Prif Swyddog Ariannol/Chief Financial Officer

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Chief Financial Officer

Competitive remuneration

Cardiff Metropolitan University is an ambitious and progressive institution, a leading modern university with a distinctive profile for teaching, learning, research and innovation across a wide range of creative, sports, health, education, technology, social and life sciences, and business disciplines. Following the appointment of a new President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rachael Langford, in January 2024, the University has refreshed the focus and priorities of its Strategy 2030 vision and missions.

Cardiff Metropolitan University draws its inspiration from over 150 years of commitment to education as a force for good in the Cardiff Capital Region and beyond. With over 12,000 students across two vibrant Cardiff campuses and 18,000 more learners studying through 12 international partners, our 30,000 strong community is truly global and united by our shared commitment to dignity and respect for all at work and study. We are proud to be Wales' first University of Sanctuary, the holder of a Silver Athena Swan Institutional Award, and the top university in Wales in the People and Planet League 23/24.

The University's School of Art and Design is one of the oldest established Art Schools in the UK and the largest school of Art and Design in Wales, with a top 3 ranking in REF2021 for the impact of staff research. Our School of Technologies boasts innovative teaching and research into robotics for health and social care; biotechnology; blockchain; cybersecurity and creative computing; while the University's School of Management is the first business school in Wales and only the third in the UK to receive the Business School Impact System (BSIS) award from the European Foundation for Management Development for the positive economic impact the School has on the Cardiff Capital Region through its teaching, training and research activity.

Further, the University is the largest provider of full-time undergraduate sport education in the UK, with graduate outcomes that are built on a unique model of education that embeds students into the University and community sport infrastructure. Our sport pedigree is built on research excellence; Cardiff Met was ranked as a top 10 UK University for research power in Sport in REF 2021. The University' School of Education and Social Policy is home to the largest teacher education and training centre in Wales and is a centre of research excellence for all aspects of education theory and practice, while also boasting a growing portfolio of social sciences degree programmes from criminology and policing, to sociology and social policy, politics, English, creative writing and media.

We are now seeking an expert Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to provide strategic financial leadership and stewardship as the University embarks on a wide-ranging programme of business improvement and transformation. As CFO, you will be the primary financial advisor to the President and Vice-Chancellor, the University's Executive Group, Academic Board, and Board of Governors. You will drive initiatives that set the University on a sound financial foundation for the future and enhance our financial capacity and resilience in delivering the University's strategy, vision, and missions. You will lead the strategic management of our financial services, ensuring that excellence in service delivery is at the heart of our institutional success. You will promote innovation and best practice, including when redesigning services, policies, processes, and procedures, and produce accurate and accessible financial insights to guide decision-making and resource allocation.

The CFO will bring a modern, commercial approach to leading the University's financial functions, coordinating activities to deliver a highly effective service based on value from the Finance Department. As an outstanding business strategist, you will play a central role in developing our financial planning work, as well as ensuring the highest standards of financial control, risk oversight, accountability, and reporting to the University's governing body and its sub-committees, and to the higher education sector regulator in Wales, HEFCW. Beyond finance, your role will encompass significant engagement with local, Welsh, and UK governments, as well as other key stakeholders, positioning the University better to increase its income and succeed in the future.

Applicants will be analytical, strategic leaders, resilient, self-reflective, positive, solution-focused individuals who can command respect from colleagues at all levels across the University. You will have a proven track record of supporting successful strategic organisational transformation and senior financial leadership in complex organisations, demonstrating tangible improvements in financial sustainability, income generation, and organisational effectiveness. You will have a strategic, proactive, politically astute mindset with the ability to foster effective relationships with government agencies, lenders, funders, and external bodies. You will be an excellent communicator and a proactive collaborator.

This is an exciting time to join one of the UK's most distinctive and progressive modern universities, and this is more than just a financial role: it is an opportunity to drive transformational business improvements, promote innovative financial solutions, and make a meaningful contribution to the future of higher education in Wales. You will have the chance to be at the heart of shaping change that will make a real difference to our students and our communities, all while working in one of Europe's most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities, Cardiff.

To discover more about this opportunity, please visit

For a confidential discussion, please contact our consultants at Anderson Quigley: Carolyn Coates at [phone number] or Elliott Rae at [phone number].

Closing date: 12 noon on Friday 17 January 2025.

We are committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. Our Strategic Plan underpins our commitment to recruiting and retaining the most talented people and we welcome applications from diverse backgrounds. We appoint on the basis of merit.