Head of Operational and Capital Finance
(Open to nationwide applications)
We are seeking a senior professional with 10+ years' experience, ideally in utilities or equivalent highly regulated sectors, with strong business partnering, finance, and capital projects expertise. The ideal candidate will have experience leading large teams, working with and supporting senior direct reports, and be a strong communicator able to support and work with business stakeholders.
The Operational and Capital Finance Function:
• Lead the focus on driving continuous cost efficiency in both operational costs and capital investment, ensuring cost reduction plans and performance monitoring are in place to achieve company targets.
• Oversee financial analysis supporting strategic and operational initiatives and ensure alignment with existing capital and works, embedding project finance rigor, return on investment, and best practice for specific capital and operational projects, budgets, and plans.
• Review, challenge, and provide all investment business cases via the investment management team.
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Head of Operational and Capital Finance acts as a strategic advisor and lead interface between business areas and finance teams, managing, shaping, and supporting a consistent finance service provision. Leads teams to deliver top-class finance business partnering capabilities for operational and capital expenditure along with financial investment modelling and scenario planning to ensure the wider organisation can deliver on its strategic objectives and commitments.
Required Experience & Skills:
• Relevant third-level qualification or accreditation is desirable, along with relevant experience.
• A minimum of 10+ years' experience in the water, utilities, or similar industries is desirable, along with 5+ years' working at a senior manager level.
• Excellent leadership and people skills are required, with a demonstrable ability to attract and develop a high-performing committed team.
• Significant leadership, change, and transformation experience is ideal, particularly in a utility, regulated industry, or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Able to work to deadlines and adapt to changing conditions and ambiguity, generating effective and pragmatic solutions to new situations and problems as they arise.
• Can quickly establish credibility and respect, building strong working relationships and influence effectively at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Proven track record of working in a commercially focused environment, collaborating across multiple functions and business areas.
• Excellent communication skills, handling complex and difficult situations with thought and confidence.
• Proven delivery against Business Objectives within a complex and large organisational context, demonstrating an ability to align resources across these environments.
• Strong negotiation skills with a win-win mindset.
• Financially and commercially astute.
• Experience of implementing policies, systems, and controls, and overseeing the implementation of progressive policies.