Head of Finance

Reporting into – Finance Director

Contract – Full time

Vacancy type – Permanent

Band - 5

Location – London (Southwark or Stratford) with 50% hybrid working

About Us

Transport for London has a proud history of keeping London moving, and our responsibility is to keep London moving forward. As the needs of our customers, our city and our environment continue to evolve, we have a unique opportunity to shape a safer, more inclusive and sustainable London. From public transport and roads to walking and cycling, our estate and our wider role in the city, the scale and breadth of what we do means our decisions have a direct impact on millions of people every day.

Finance is central to delivering our ambitions for London. Working in partnership with leaders across the organisation, our Finance function provides strategic insight, challenge and advice, helping TfL make the best financial decisions and ensuring our resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact.

About the role

As Head of Finance, you will play a leading role in shaping financial decision-making across some of TfL’s most complex and strategically important areas. Acting as a senior Finance colleague, you will work closely with senior leaders to provide insight, constructive challenge and clear financial advice, helping them navigate competing priorities and deliver against stretching financial targets and our five-year plan.

You will have responsibility for significant budgets across areas such as London Underground Maintenance and Capital, with exposure to operating expenditure as well as capital spend on key network assets. Working across a broad and varied portfolio, you will ensure that financial considerations are at the heart of business decisions and that resources are used effectively to deliver the best outcomes for TfL and London.

A key part of the role will be supporting change and transformation, including our flagship Growing Future Investment (GFI) programme, which is focused on delivering sustainable savings and generating additional revenue. You will work across a range of projects, helping senior stakeholders identify opportunities, understand financial implications and turn ambitious plans into deliverable outcomes.

Leading and developing a team of finance professionals, you’ll create an environment that encourages high performance, collaboration and continuous improvement. As priorities evolve, you will need to be agile and comfortable moving between complex projects, building strong relationships and providing confident financial leadership in a changing environment.

About you

You will be a professionally qualified accountant (ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent) with significant senior finance leadership experience gained within a large and complex organisation. You will bring a strong track record of delivering challenging financial plans and savings, ideally within an organisation characterised by significant operational complexity, major capital projects and/or a large, industrialised workforce.

An accomplished Finance professional, you will be comfortable operating at senior level and influencing within a matrix organisation. You will be able to translate complex financial information into clear insight, helping senior stakeholders understand their options, make informed decisions and take accountability for financial performance.

You will be a personable and collaborative leader who is equally comfortable providing constructive challenge. You will have the credibility and judgement to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders while being prepared to challenge assumptions and hold others to account when required.

To be considered for the role you will need to demonstrate the following skills:

Essential

• Experience of leading, developing and motivating sizeable finance teams
• A strong track record of delivering stretching savings targets and complex financial plans
• Experience operating in a senior finance leadership or business partnering role within a large, complex organisation
• Strong commercial and financial judgement, with experience of supporting significant budgets and operating expenditure
• The ability to influence effectively across organisational boundaries and build credibility with senior stakeholders
• Experience of supporting major projects, change or transformation programmes
• The ability to work with ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities and maintain a clear focus on delivery
• A relevant professional accountancy qualification, such as ACCA, ACA, CIMA or equivalent

Application Process

Please submit a CV no more than 2 pages and a 1 page covering letter (both in Arial, font size 12) in a PDF format.

We recommend that you consider the motivations, skills, knowledge and experience required for this role and ensure your application outlines where you meet these criteria.

For a copy of the job description or any questions on the recruitment process, please contact Cilla Thompson on talentacquisitionandexecutiverecruitment@tfl.gov.uk

Closing date for applications will be Tuesday 27th October at 23:59hrs. Please note that if we receive a large number of applications, we will close the advert early. We anticipate for 1st stage interviews to be held in November 2026.

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

We will be holding a Spotlight session, where you can learn more about the role and have the opportunity to ask the hiring manager questions. This will be held Wednesday 21st October at 9:30am. To be added onto the event please email your interest over to this address- talentacquisitionandexecutiverecruitment@tfl.gov.uk

Equality, diversity, and inclusion
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and aim to reflect the diverse communities we serve. We believe that a diverse workforce enables us to deliver better services and outcomes. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people. As part of the Disability Confident scheme, we aim to offer an assessment or interview to candidates who apply via the scheme where the minimum essential criteria for skills, knowledge and experience has been met. In some circumstances, it may not be practical to offer an interview or assessment to every candidate who applies through the scheme and meet the minimum essential criteria; in these situations, we select candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job rather than interviewing all who meet them.

Across all recruitment activity, we recognise that selection methods may vary depending on the nature and scale of the campaign and will be applied fairly, consistently and proportionately in line with our Disability Confident commitments.

Our city. Made better by you.

TfL is a place that’s open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It’s a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you’re encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter explains the checks we may carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.

Sponsorship

TfL is currently unable to provide sponsorship to candidates for this role. TfL keeps its approach under review in line with changes to UK immigration rules. We are also unable to provide advice or guidance on individual immigration queries and advise candidates to check the Government’s website for further information.

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right to work checks. Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.

Hybrid Working

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4-week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements.

Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role and business area but mostly include:

• Final salary pension scheme.
• Free travel for you on the TfL network.
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home or 75% reimbursement on a 28-day flexi ticket.
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays.
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow. 50% time in the office.
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional).
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme.
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers.
• Discounted Eurostar travel.
• TfL employees can access electric vehicles through salary sacrifice, making them more affordable. Whether brand-new or preloved, the scheme helps you save on tax and NI while making a greener choice.

Terms and conditions:

NPL Applications

Applications to internally advertised roles can only be accepted from temporary workers who are on PAYE terms via agency, or PAYE via Umbrella Companies. Temporary workers who are paid through their own limited companies are not covered by the Agency Worker Regulations and are ineligible to apply.

NPL members of staff are not eligible to apply to secondment opportunities.