Job Description

Executive Level 2 - 95,000 - 113,625 per annum
Contracted Hours: Full time 37 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Home-based, with travel to meetings, CQC offices and providers as required
Closing Date: 13th October 2025 at 11.59pm
Interview Date: TBC wc 17th November 2025
For an informal discussion or further information on the role, please contact Chris Usher via his PA olivia.dean-goodchild@cqc.org.uk and for general enquiries please contact recruitment@cqc.org.uk
Make a difference
Every role at CQC contributes to our mission-but as our new Director of Finance, Commercial and Workplace, you'll be at the heart of shaping how we operate, invest, and deliver value across the organisation.
If you're a visionary finance leader with a strong commercial mindset and a passion for public service, this is your opportunity to lead a high-performing directorate and influence decisions at the highest level.
Picture this
Imagine being the trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board-guiding decisions with clarity, integrity, and strategic insight. In the past year, you might have:

• Delivered a multi-year financial strategy aligned with CQC's five-year organisational plan.
• Secured funding through negotiations with the Department of Health and Social Care and strengthening financial accountability.
• Led a value-for-money programme that improved efficiency and empowered directorates to take greater ownership of their budgets.

The role
In this pivotal leadership position, you will:

• Drive Financial Strategy: Lead the development and implementation of CQC's financial strategy, ensuring alignment with business planning and strategic priorities.
• Ensure Financial Governance: Oversee budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and statutory audits, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and protocols.
• Lead Commercial and Workplace Strategy: Provide oversight of procurement, estates, facilities, health & safety, business continuity and sustainability - ensuring value for money, operational resilience, and a safe, sustainable working environment.
• Influence at the Highest Level: Provide expert financial and commercial advice to the CEO, Chair, Executive and Non-Executive Directors, enabling effective decision-making and governance.
• Embed the CQC Way: Champion our values-excellence, caring, integrity, and teamwork-in everything you do, ensuring leadership and decision-making reflect our commitment to public service.

Show us
We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:
A professional accounting qualification (e.g. CCAB/CIPFA).
Proven experience in a senior finance role, including strategic advice at Board and Executive level.
Experience leading change and ensuring value for money in delivery.
Strong leadership skills, with experience managing high-performing teams in a fast-paced, high-profile environment.
Join us and help CQC shape the future of health and care.
Compliance
To progress your application, you'll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won't be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.
Next steps
You can read the full details of the role in the following & Candidate Pack:
If you apply, you'll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous. Please see our for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.
How to apply...
To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV and Supporting Statement (no more than 750-words) via the Recruitment System:
Your Supporting Statement should cover the following:
. How your previous experience makes you suitable for this role?
. What strengths will you bring to the role that will have an immediate positive impact?
You will also be required to complete additional role specific questions at the beginning of your application.
The Benefits
We offer a wide range of , including:

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of 4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Please see our page for the full list.
Equity for all
We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they're a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.
We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we'll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our for more on this. If you'd like to chat, please contact . Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.
We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger. See our for more about this.
We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

Values and vision
We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
Excellence - being a high-performing organisation.
Caring - treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Integrity - doing the right thing.
Teamwork - learning from each other to be the best we can.
We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.
A Note on AI
AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:

• AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
• Spell-checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
• Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
• Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.

Skills Required