Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is the UK’s independent regulator for nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and conventional health and safety across 36 licensed nuclear sites. It ensures that the nuclear industry effectively controls hazards, maintains high standards, and continuously improves. ONR’s work spans operating reactors, fuel cycle facilities, waste management, decommissioning, and new nuclear construction. It also regulates the transport of nuclear materials and oversees compliance with international safeguards. Transparency, accountability, and public confidence are central to ONR’s regulatory approach.

You will be joining a highly respected, purpose-driven organisation operating within a complex and highly regulated environment. With a strong focus on governance, accountability, and public value, the organisation plays a critical role in delivering against national priorities. As part of a collaborative and influential leadership community, you will work closely with the Board, Executive Leadership Team, and senior stakeholders to shape strategy, ensure financial sustainability, and drive organisational performance.

As Finance Director, you will be an executive member of the Board and a key member of the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams, demonstrating enterprise leadership and playing a fundamental part of a wider cohesive leadership team. With overall responsibility for leading a broad portfolio spanning finance, procurement, commercial, risk management, estates, IT, and cyber security, you will be responsible for a team of about 50 and 6 direct reports. You will provide strategic leadership across these functions, ensuring they operate cohesively to deliver organisational objectives effectively and efficiently. The role will see you shaping and delivering financial strategy, ensuring robust financial management, and promoting strong governance, accountability, and value for money across the organisation.

You will also play a central role in overseeing digital and technology delivery, ensuring secure, stable, and cost-effective IT services aligned with organisational priorities, while providing executive oversight of cyber security as a critical enterprise risk. You will lead on budget setting, financial planning, reporting, and audit, and act as a trusted advisor to the Board and committees on financial, commercial, and risk matters. In addition, you will drive continuous improvement, transformation, and organisational capability, building high-performing teams and fostering a culture aligned to values, inclusion, and excellence.

To succeed in this role, you will be a highly accomplished finance leader with significant experience operating at Board or executive level within complex organisations, ideally in the public sector. You will bring a strong track record of delivering strategic financial leadership, managing corporate financial accounting and reporting, and driving performance and value across large-scale, multi-functional operations. A recognised CCAB (or equivalent) accountancy qualification and relevant postgraduate-level expertise are essential.

You will demonstrate extensive experience in strategic planning and execution, alongside the ability to lead diverse functions and major transformation programmes. Strong stakeholder engagement skills are critical, with a proven ability to influence and build trusted relationships with senior leaders, external partners, and governance bodies. You will be a clear and confident communicator, able to translate complex financial and organisational challenges into actionable insights, while maintaining sound judgement and resilience under pressure. Above all, you will be an inspiring and visible leader, committed to developing high-performing teams and driving continuous improvement in a dynamic and evolving environment.

In return, you will have the opportunity to take on a high-profile, strategically critical role with significant influence at Board and executive level. This is a unique opportunity to shape the financial and operational direction of a complex, mission-led organisation, ensuring long-term sustainability and impact. You will lead a broad and high-impact portfolio, driving innovation, efficiency, and transformation across multiple functions. The organisation offers a collaborative and values-led culture, where leadership, integrity, and continuous improvement are championed, providing you with the platform to make a lasting and meaningful contribution.

The successful candidate must hold or be able to secure SC clearance.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation welcomes applications for this opportunity from experienced professionals from across sectors. You will have the requisite demonstrable experience, skills and resilience as well as the relationship building and inspirational leadership capabilities to undertake this challenging strategic leadership role in the nuclear arena and deliver it successfully.

It’s a very exciting time for the Office for Nuclear Regulation. If you would like to make a valuable contribution to the future of the organisation, we would like to hear from you.

To confidentially discuss the role in further detail or request a copy of the Candidate Brief, please contact Owen Quant +44 (0)7867695217 / [email protected] or Wendi Wang +44 (0)333 010 6263 / [email protected] at Hays Executive.