Reporting to the School's Director you will be joining at a pivotal point in the School's development and as a member of the senior management team you will play a critical role in supporting GSA's Strategic Plan 2027 to deliver a sustainable learning and teaching environment as part of the Schools ambitious plans for development and growth. Working closely with both executive and non-executive management your main priority will be to develop and execute a finance strategy that enables the School to achieve its corporate objectives. As Chief Finance Officer you will have direct responsibility for all financial management and compliance matters along with overseeing future investment plans and the development of a robust and agile finance business partnering model to aid planning and forecasting capabilities; and to assist with business intelligence towards greater commercialisation and income diversification given the current economic context for higher education funding.
The successful candidate will be a clear strategic thinker, and a professionally qualified accountant with extensive successful management experience of equivalent services in similar complex organisations. You will also have proven experience of developing and delivering successful financial strategies and have delivered significant financial change and transformation. Managing a team of experienced professionals, you must have experience of complex systems and be able to demonstrate successful delivery of improved financial forecasting and business case development. Although experience of higher education is not essential, you must have empathy with the purpose and values of what is one of the world's leading art schools with a rich history and reputation for academic innovation. As a technical expert you will also possess excellent interpersonal skills and be able to work collegiately with all internal and external partners.
The Glasgow School of Art was founded in 1845 as one of the UK's first Government Schools of Design and can trace its lineage back to the Scottish Enlightenment during the 1750s. The UK's first School of Art and nearly 270 years later, it is one of the UK's last remaining independent Schools of Art and is ranked one of the world's top Art and Design schools. The Glasgow School of Art is a diverse and international community of 3,500 students and staff and in addition to its global reputation sits at the heart of Glasgow's position as a European culture capital and is in the centre of one of the UK's most successful city economies rivalling London and Manchester as a creative hub. Located in the city's historic Garnethill neighbourhood the campus includes the award-winning Reid Building, the refurbished Stow Building and world-famous Mackintosh Building.