Building a sustainable future

This career defining role will shape the Isle of Wight's future through strong financial stewardship and system leadership. The Isle of Wight Council is focused on building a sustainable future as we support and build thriving communities and protect our unique environment We are a forward-thinking local authority, putting people first and championing innovation, collaboration, and excellence in everything we do. We are now seeking a visionary Strategic Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive who will drive change and ensure we reach our goal of achieving a sustainable footing financially. The role will also hold Section 151 Officer status working to ensure best practice in financial planning, monitoring and risk mitigation in the design and delivery of services.

This is your opportunity to inspire change, champion financial resilience and build a sustainable future for our Island community.

With Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) announcing that the Island will be retained as a separate unitary authority, this is the perfect time to join us to take our local directives forward. With our unique geography and distinct service needs, this announcement ensures decisions continue to be made locally and services remain tailored to our residents.

Our new Strategic Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive will have real scope and authority to implement transformation and change designed to address our financial challenges. We are ready to move forward confidently, focusing on strengthening public services, supporting our economy, and championing the interests of our Island community.

The role

Playing a key role in the overall leadership of our organisation, you'll work collaboratively with members and partners, serving as an ambassador for the Isle of Wight, fostering a higher-performing, motivated and engaged workforce, committed to service excellence. In this high impact position, you'll be responsible for maintaining strong internal controls and financial resilience across all our services, working to ensure financial integrity and sustainability. There will be opportunities for enhanced partnership working with councils in Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth. These are opportunities to collaborate where it can improve outcomes for our community, while ensuring the Island's voice remains clear and distinct. To succeed, you'll need the skill and experience to navigate a complex and challenging financial environment.

Focus areas will include

• financial policy, strategy and management
• all duties as the Council's statutory Section 151 Officer
• development and implementation of transformation and improvement plans
• management accounting and financial planning
• strategic procurement
• treasury management
• internal audit and risk assurance
• Local Government Pension Scheme

We are looking for someone who can think commercially, innovatively and creatively about how funding is best deployed to support growth

The person

To truly embrace this role, you'll need to be an exceptional leader, with superb communication skills, able to engage, inspire and influence as you share your specialist knowledge and practical experience of delivering high-quality finance operations and organisational change.

Required skills and experience include

• fully qualified CCAB accountant with substantial post qualification experience.
• evidence of continuous professional development
• sound understanding of the Local Government Act 1972, specifically Section 151, and financial regulations governing local authorities
• extensive experience of development and delivery of a medium-term financial strategy for a council with a gross budget exceeding £300m
• successfully delivery of a balanced budget for multiple consecutive years despite funding reductions.
• able to direct 'whole council transformation' to deliver significant efficiency savings.

We want you to challenge traditional thinking and identify risk aware, innovative solutions that enhance the potential for improvement. This is a unique chance to take on a challenging leadership role, shaping the future of our island, in a fantastic coastal location surrounded by beauty, in a warm and welcoming community.

Join #TeamIWC and you'll also receive our staff benefits package including:

• annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• discounted Solent ferry travel
• Island bus network discount
• cycle to work scheme
• staff parking permit scheme
• salary sacrifice scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• discounted island sports and leisure gym membership
• national and local discounts and benefits schemes

To view the job description and person specification, please scroll to the bottom of the page, tick to agree to the privacy policy, then click 'Continue to full details'.

Contacts
Sandra Jones: 07826 404091
Recruitment Timetable

Closing date
Sunday 19th July 2026

Long listing
W/C 27th July 2026

Preliminary interviews
W/C 3rd August 2026

Short listing
Thursday 20th August 2026

Member & Stakeholder meet and greet
The evening of Tuesday 1st September 2026

How to Apply

• Please submit your CV along with a Supporting Statement addressing the person specification criteria, evidencing how you meet the criteria.
• Detail any employment or education gaps.
• Be ready to provide the names, positions, organisations and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will be contacted for those proceeding to final stages. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.
• Let us know any difficulty you may have with the indicative timetable.
• Check that your contact details are correct before you submit.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automated email confirmation. If you do not receive, please email contactus@gatenbysanderson.com