The role

Report to: CEO

Direct Reports: Commercial FD, Financial Controller, Finance Manager and Accounts Assistant.

Location: On-site presence in the London office (and occasionally at our Birmingham office) – 4 days per week.  There will be occasional travel across the UK.

Primary Purpose: To provide strategic financial leadership and compliance with all financial regulations and contractual commitments, drive organisational, entrepreneurial and financial performance within HVM Catapult central team as it transitions from a single core grant funded organisation to a scaling multiple revenue stream entity that is still mission focussed.

The role partners with the Chief Executive Officer, is a member of the Executive Leadership Team (along with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer) and works in close liaison with our centre leadership teams (particularly COOs and CFOs) to ensure organisational effectiveness, financial governance and financial sustainability.  The CFO is the key financial lead and will be building their team capability into new ways of working to optimise financial and impact returns from new markets and revenue streams. 

Main Responsibilities:

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Develop and deliver the financial strategy.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and performance.
• Lead financial reporting to the Board, Audit & Risk Committee, and Innovate UK.
• Ensure long-term financial sustainability reducing core grant reliance.

Financial Governance & Risk

• Strengthen and deepen the organisation’s strategic relationship with external auditors, incorporating insights from recent audit tender feedback to enhance audit effectiveness and governance.
• Ensure compliance with all legal and contractual financial requirements.
• Support HVM Catapult Board Members in addressing financial risk assessments of member organisations.

Financial Transformation

• Lead financial transformation activities in collaboration with the ELT.
• Lead the development of advanced financing models, ensuring they support emerging business models and demonstrate clear alignment with strategy and collaboration needs across external partners.
• Implement a new project charging and financial recovery structure.
• Support entrepreneurial growth of the organisation in partnership with strategic leaders to increase new revenue streams.
• Support new business ventures and appropriate capability building.
• Drive continuous improvement.

Cross-Catapult / Multi-Centre Leadership

• Develop strong relationships with Centre CFO’s, COOs, CEOs and university partners.
• Lead cross-Catapult finance networks and build relationships with counterparts at RTOs and Industry bodies.
• Ensure consistent reporting, governance and grant claim processes.
• Chair appropriate committees internally within HVM Catapult network.
• Lead Innovate UK financial discussions, developing links with Innovate UK CFO, attend Innovate UK quarterly grant monitoring meetings and other necessary engagements.

Impact: The role has organisational-wide impact, shaping financial sustainability, maturity, operational resilience and strategic capability across HQ and partner organisations.

Communication: Requires clear, influential communication with ELT, Board, centre leaders, Innovate UK, auditors and external stakeholders. Must translate complex financial information into clear, actionable insights.

Innovation: Responsible for designing and implementing scalable financial systems, processes and governance frameworks. Expected to solve complex multi-centre and cross-organisational challenges with limited precedent. Be the ELT advocate for financial diversification and integration of new to HVM Catapult limited revenue streams and business models.

Knowledge: Requires expert financial leadership knowledge, including grant funding, risk, compliance, ERP/systems transformation and organisational scaling and new revenue stream diversification. Must understand national-level financial governance and cross-organisational collaboration.