Finance Director

We are seeking an exceptional Finance Director to join our Executive Team at a pivotal time in the institute's development. Reporting directly to the Director and CEO, this is a strategic, influential leadership role responsible for shaping and delivering our long term financial strategy-ensuring the institute's sustainability, resilience, and continued support of world class scientific research.

As Finance Director, you will work in close partnership with the Executive Team, the Board, and key external stakeholders. You will lead our finance, procurement, and grants functions, ensuring that resources are aligned to institutional priorities and that robust governance underpins all financial operations.

This role offers the opportunity to make a profound impact on the institute's future, driving financial excellence, strategic clarity, and operational effectiveness in a unique scientific environment.

About You:

The successful candidate will be CCAB qualified with substantial post qualification leadership experience.

You will have:

• Extensive senior level financial leadership experience within complex organisations (e.g., research, higher education, public sector, not for profit).
• Demonstrable expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, modelling, and long term strategy.
• Strong understanding of governance, financial controls, audit, risk, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Proven ability to influence, negotiate, and collaborate at senior levels internally and externally.
• Demonstrable leadership experience in finance, procurement, and/or grants environments, with a focus on continuous improvement and talent development.

Our ideal candidatewill bring a strong commitment to Rothamsted's mission and values and will actively champion our philosophy of inclusivity, collaboration, integrity and respect. A proven ability to lead change and drive performance improvement initiatives across finance operations , together with o utstanding interpersonal and communication skills.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and execution of the Institute's long term financial strategy, ensuring financial resilience and sustainability.
• Providing authoritative financial insight to the Director/CEO, Executive Team, and Board, enabling high quality strategic and operational decision making.
• Driving integrated financial planning across the Institute, ensuring alignment between research objectives, operational needs, and available resources.
• Leading the end to end financial planning cycle, including budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, cashflow management, and performance reporting.
• Providing strategic and operational leadership for the Finance, Procurement and Grants functions
• Executive collaboration and Institutional support
• Governance & External Stakeholder engagement

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the financial future of the instit ute delivering world leading science with real global impact. You will join a collaborative Executive Team and lead talented finance professionals dedicated to supporting cutting edge research and organisational excellence. We offer a competitive salary and an attractive benefits package including 30 days annual leave, Christmas closure, a generous pension scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, free parking, a campus offering cultural and recreational activities and positive work life balance.

We welcome applications for both interim and permanent appointments. While the role is designed as full time, we are open to considering part time arrangements (minimum three days on site) for an exceptional candidate.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Closing Date: 13 March 2026

About The Company

Established in 1843, Rothamsted Research is one of the UK's leading Research Institutes delivering world class agricultural science. Our commitment to learning and development, equality, diversity and inclusion and flexibility in working arrangements creates a positive work life balance and enables a welcoming environment for all prospective employees.

As a Disability Confident Employer we are committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process and all disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview. If this is required, please contact us. Applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or age are welcomed, providing the required criteria is met.

We have an attractive benefits package including 30 days annual leave, a generous pension scheme, Employee Assistance Programme and an attractive campus offering cultural and recreational activities.