Heriot-Watt University

Role: Deputy Director - Finance

Grade and Salary: Grade 10 (Competitive)

Location: Edinburgh Campus

About Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages.

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs – so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.

Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.

We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

For full details on our University please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt http://www.hw.ac.uk/about/careers-at-heriot-watt.htm

About our Team 

The Finance team is one of the Professional Services supporting the University’s mission and its strategic priorities. On a day-to-day basis, it does this by delivering a range of financial operations:

• routine financial transactional processing in payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable
• sound management accounting, including ensuring the availability of accurate and timely financial management reporting; and effective budgeting and planning
• effective operation of financial systems
• effective and timely delivery of statutory financial reporting

In addition, the Finance department supports the delivery of the University’s strategic plan through effective financial planning, including capital investment planning, project appraisal and identification of sustainable funding streams.

Purpose of Role

This role reports to the Global Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership to the Finance Directorate and to the University. The role is also responsible for the effective operational running of the Edinburgh based finance operation.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership to the Finance Directorate and to the University by providing expert financial advice to senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Deputise for the Global Chief Financial Officer where needed including key committee groups; University Executive; Global Operations Executive and University Court Meetings.
• Ensure the efficient and effective operational running of the Edinburgh based finance operation.
• Ensure all aspects of people management, development and review are in place across the team. Keep the team’s structure and skill set under review, ensure that these are appropriate and deliver efficient, effective and consistent working practices and output. 
• Specific accountability to provide leadership that will drive a sustainable positive cultural transformation of the finance directorate.
• Ensure the overall integrity of the University’s financial position, support the delivery of complex financial analysis and insight. 
• Provide detailed explanations of complex technical accounting regulations in line with current UK and International Financial Reporting Standards Ensure accounting standards and relevant legislation are complied with.
• Ensure strategies are in place for managing a complex series of priorities with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure an effective control environment is in place across the finance function, allowing issues to be escalated timely to senior management or governance teams.
• Ensure appropriate papers are prepared for governance for (internal and external), attend and present at the governance meetings as the lead finance professional.
• Lead a culture of continuous improvement embedding new ways of working as part of the ERP implementation and ensure processes are optimised with a focus on integration with legacy systems.
• Ensure all external reporting, including statutory accounts are produced in line with agreed timelines.
• Ensure management accounts, analysis and financial insight are produced in line with agreed timelines.
• Ensure budgeting and forecasts are delivered.
• Influence and challenges the decision-making of senior colleagues by providing professional persuasive financial expertise and challenge
• Ensure a clear and transparent finance service is provided across the University, liaise with senior stakeholders to agree service and service levels, pre-empting issues.

Frequent interaction with colleagues at all levels, including:

• University Senior Leadership Team
• Finance Senior Leadership Team
• GCFO
• Heads of Finance on overseas campuses
• Finance colleagues
• Internal assurance 
• External auditors
• Bankers

Education, Qualifications & Experience

Essential

1. Qualified to degree standard.
2. Nationally recognised accountancy qualification e.g., CA, ACA, CPFA, CIMA, ACCA.
3. Significant experience post qualifying within a large, complex organisation.
4. Experience of developing and implementing strategy 
5. Demonstrable experience of managing a team that includes multiple layers of management 
6. Demonstrable experience of managing resources, workloads and changing priorities for self and others 
7. Demonstrable experience of managing and communicating change in a collaborative manner.
8. Ability to operate in a complex global environment 
9. Demonstrable ability to work within a fast-changing environment 
10. Good track record of developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal and external customers, peers, stakeholders and others 

Desirable

1. Chartered Member of relevant Professional Body
2. Experience of leading a team with multiple levels
3. Experience of leading complex change
4. Project Management skills 
5. Experience of operating in a complex global environment

Please send a Covering Letter outlining why you feel you are suitable for this opportunity addressing the criteria if not already covered in your CV submission (maximum 2 pages for Covering Letter and up to date CV). Closing Date 07th March for Applications.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community. 

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. 

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ . 

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University