The role

The Group Chief Financial Officer will be the principal advisor and trusted partner to the Chief Executive Officer and the NDA Board on all finance and management issues. As a full NDA Board member, you will work collaboratively with various Government departments, the NDA Executive and senior representatives from across the NDA group.

You will ensure the NDA delivers value by providing stewardship for taxpayer’s funds and protecting government assets - ensuring every pound is spent in the most effective and efficient way. You will provide our stakeholders with insightful analysis and reporting to inform decision making.

The NDA’s mission - to clean up the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively with care for people and the environment - is the largest, most important environmental restoration project in Europe spanning decades.

With this at the forefront of everything you do, and with a broad remit across the 17 sites, you will have overall responsibility for the finance function, leading best practice financial management and control, driving growth across the NDA and its subsidiaries.

The GCFO will be responsible for finance, business planning, internal audit, sanction, property, insurance and pensions for the NDA.

Accountabilities

Leading and working with the Finance Directors across the NDA group to ensure they have sufficient capability and capacity to meet business objectives. Driving collaboration across the group - maximising value, optimising procedures, sharing best practice and joint procurement of financial services.

The NDA Corporate Centre responsibilities include:

• Maintaining the scheme of delegated authority
• Managing and developing the group relationship with government finance functions and NAO
• Managing the treasury and banking functions of the group
• Approval of changes in financial management in The NDA businesses, for example banking arrangements
• Appointment of appropriate external advice and support, for example accountancy and taxation
• Preparing management information and financial submissions for The NDA Executive, Board and Government

To enable performance and professional excellence group-wide, you will:

Lead

• In collaboration with the businesses, develop and set the Finance functional strategy and standards including financial reporting and accounting, performance reporting, insurance and pensions and the policy, modelling and analysis and standards on business cases
• Prepare submissions to government to secure funding and manage the group portfolio of funds
• Prepare and consult on the ‘One NDA’ Business Plan to secure ministerial approval
• Manage land and property assets making them available for re-use, revenue generation and to deliver socio-economic benefit

Govern

• Provide support and advice on implementation of the scheme of delegation and approvals
• As part of the overall NDA group assurance plans, undertake assurance business level finances and finance aspects of business cases
• Provide the NDA’s governance on sanction and business case submissions
• Ensure Energy Act pension protections are satisfied
• Set group-wide in-year financial limits and delegated authorities to businesses
• Provide The NDA Board, Executive and Government with financial reports and on other aspects of performance
• Implement a programme of insurance to cover insurable risks within the group
• Maintain the quarterly performance review process

Share

• Support smaller businesses, e.g. with business case preparations or new standards
• Optimise the model for delivering finance services across the group
• Develop group-wide 20 year financial plans and long-term optioneering for funding allocation
• Share best practice in management of insurable risks and develop, maintain and test a bespoke incident management system to handle major events across the group

Engage

• Champion the NDA group perspective within Government on emerging financial policy
• Lead interactions with Government on business performance of the group
• Engage with businesses and the insurance underwriter to drive value for money
• Drive standardisation across the group property portfolio
• Provide external stakeholders with performance reports
• Support and guidance to the NDA Audit Committee
• Working collaboratively with the NDA’s Commercial Director to secure around £1 Billion of external income

Person profile

• A seasoned business accountant, with deep understanding of how Government operates
• A proven track record of achievement at board level in public and/or private sector organisations
• Significant experience at managing senior stakeholder relationships, internally and externally, with the ability to build productive and mutually beneficial relationships
• Experience of understanding public sector funding, working with government and/or in a regulated industry
• Experience of large-scale change management in a complex organisation
• Maturity, presence and resilience in operating in an executive leadership role
• Ability to lead and govern teams in a matrix environment by sharing and engaging
• Experience of successfully applying effective corporate governance arrangements in an organisation of relevant scale and complexity
• Experience of and ability to operate strategically and operationally across the full business lifecycle
• Comfortable operating in a unionised environment
• A qualified accountant, educated to degree standard, preferably in a related field such as finance, economics, accounting

The NDA value the unique differences that each of our colleague brings to work every day and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, included and able to perform at their best.

Interested parties must either hold or be capable of achieving Developed Vetting security clearance.