candidate must hold or be able to secure SC clearance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £116,100, Office for Nuclear Regulation contributes £33,634 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Terms and conditions

Salary

A competitive salary with a generous employers’ pension contribution to the civil service pension scheme.

Future pay awards will be reviewed regularly and settled following negotiations between ONR and Trades Unions and with agreement from the Renumeration Committee.

Pension Scheme

ONR offers an excellent occupational pension scheme. We offer the choice of either:

A high quality, index-linked defined benefit pension scheme. Members contribute a percentage of their earnings, but we also make generous contributions and meet the bulk of the cost of this scheme or

A stakeholder pension with a contribution from ourselves. Our basic contribution is based on your age, and we pay this regardless of whether you choose to contribute anything. You do not have to contribute if you do not wish to but, if you do, we will also match your contributions up to an additional 3% of pay

Full details can be found on the Civil Service Pensions website at: Employer Hub

Other benefits include:

Flexible working arrangements
30 days annual leave, plus public holidays and 1 privilege day in a year
Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave allowance; carers leave
Occupational Health Services including counselling

Do visit Working for ONR - Rewards and benefits

Inclusion

ONR colleagues are from all walks of life with varied personal experiences and career journeys into ONR. We want the best people for our roles. As an inclusive employer we value individuals’ contributions, regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social background, religion, or belief. Our values ‘supportive, open-minded, fair and accountable’ are central to this. We invest in our people to build capability, resilience, and promote wellbeing in our great teams, underpinned by our inherent focus on inclusion and excellence.

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

Full details can be found on the Civil Service Pensions website at: www.civilservice-pensions.gov.uk.

Please apply directly through the link below.

https://webmicrosites.hays.co.uk/web/onr/how-to-apply

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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

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Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£116,100 per year