Chief Finance Officer

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) is a pivotal member of Royal Holloway’s Executive Board and Senior Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal. 

This role combines strategic vision with operational excellence to ensure the University’s financial sustainability and resilience in a rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

The CFO leads the Finance Division and acts as the University’s principal financial advisor, shaping longterm financial strategy and enabling transformation through robust financial planning. Working in close partnership with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Strategy, Planning and Resources, the CFO ensures that financial frameworks underpin the University’s planning and change agenda, supporting the delivery of RH2030s priorities. This collaboration is critical to integrate financial insight into the annual planning round and strategic transformation programme, avoiding ambiguity and fostering a culture of shared accountability.

Beyond financial stewardship, the CFO plays a key role in enabling growth and innovation. Working with the Chief Operating Officer, this includes leading strategies for income diversification and supporting commercial development. They are central to ensuring rigorous financial appraisal of new ventures and capital investments. The CFO champions digitisation and simplification of financial systems, driving transparency, efficiency, and agility across the institution.

The CFO ensures full compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory obligations including accurate and timely reporting to the Office for Students (OfS) amongst others. The role-holder must maintain robust internal controls and oversee external and internal audit processes, ensuring transparency, accountability, and value for money. They are expected to build a close and professional engagement with the Council and members of the Finance, and Audit and Risk Committees. They are the key advisor on financial risk, assurance and associated compliance matters.

As a visible and influential leader, the CFO fosters an inclusive, high-performance culture within Finance and across the University, promoting financial literacy and embedding values-led leadership. This is a role for a collaborative, forward-thinking leader who can balance strategic ambition with operational rigour, enabling transformation while safeguarding financial integrity.

We have engaged the services of Odgers, to whom applications should be sent at your earliest convenience to https://www.odgers.com/en-gb/opportunities/?r=0#AssignDetail.aspx?guid=95126

For a detailed conversation about this opportunity, please contact: Tim Roberts tim.roberts@odgers.com or 020 7529 6308.

Closing Date: 23:59, 6 March 2026

Interviews:

• Preliminary interviews with Odgers will take place w/c 6 April, 13 April and 20 April 2026.
• Virtual informal conversations with Royal Holloway will take place on Wednesday 13 May 2026.
• Stakeholder meetings at the University in Egham will take place on Monday 18 May 2026.
• Final panel interviews at the University in Egham will take place on Tuesday 19 May 2026.