CFO

Make an impact in a commercially critical finance leadership role.

About Our Client

Blenheim Palace's vision is to be the lifeblood of the local economy, to enhance the lives of the people of Oxfordshire, to share this magnificent Palace and to conserve and protect it for future generations. This organisation has three main parts although is probably best known for its world-class visitor attraction with a variety of cultural and sporting events, a wedding and banqueting venue, a unique filming location and producer of natural mineral water. It also has two other key pillars within the organisation including Pye Homes, a premium home builder established in 1927. Pye Homes has been taking the same pride in building homes and communities in Oxfordshire for nearly a century. Finally, Blenheim Estate is their portfolio of residential, commercial and agricultural properties, as well as dedicated practices of forestry, farming and parkland management. This role has collective stewardship for all three parts and will be integral to their strategic aims, including reaching net zero by 2027 and looking to continue with the push into renewables power sources to help hit this target.

Job Description

As CFO you will be responsible for strategic financial planning and execution across the entire Blenheim Palace Estate and Pye Homes. This position sits above the business, focused on ensuring that the Estate executes on its agreed strategies/plan, challenges strategies to see if they are producing their intended results, and drives relentless long-term growth from all capital invested.

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Ensuring that the Estate executes on its agreed strategies/plan, challenging strategies to see if they are producing their intended results and driving relentless long-term growth from all capital invested.
• Developing an investment management function, deploying cash to external managers and measuring performance to benchmarks.
• Continually measuring and reporting on the true return on assets and investments, reviewing asset allocation and capital allocation and in particular benchmark against both agreed targets and appropriate external comparators.
• Supporting the CEO in ensuring that resources are allocated to the most important opportunities.
• Analysing and reporting on the financial trends and information produced especially by the Heads of Finance and their teams.
• Supporting the multiyear strategic Business Plans and managing the short and long run cycle of business planning/budgets/reforecasts.

Risk Management

• A steward to regulate and manage risk while pursuing sensible risk-adjusted returns.
• Overall responsibility for the financial wellbeing of the Estate businesses including treasury and financial strategy.
• Delivering the appropriate compliance / governance / protocols and procedures.

Management and Development

• Development, mentoring and leadership of teams in Finance and IT, fostering a productive working environment.
• Lead Project Manager on significant organisational projects.
• Making sure all the management team have a clear understanding of strategy and ensuring that there are appropriate target setting and performance evaluation systems.
• Leading a continuing search for efficiencies and improved processes.

Stakeholder Management

• Supporting the CEO in delivering papers to Trustees, capturing strategic level and summary metrics and crystallising key decisions and reviews.
• Providing the Trustees and Senior Management with rolling forecasts, KPI and trend analysis - both financial and non-financial.
• All performance reporting to the business and Trustees and Family.
• Building a direct relationship with trustees to provide them with direct insights and critical commentary.
• Production of an annual review of the business, including resource levels needed to optimally run the business.
• Maintaining excellent working relationships with the family, their trustees and advisors and all senior management.

Taxation and Professional

• Oversee all financial operations within the company.
• Ensuring that all finance services and reporting, statutory and to Trustees, are delivered efficiently, and at pace, to a high standard.
• Tax planning and strategic tax position in all jurisdictions.
• Liaison with Advisor Group auditors, tax advisors, legal advisors.
• Implementation of appropriate capital structures.
• Develop and implement robust financial strategies aligned with the company's goals.
• Represent the company in financial matters, ensuring transparency and adherence to regulations.
• Identify opportunities for financial growth and efficiency.
• Collaborate with senior management to set budgets and financial forecasts.
• Promote financial literacy throughout the organisation.
• Maintain an excellent knowledge of the financial landscape within the Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry.

The Successful Applicant

You will be a commercial and pragmatic leader with a proven track record of strategic planning, building effective and motivated finance teams, investment appraisal and improving the financial investment environment. Culture is really important at Blenheim & Pye, and you must be able to demonstrate the following behaviours:

• Showing honesty with kindness
• Sharing a sense of community
• Relishing a new challenge every day
• Keeping our promises
• Making History

You will either have previous experience of, or be able to demonstrate an engaged passion for, purpose-led businesses and will be excited by the opportunity to creatively engage in demonstrating that landed estates are not historic anachronisms but are uniquely powerful forces for good which can generate outsize returns; boosting the local economy, impacting the lives of local people and sharing and protecting this extraordinary place. The successful candidate will demonstrate a flair for creating/challenging business models which derive from or deliver this.

What's on Offer

• A competitive salary
• A generous bonus scheme
• Private medical insurance (PMI)
• A supportive and collaborative company culture
• Hybrid working
• Various other benefits