Chief Financial Officer

Aston Fisher Limited; Reading; On-site; GBP 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Aston Fisher Limited, Reading, invites applications for a CFO/Board Director to lead enterprise‑wide financial strategy in a national, capital‑intensive environment. Reporting directly to the CEO and serving on the Board, you will oversee major investment programmes, governance, risk management and stakeholder confidence while driving affordability and performance.

You will bring board‑level finance leadership in large, complex organisations, with experience of government or regulatory scrutiny

Qualifications

• Board-level finance leadership experience in a large-scale organisation.
• Experience in infrastructure, engineering, utilities, transport, or similarly complex environments.
• Proven track record leading teams of 100+ and finance transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise financial strategy, planning, and long-term affordability.
• Oversee significant capital investment programmes and resource allocation decisions.
• Provide strategic advice to the CEO, Board, and executive leadership team.
• Drive organisational performance, productivity, and value creation initiatives.
• Lead large, multi-layered finance and commercial functions.
• Sponsor finance transformation, digital enablement, and process modernisation.
• Ensure robust governance, risk management, and financial controls.
• Build trusted relationships with senior government, regulatory and external stakeholders.

Skills

Board finance leadership

Strategic financial planning

Capital investment governance

Stakeholder management

Transformation leadership

Job description

A unique opportunity to join the executive leadership team of a nationally significant, highly complex organisation operating at scale within a regulated, capital-intensive environment. This Board-level appointment will play a pivotal role in shaping long-term strategy, investment priorities, operational performance, and organisational transformation.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive and serving as a statutory Board Director, the successful candidate will provide enterprise-wide financial leadership, ensuring the organisation can deliver against a substantial portfolio of strategic programmes whilst maintaining rigorous governance, affordability, and stakeholder confidence.

We are interested in speaking with current or former CFOs, Divisional CFOs or Finance Directors who have operated within large, complex organisations where strategic investment, infrastructure delivery, operational risk, and stakeholder scrutiny are fundamental to success.

What we need you to bring:

• Board-level finance leadership experience within a large-scale organisation.
• A background in infrastructure, engineering, utilities, transport, defence, capital projects, energy, manufacturing, or similarly complex environments.
• Experience overseeing major investment programmes and capital governance.
• Strong exposure to government, regulatory or highly scrutinised stakeholder environments.
• A proven track record leading large finance organisations including leadership of teams of 100+ employees and transformation programmes.
• The ability to influence at executive, board and stakeholder level while bringing both strategic insight and operational discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise financial strategy, planning, and long-term affordability.
• Oversee significant capital investment programmes and resource allocation decisions.
• Provide strategic advice to the CEO, Board, and executive leadership team.
• Drive organisational performance, productivity, and value creation initiatives.
• Lead large, multi-layered finance and commercial functions.
• Sponsor finance transformation, digital enablement, and process modernisation.
• Ensure robust governance, risk management, and financial controls.
• Build trusted relationships with senior government, regulatory and external stakeholders.

What's Different About This Opportunity?

This is more than a traditional CFO position. The role offers the opportunity to influence the future direction of a nationally important organisation, balancing long-term investment, operational excellence, transformation, and governance within a highly complex environment.The successful individual will be a strategic partner to the CEO, a trusted adviser to the Board, and a visible leader across the wider organisation.