Chief Finance and Operating Officer Office for Students

Office for Students

Chief Finance and Operating Officer

Salary: £142,000 - £156,000 plus Civil Service pension

Location: Bristol or London

Closing Date: noon on Fri 30 October 2026

The OfS is the regulator for higher education in England. We strive to deliver exemplary regulation in the interests of students. Our work is wide ranging – we set regulatory standards and use our regulatory tools to support a diverse and independent higher education sector.

Against this backdrop, the OfS is seeking an exceptional Chief Finance and Operating Officer to join our Executive Committee and help shape the organisation's future. Reporting directly to the Chief Executives, the CFOO will provide strategic input across the OfS (an organisation of c.580 people), with responsibility for the successful leadership of a diverse and multi-disciplinary corporate services team of c.140 people, which includes finance, people, technology and estates. The CFOO will also be responsible for the stewardship of more than £1 billion of public funds. Working closely with the Board, government departments and sector stakeholders, the successful candidate will ensure the OfS has the capabilities, systems and operating model required to deliver its regulatory objectives effectively and efficiently.

We are looking for a strategic, collaborative and highly credible leader with a recognised financial qualification and/or substantial experience leading a finance function. You will bring a track record of building and leading high-performing teams, delivering complex change programmes and providing clear, confident advice on financial and organisational matters. An outstanding communicator and relationship builder, you will be comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders across government, the higher education sector and the wider public sphere. You will combine strong operational leadership with the ability to see the bigger picture, balancing immediate priorities with long-term organisational objectives. Experience operating at a senior level within the public sector, civil service, regulatory environment or a similarly complex organisation will be highly valued, as will expertise across a range of corporate enabling functions. How we do things is as important to us as what we do and your approach will be underpinned by our attitudes: Ambitious, Collaborative, Vigilant and Vocal.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

LINK: https://ofsleaders.officeforstudents.org.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.