Director of Finance, University of Brighton
Director of Finance
University of Brighton
United Kingdom
The University of Brighton is a community of over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff. We were awarded a TEF Silver for our teaching quality rating and have a strong research record, factors which contribute to our reputation as a leading modern university.
We are a thriving, multi-campus coastal university delivering innovative career-focused courses at undergraduate and postgraduate degree level and our research and teaching transforms lives and benefits communities worldwide. The university offers a wide range of jobs in both academic and support roles, with competitive salaries and flexible working opportunities.
Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.
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Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Director of Finance at the University of Brighton.
I am very proud to have just been appointed as Brighton’s new Chief Finance Officer at a defining moment for the University. We have recently launched Distinctively Brighton 2035, a strategy that is both ambitious and clear-eyed about the environment we are operating in. Our aim is to become the first-choice university for enterprise and equity, delivering real impact for our students, our organisation and the communities we serve.
At the centre of this is our “North Star”. It asks us to deliver three things at once: to be distinctive and attractive, to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes, and to ensure that what we do is affordable to deliver. That final point is critical. It reflects a simple but important truth; that we cannot deliver our ambitions unless we are financially sustainable, and sustainability requires us to do things differently.
For Finance, that means stepping beyond traditional boundaries.
This is not a role where success will be solely defined by producing accurate reports or maintaining control frameworks . Those things matter, and they must be done exceptionally well, but they are the baseline. What we are looking for is a leader who can also help shape how the University makes decisions; someone who can bring financial insight to the centre of strategic thinking and support the institution to make confident, sometimes difficult, choices about priorities, investment and performance.
The Director of Finance will play a central part in that.
Reporting to myself as CFO and as a member of the University’s Senior Leadership Team, you will lead the operational Finance function and work closely with the University Executive Board. You will oversee the full breadth of financial activity – from planning and analysis to accounting, treasury, payroll and pensions – while ensuring that our financial control environment remains robust and trusted.
But just as importantly, you will help us strengthen the way financial insight informs our strategy and our day-to-day decisions. That includes improving the quality of forecasting and scenario modelling, supporting the development of credible and deliverable plans across the institution, and ensuring that financial considerations are fully integrated into our transformation programme.
The reality is that the financial context for higher education is challenging, and Brighton is no exception. We will need to remain disciplined, focused and, at times, be bold in how we respond. This is where I see the greatest opportunity in the role: helping the University move from managing financial pressure to actively using financial insight to unlock new ways of delivering our mission.
Brighton is a distinctive and values-driven university. We are deeply connected to our city and region, committed to inclusion and opportunity, and proud of the breadth of what we do; from the creative industries and design to engineering, health, business and education. Our strategy builds on these strengths, but it also challenges us to evolve.
As I continue to build my leadership team, I am looking for someone who combines technical credibility with real strategic instinct; someone who is comfortable operating at pace and with ambiguity; and someone who is prepared to challenge constructively and work in partnership with colleagues across the University to deliver change.
This is a role with real influence. It offers the opportunity to shape not just how Finance operates, but how the University as a whole plans, prioritises and delivers its ambitions.
If you are motivated by that challenge – and by the opportunity to help a university do things differently and do them better – I would be delighted to hear from you.
Thank you for your interest in the University of Brighton. I look forward to learning more about your experiences and the contributions you could make.
With warm wishes,
Sue Owen
Chief Finance Officer
University of Brighton -
More than just an educational institution; we are a community dedicated to transforming lives and shaping futures – We are Distinctively Brighton.
The University has been part of the city of Brighton & Hove since 1859, starting as a school of art in the kitchens of the Royal Pavilion and growing to become today’s diverse and inclusive organisation. We have over 17,000 students and 2,000 staff studying and working at our campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne. The subjects taught here range from all the health professions to engineering, robotics, and computing; psychology and education to illustration, fine art, and fashion; and sport science to pharmacy, biomedicine, and genomics
Our strategy, Distinctively Brighton 2035, provides a bold vision and clear direction towards a university that is both radically transformed and radically relevant. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what universities can be and what they are for.
Our transformation will ensure that we are not only financially sustainable, but that we reflect and serve the needs of our students, staff, communities and the world. More of the same will not deliver the change required by the university or the world in 2035. A disruptive approach is needed.
We take pride in being of, with and for Brighton & Hove and the region: working in partnership to forge an equitable future that impacts locally and globally impact in our local community and reaching out globally, based on our strong commitment to partnership working. The notion of global challenges runs throughout all our practices, alongside our core values of equity, courage, sustainability, creativity, and partnership, all of which shape how we work and operate.
Equity is our primary value. We are committed to developing and nurturing a diverse community that delivers equitable outcomes across all parts of our university activity, as well as supporting equity through the impact of our activities in local, national and international communities. We currently hold an institutional Athena Swan silver award, and our academic schools all hold bronze or silver awards. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award, and we were placed at number 14 in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List 2024 for leading LGBTQ+ inclusive employers.
In 2023, Brighton was rated ‘Outstanding’ for educational gain in the Teaching Excellence Framework – recognising the transformational impact we have on students’ lives. In REF21 more than 88% of our submitted research rated as having ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impact beyond academia. We are in the top 50 universities in the UK (United Kingdom) for graduate prospects – 91.4% of our graduates are in work or further study (Complete University Guide 2024).
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All applications must include:
A full curriculum vitae/resume
Quoting the relevant role reference number: A041902
A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and The University of Brighton 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 University of Brighton’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 Beth Stickney, Principal Researcher, whose details can be found at the bottom of this microsite.
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
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Closing Date: 22nd May 2026
Final Interviews: 15th June 2026
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.
Please take note of the reference number found under section “How to apply”. This is needed for us to process any application.
