Assistant Director - Finance Strategy and Support, UK University

Anderson Quigley is delighted to be supporting a leading UK university in the appointment of an Interim Assistant Director – Strategy & Support, working directly with the Chief Financial Officer.

This pivotal role sits at the intersection of strategy, finance, and operations providing high-level support to the CFO across a wide portfolio of responsibilities. The postholder will help shape strategic and financial planning, coordinate activity across professional services, and ensure the CFO’s office is informed, connected, and delivering with impact.

You’ll work closely with senior finance staff, operational managers, and other senior leaders to:

• Develop and evaluate business cases, providing clear costing information, investment appraisals, and value-for-money analysis to support confident decision-making.
• Lead the financial dimension of key university initiatives, including capital planning and new activity proposals.
• Provide strategic insight and horizon scanning, ensuring emerging sector trends and policy changes are factored into planning and discussions.
• Coordinate and prepare high-quality briefings, reports, and advice notes for the CFO, ensuring they are fully informed ahead of key meetings, committees, and external engagements.
• Represent the CFO at meetings and project boards, helping to ensure that strategic objectives are delivered effectively across the institution.

This role requires a credible, strategic operator who combines financial acumen with a strong grasp of the broader university environment. You’ll need to be adept at connecting people and ideas, handling sensitive information with discretion, and thriving in a fast-moving, complex setting.

If you have experience at the interface of finance, strategy, and organisational change, and enjoy supporting senior leaders to deliver results, we’d love to hear from you.

For more information or a confidential conversation, please contact Claire Lauder at Anderson Quigley on claire.lauder@andersonquigley.com.