Chief Financial Officer, University of Essex

Whilst we value being ranked in the top 25 in the Guardian University Guide 2025 and the top 30 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025, and in the world’s top 20 for international outlook according to the THE World University Rankings, we know that what we do next is even more important than what we have achieved in the past. Our next Chief Financial Officer will have the skills and experience to match the scale and breadth of our ambition. Join us at the University of Essex: home to the curious, brave and bold.

Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Financial Officer at the University of Essex. This is a pivotal moment in our university’s journey, and a uniquely exciting time to join us.
As I prepare to take up the post of Vice-Chancellor later this year, I am looking to appoint a Chief Financial Officer who will be a critical partner in shaping our university’s future. Essex has long stood for bold ideas and progressive values. We are an ambitious community, with a deep commitment to excellence in education and research, and to the transformative impact that higher education has on individuals and society. We now seek a CFO who shares these ideals and who will help secure a sustainable and vibrant financial future for our university.
This is far more than a finance role. As CFO, you will join our University Steering Group, lead a talented team across Finance, Planning and Data Insight, and act as a trusted advisor to the Vice-Chancellor, University Council, and wider executive leadership. Your portfolio will extend across strategic finance, business planning, investment, risk, institutional data, and performance insight. The postholder will be a key architect of our long-term financial strategy, embedding financial discipline, analytical excellence, and future-focused thinking at the heart of decision-making.
We are realistic about the challenges. Like many in the sector, the University of Essex faces significant pressures: constrained income, rising costs, demographic shifts, and increasing regulatory scrutiny. But we also see opportunity. With the right leadership, we will not simply manage through turbulence; we will adapt, innovate, and grow stronger. Your insight, creativity, and leadership will help ensure we are equipped to navigate uncertainty and to invest in our priorities for the long term.
Founded on principles of inclusivity, internationalism, and impact, Essex is proud of its distinctive character. We are:
- Top 30 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025
- Ranked 23rd in the Guardian University Guide 2025
- Silver-rated for Teaching Excellence in the latest TEF framework
- Home to students from over 140 countries
- A leading research-intensive university, part of Universities UK and the Young European Research Universities Network
We are especially proud of our Knowledge Gateway on our Colchester campus, an innovation community that fosters business growth and social enterprise. We are deeply engaged in our local and regional economy, and passionate about advancing social mobility and global understanding.
As we plan for the future, we are investing in digital transformation, estate and infrastructure renewal, and inclusive excellence. The CFO will play a critical role in enabling these ambitions to become reality.
If you are an experienced finance leader with the strategic insight, commercial acumen, and values-led leadership to make a lasting impact, we would be delighted to hear from you. We are open to applicants from a range of sectors; what matters most is your ability to lead with integrity, think with clarity, and deliver with purpose.
This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to an institution with a strong mission, global outlook, and an appetite for change. If you are excited by this challenge, I warmly invite you to explore this role further and look forward to receiving your application.
With best wishes,
Professor Frances Bowen
Incoming Vice-Chancellor
University of Essex
We like making history
And we’ve been challenging convention from the start
‘A new kind of university… where students could live and learn… and research really mattered’ – this was the founding vision of Essex’s first Vice-Chancellor, Sir Albert Sloman. His commitment to research and education remains at the heart of our mission.
Essex Spirit
In 1964, 122 students arrived at our University for the very first academic year, attracted by its bold vision. Over the next six decades over 120,000 students from more than 140 countries have graduated and, inspired by the inquisitive and ambitious Essex Spirit, they have gone on to make a real difference in the world.
We have a proud tradition of encouraging students to challenge convention and think differently, such as our graduate, Nobel Prize winner and economist Professor Sir Chris Pissarides.
Today, the University has some 17,000 students at our three campuses in Colchester, Southend and Loughton, with a further 5,000 students studying at our strategic partners, and an academic staff base in excess of 1,200. In our University Strategy we have set out our ambition to be acknowledged nationally and internationally as a leading research-intensive university. By 2028 we aim to have around 20,000 students across our campuses and 1,000 academic researchers.
Research pioneers
Our academics have produced work which has
inspired entire generations and helped establish Essex’s reputation for research in the UK. This ranges from the work of Professor Jean Franco, Essex’s first female professor who spearheaded the study of Latin American literature, the pioneering work on poverty and inequality by Professor Peter Townsend, the development of the world’s first publicly available computer language by Professor Tony Brooker, the work of Professor Richard Lipsey which revolutionised the study of economics, and the work of philosopher Professor Onora O’Neill on ethics, international justice and bioethics.
We continue to push the boundaries – from promoting human rights around the world, to improving lives with authoritative social and economic research, to pioneering the use of big data in developing countries.
Click here to read the Job Description
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040679
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and the University of Essex that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application)
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and the the University of Essex’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Owen Francis, Director or David Heaton, Principal Researcher on +44 7842 003 200
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Closing date: 29th May 2025
Final Interviews: w/c 23rd June 2025 - TBC
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.