Chief Investment Officer

National Wealth Fund Limited; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Wealth Fund is seeking a Chief Investment Officer to lead the integrated investment function across public and private markets, reporting to the CEO in a hybrid Leeds-based role.

You will shape investment strategy, mobilise private capital and oversee advisory activity with a focus on regional growth and the UK energy transition, ensuring rigorous governance and strategic execution.

Qualifications

• Debt, credit and structuring capability with experience originating, structuring and executing lending and investment transactions.
• Investment judgement across debt and equity with principal-investment experience.
• Front-office leadership overseeing origination, underwriting, structuring and execution teams.
• Private capital mobilisation through deep relationships with investors, banks and sponsors.
• Experience across infrastructure, energy transition or long-term capital-intensive sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the integrated investment strategy across public and private markets.
• Oversee lending and investment activity, including origination, structuring, execution and recycling of capital.
• Chair the investment committee and ensure sound due diligence and risk management.
• Represent NWF externally with credibility to government, investors, banks, sponsors and developers.

Skills

Debt & credit

Front-office leadership

Private capital mobilisation

Infrastructure investment

Executive leadership

Job description

Shape the Future with the National Wealth Fund

At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continue to drive forward the Government’s growth ambitions.

We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution.

Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office.

Deadline to Apply: 8th November 2026. Please submit a CV and supporting statement to quoting the search reference NWF CIO in the subject line.

Reporting to: CEO

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Role Purpose

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CIO will lead the National Wealth Fund’s integrated investment function, bringing together all front-office activities across public and private sector lending, investment and capital deployment.

The CIO will shape and execute NWF’s investment strategy to support UK growth, deploy capital effectively and crowd in private investment. The role will also provide strategic oversight of NWF’s public-sector advisory activity, ensuring that early-stage project support helps accelerate delivery of strategic projects.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Investment Leadership

• Lead the design and delivery of NWF’s integrated investment strategy, spanning public and private sector markets.
• Ensure capital deployment aligns with NWF’s mandate to support regional growth, mobilise private capital and accelerate the UK’s transition to clean energy.
• Translate strategic priorities into robust investment pipelines, clear risk appetites and disciplined execution plans.
• Provide thought leadership on market trends, investment opportunities and policy developments relevant to NWF’s mission.

2. Front-office Leadership capital deployment

• Oversee lending and investment activity across public and private sectors, including origination, structuring, execution and recycling of capital.
• Lead and develop a high-performing front-office team, ensuring clear accountability for delivery and performance while remaining sufficiently close to complex transactions to provide judgement and challenge.
• Build deep relationships across investors, financial institutions, sponsors and developers to mobilise private capital and co-investment.
• Drive high standards of commercial rigour, credit quality and operational discipline, ensuring NWF operates to banking standards.
• Chair the investment committee, ensuring sound due diligence, risk management and alignment to strategic objectives.

3. Public-sector Investment and Advisory

• Provide strategic oversight of NWF’s public-sector advisory work and engagement with Local Authorities and Strategic Partnerships.
• Ensure early engagement helps accelerate project maturity and translate ambitious pipelines into investable opportunities.
• Foster effective partnerships between advisory and banking teams, bringing together investment expertise, local insight and capital.

4. Enterprise Leadership and Organisational Contribution

• Act as a senior member of the Executive Committee, contributing to the overall leadership, strategy and direction of NWF beyond the investment function.
• Shape a strong, collaborative culture across the investment teams and wider organisation.
• Lead and develop talent within the investment and advisory function, strengthening succession and capability for future growth.
• Represent NWF externally with credibility and authority, including government, investors, financial institutions, mayors and regional partners.
• Ensure adherence to NWF’s governance, risk and reporting frameworks.

Experience and Capabilities

• Debt, credit and structuring capability. Substantial experience originating, structuring and executing complex lending and investment transactions, with strong credit judgement.
• Investment judgement across products. Strong judgement across debt and equity, with sufficient principal-investment experience to lead capital allocation, portfolio construction and investment decision-making.
• Front-office leadership. Responsibility for origination, underwriting, structuring and execution teams, with the ability to remain sufficiently close to transactions to challenge investment decisions and set standards.
• Private capital mobilisation. Deep relationships across investors, banks, sponsors, developers and the wider financial market, with the credibility to bring capital alongside NWF.
• Infrastructure and transition experience. Credible exposure to infrastructure, energy transition, green finance or other long-term capital-intensive sectors.
• Enterprise leadership. Breadth to contribute beyond the investment function as a senior leader and member of Executive Committee.
• Leadership at scale and complexity. A track record of building and developing high-performing multidisciplinary teams in complex, high-stakes environments.
• External judgement and credibility. The ability to operate across financial markets, government, institutional investors, infrastructure developers and the UK’s nations and regions, under public and political scrutiny.

Helpful Experience

• Understanding of UK public-sector financing frameworks, including local-authority financing, devolution or strategic partnerships.
• Experience working at the interface between public policy and private capital.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do.

We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience. Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.