Head of Finance

UK Agri-Tech Centre; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A Scottish government agency is seeking a Finance Lead to enhance financial sustainability. The successful candidate will have over 10 years of experience, strong analytical skills, and be capable of leading through change. This role promises a fulfilling environment focused on continuous improvement, offering benefits like a generous pension and flexible working arrangements. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Benefits

28.97% pension contribution

Generous annual leave

Employee discounts

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years relevant experience in financial leadership roles.
• Strong financial management and analytical skills.
• Proven experience managing teams and building relationships.

Responsibilities

• Shape strategic direction and execute innovative financial services.
• Drive business improvements through efficient financial services.

Skills

Financial leadership

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Job description

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is the Scottish Government Agency that manages Scotland’s national forests and land – 640,000 hectares or 9% of Scotland’s land area. We deliver commercially sustainable forestry, conserve and enhance the environment, and deliver benefits for people and nature. These include supplying 40% of Scotland’s timber, supporting the green energy transition as the largest UK estate of onshore windfarms, hosting 10m visitors per year and conserving and restoring iconic landscapes and nature across 9% of Scotland. Our mission is ‘to look after Scotland’s forests and land, for the benefit of all, now and for the future’ with a vision of ‘forests and land that Scotland can be proud of’.

Beyond everyday continuous improvement, we have identified a number of specific Major Productivity Improvement Projects to increase our productivity especially across the forest management cycle. Some of these may be transformational in time. All are designed to help us run the business better every day when delivered.

The FLS Finance team plays a pivotal role in driving business success and are central to our mission to ensure FLS’ financial sustainability. We are seeking an experienced strategic leader, bringing analytical insights and excellent influencing skills to support the next stages of our business transformation as we work towards embedding a financially sustainable operating model. Our finance team are committed to delivering high-impact, efficient, and value-driven financial services focussed on driving business improvements.

In this pivotal role, you will help shape FLS’ strategic direction and play an integral part in executing innovative financial services aligned with our progressive visionwhile fostering a culture of trust and inclusivity.

About you

We are looking for a highly skilled finance leader with a minimum of ten years relevant experience. You will demonstrate strong financial and analytical skills and experience leading teams and building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders. If you thrive through leading and managing through change in a complex and dynamic environment and are looking to take on a challenging and rewarding opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. Bring your expertise, passion, and dedication to help us continue driving success and fostering a culture of excellence.

What we offer

• 35-hours working week.
• We are a flexible employer, and we are proud to be known for our approach to ensuring a healthy work life balance.
• We offer a significant pension contribution of 28.97% into a defined benefits scheme.
• Generous annual leave allowances of (25 days a year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service) and public/privilege holiday entitlement (11½ days a year) which support our commitment to your wellbeing.
• Generous paid leave allowances including family leave and sickness leave
• Vast range of employee discounts and many more benefits.

We are a supportive, safe and inclusive organisation, looking for talented, innovative and committed individuals to help us look after Scotland’s national forests and land. We want to find the best candidate, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. If you are interested but are feel that you don’t perfectly meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

How to apply

For further information, please contact Kirsten Hendry on [e-mail] or by calling FWB on 0131 539 7087.

Please apply with your CV and covering letter detailing evidence of the essential and desirable criteria detailed on the attached job description and success profile document.

Apply Now

To apply, please send your CV to Kirsten Hendry, Associate Director at FWB to [e-mail] or for an initial confidential discussion, please contact her on 0131 539 7087.

Contact the team at FWB to discuss your individual or company requirements, or to discover more about our specialist services.