Chief Investment Officer

Shape the Future with the National Wealth Fund

At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continue to drive forward the Government's growth ambitions.

We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution.

We are delighted to be partnering with Russell Reynolds Associates in the search for this crucial role.

HOW TO APPLY: Applications should be submitted to Russell Reynolds Associates directly at responses@russellreynolds.com and should include:

• A current curriculum vitae outlining career history, relevant leadership responsibilities and professional experience.
• A supporting statement (maximum two pages) describing interest in the appointment and demonstrating how experience meets the published criteria.

Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office.

Deadline to Apply: 8th November 2026. Please submit a CV and supporting statement to responses@russellreynolds.com quoting the search reference NWF CIO in the subject line.

Reporting to: CEO

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Role Purpose

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CIO will lead the National Wealth Fund's integrated investment function, bringing together all front-office activities across public and private sector lending, investment and capital deployment.

The CIO will shape and execute NWF's investment strategy to support UK growth, deploy capital effectively and crowd in private investment. The role will also provide strategic oversight of NWF's public-sector advisory activity, ensuring that early-stage project support helps accelerate delivery of strategic projects.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Investment Leadership

• Lead the design and delivery of NWF's integrated investment strategy, spanning public and private sector markets.
• Ensure capital deployment aligns with NWF's mandate to support regional growth, mobilise private capital and accelerate the UK's transition to clean energy.
• Translate strategic priorities into robust investment pipelines, clear risk appetites and disciplined execution plans.
• Provide thought leadership on market trends, investment opportunities and policy developments relevant to NWF's mission.

2. Front-office Leadership capital deployment

• Oversee lending and investment activity across public and private sectors, including origination, structuring, execution and recycling of capital.
• Lead and develop a high-performing front-office team, ensuring clear accountability for delivery and performance while remaining sufficiently close to complex transactions to provide judgement and challenge.
• Build deep relationships across investors, financial institutions, sponsors and developers to mobilise private capital and co-investment.
• Drive high standards of commercial rigour, credit quality and operational discipline, ensuring NWF operates to banking standards.
• Chair the investment committee, ensuring sound due diligence, risk management and alignment to strategic objectives.

3. Public-sector Investment and Advisory

• Provide strategic oversight of NWF's public-sector advisory work and engagement with Local Authorities and Strategic Partnerships.
• Ensure early engagement helps accelerate project maturity and translate ambitious pipelines into investable opportunities.
• Foster effective partnerships between advisory and banking teams, bringing together investment expertise, local insight and capital.

4. Enterprise Leadership and Organisational Contribution

• Act as a senior member of the Executive Committee, contributing to the overall leadership, strategy and direction of NWF beyond the investment function.
• Shape a strong, collaborative culture across the investment teams and wider organisation.
• Lead and develop talent within the investment and advisory function, strengthening succession and capability for future growth.
• Represent NWF externally with credibility and authority, including government, investors, financial institutions, mayors and regional partners.
• Ensure adherence to NWF's governance, risk and reporting frameworks.

Experience and Capabilities

Candidates are likely to bring substantial senior leadership experience from investment banking, corporate or project finance, infrastructure investment or another sophisticated front-office investment environment.

• Debt, credit and structuring capability. Substantial experience originating, structuring and executing complex lending and investment transactions, with strong credit judgement.
• Investment judgement across products. Strong judgement across debt and equity, with sufficient principal-investment experience to lead capital allocation, portfolio construction and investment decision-making.
• Front-office leadership. Responsibility for origination, underwriting, structuring and execution teams, with the ability to remain sufficiently close to transactions to challenge investment decisions and set standards.
• Private capital mobilisation. Deep relationships across investors, banks, sponsors, developers and the wider financial market, with the credibility to bring capital alongside NWF.
• Infrastructure and transition experience. Credible exposure to infrastructure, energy transition, green finance or other long-term capital-intensive sectors.
• Enterprise leadership. Breadth to contribute beyond the investment function as a senior leader and member of Executive Committee.
• Leadership at scale and complexity. A track record of building and developing high-performing multidisciplinary teams in complex, high-stakes environments.
• External judgement and credibility. The ability to operate across financial markets, government, institutional investors, infrastructure developers and the UK’s nations and regions, under public and political scrutiny.

Helpful Experience

• Understanding of UK public-sector financing frameworks, including local-authority financing, devolution or strategic partnerships.
• Experience working at the interface between public policy and private capital.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do.

We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience. Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.

About us

The National Wealth Fund encourages a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people. Inclusion is at the heart of what the Fund does. Diversity in the Fund's people and their ideas will be vital to the National Wealth Fund's success. Appointments will be made on merit, with regard to maintaining the breadth of experience and expertise required and reflecting diversity in the broadest sense, to embrace different perspectives, characteristics and experience, as well as being broadly representative of the nations and regions of the UK.

Our roles are open to full-time, part-time or job-share applicants. Job-share applicants should supply individual CVs and a joint cover letter submitted with both applications.

As part of our standard hiring process, please be informed that a background check will be conducted for successful candidates in accordance with our company policy and industry best practices. Please note, that successful candidates will be offered a salary that is appropriate to their relevant experience and performance during the selection process.