Finance Director

The Natural History Museum (NHM) is a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use our unique collections and unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million specimens spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 17 million visits to our website. 
The Museum is delivering an exciting and ambitious programme for our future, from using our unique collections, of more than 80 million objects, and scientific expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today, to continuing to welcome more than five million visitors annually to our sites, to transforming the galleries and gardens and delivering world class exhibitions, to delivering nature educations to schools across the country, to developing a major new science and research centre in Reading.
It is with this ambitious programme in mind that we are looking for a Finance Director who can build and improve on our high-performing finance function and continue to instil rigour and excellent financial stewardship across our operations and transformational projects.
Creating a resilient and sustainable organisation is fundamental to our long term strategy and the Director of Finance is a pivotal role helping to provide strategic leadership and responsibility for ensuring the continued financial sustainability of the Museum. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this is a key senior appointment that will bring strategic and commercial leadership, delivering sustainable financial outcomes bringing our NHM vision, values and outcomes to life.
The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant, and will need to demonstrate:
• Proven experience in a leadership role;
• Experience at Board level and ability to work in collaboration with Trustees and colleagues;
• Understanding and experience of strategic risk management, finance audit and internal controls
We are seeking a confident, dynamic and engaging individual with the confidence to operate at the highest levels. A first-class communicator, the Director of Finance will win the trust and confidence of a broad range of stakeholders and funders. You will be a champion for customer-focused financial delivery, a people person first and foremost who is a passionate and inspiring leader, someone who can drive continuous improvement and bring others on the journey harnessing the best of their talent and abilities.
We are looking for commercial acumen, combined with problem solving issues and emotional intelligence that will embrace innovation and inclusion at all levels. Thoughtful and reflective, you will adopt the highest standards of rigour in the evaluation of risk and assurance, place our audience at the heart of our decisions and include culture, diversity and inclusion as well as commercial outcomes.
If you feel you have the skills and experience to succeed in this role we very much look forward to hearing from you. Please submit your CV, with a supporting statement describing why you would be the best person to join this team and make the Natural History Museum the best it can be.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Bryony Thomas via the Allen Lane agency website.
Recruitment timetable
Application deadline: 7th April
Longlisting: 11th April
Allen Lane interviews: w/c 15th April
Shortlisting: 25th April
NHM Panel Interviews: w/c 29th April
Diversity and inclusion matter to us - Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and how to contribute to creating an inclusive environment.
The museum supports flexible working, however you will be required to be in the museum 3 days a week more if operationally required. This role will require a standard DBS check