Overview

(Interim) Director of Finance (Property Development & Capital Projects) role for a major UK public institution. Based Oxford with hybrid-working (likely 2–3 days on-site minimum).

The Role

Reporting to the CFO, you will:

• Ensure financial sustainability and value for money across estate and infrastructure initiatives.
• Lead financial structuring for large-scale capital projects and joint ventures.
• Oversee treasury, tax, and insurance functions.
• Support pension strategy for defined benefit schemes.
• Contribute to strategic projects and cross-functional initiatives.
• Play an active role in the Finance Leadership Team, promoting a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Capital Strategy: Align financing with estate priorities and long-term affordability.
• Project Leadership: Drive financial modelling and planning for major capital initiatives.
• Commercial Partnerships: Provide finance input into joint ventures and commercial deals.
• Pensions: Lead valuation responses, investment advice, and stakeholder communications.
• Team Oversight: Manage tax and treasury teams, ensuring service quality and resilience.
• Strategic Input: Represent finance in sustainability and infrastructure projects.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience in structuring major capital/property deals (e.g. income strip, DBFO).
• Strong financial modelling, planning, and analysis capabilities.
• Expertise in funding, tax, treasury, and legal aspects of transactions.
• Knowledge of defined benefit pension schemes and investment strategy.
• Excellent communication skills, especially with non-finance stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking, integrity, and collaborative leadership.
• Recognised financial or accounting qualification.

Desirable

Experience in the public sector, higher education, or similarly complex organisations; operational knowledge of tax and treasury.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Contract

Job function

• Finance

Industries

• Higher Education
• Real Estate
• Government Administration