Assistant Director, Strategic Finance (Grade M1)

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial advice, insight and understanding to the Deputy Director, Financial Planning & Analysis, and senior colleagues, informing organisational choices and responses to Scottish Government commissions.
• Drive the development of Spending Review submissions and related strategic financial analysis, coordinating input across directorates and engagement with the Scottish Government on funding priorities, pressures and budget settlements.
• Lead the production of monthly Executive Team reporting, integrating financial performance, forecasts, analysis and key risks to support strategic decision-making.
• Support the Other Programme Funds Group by providing strategic insight, analysis and advice to inform decision-making in a changing funding environment, working closely with the Deputy Director, Financial Controller on affordability.
• In delivering your responsibilities, you will take account of the post-16 funding reform programme, which will see responsibilities transfer from SDS to SFC and ensure that financial systems and processes can support this set of new responsibilities.
• Provide appropriate advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Present on financial matters to the Executive, Finance Committee, and Audit and Risk Committee, and engage with senior Scottish Government stakeholders.
• Deputise for the Deputy Director, Financial Planning & Analysis as appropriate.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Professionally qualified accountant, or qualified by experience, with substantial strategic finance and financial management experience. 
• Proven leadership and management skills, with a track record of developing effective teams, leading change, fostering a customer-focused culture, and driving continuous improvement in finance services. 
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to analyse complex issues, exercise sound judgement and translate financial information into clear, pragmatic advice for non-finance audiences. 
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, respond effectively to change and maintain a strategic, organisational-wide focus. 
• Strong financial systems, data analysis and IT skills, with the ability to use complex financial information to identify trends, assess risks and opportunities, and support strategic planning and resource allocation decisions. 
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with experience of building effective relationships and working confidently with senior internal and external stakeholders to deliver organisational objectives. 
• Experience of presenting financial information and advice effectively at Executive Team, and committee or Board level. 

• Good understanding of the Scottish Government policy, public finance and operating environment.

Terms and Benefits

About
We are the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council, more commonly known as the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).We are Scotland’s tertiary education and research authority and our purpose is to sustain a world-leading system of tertiary education, research and innovation that enables students to flourish, changes lives for the better, and supports social, economic and environmental wellbeing and prosperity.We do this by investing around £2 billion of public money to deliver:Tertiary learning and teaching.Skills and apprenticeships.Student support and participation.Research, innovation and knowledge exchange.Data collection and dissemination.National quality assurance and enhancement processes.Capital and digital infrastructure for the sector.Strategic change, responsive provision and research priorities.As a non-departmental public body established by the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005, we are directly accountable to Scottish Government Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. We work across many government portfolios and are sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Directorate.We hold colleges, universities and other funded bodies to account for their delivery of required outcomes. We are also the statistical authority for colleges, and work closely with the UK-wide Higher Education Statistical Authority (HESA), to provide data and statistics for government, decision-makers, and the wider public.We work in partnership with a wide range of partners and bodies, including those we fund, across all aspects of our remit.General information for applicants for SFC rolesYou must already be eligible to work in the UK to apply for these roles. SFC does not offer employment sponsorship for new employees.We are pleased to support applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, gender, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, as well as those who have skills in Scottish Gaelic or British Sign Language, who have the right skills for the job.  We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and actively encourage interviews through the scheme.  We may limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people if there are high volumes of applicationsFurther information about SFC is available on our website Scottish Funding Council home page (sfc.ac.uk).   Additional information about our recruitment process can be found at Recruitment Information and Tips | Scottish Funding Council Careers (sfc.ac.uk).