Location of Role: Headquarters, Maidstone
Advert Closing Date: 26/10/2026
Starting Salary: £102,090.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)
Part/Full Time: Full Time
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Mon-Fri
Weekend/Evening Working: No
An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a strategic and commercially astute finance leader to join Kent Police as our Chief Finance Officer (CFO).
As CFO and Section 151 Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and long-term sustainability of the organisation. As the Chief Constable’s principal professional adviser on finance and financial governance, you will provide clear, independent advice to support executive decision-making and ensure that public money is safeguarded and used economically, efficiently, and effectively.
Why Join Us?
This is much more than a finance role. It is an opportunity to help shape the future of policing in Kent, which has a diverse county of 1.7 million people living in urban, rural and coastal communities. You will work as part of the senior leadership team in a complex and high-profile public service environment, where your financial expertise will have a direct impact on the communities we serve. You will be supporting responsible use of public funds, contributing directly to sound governance, organisational resilience, value for money and the effective delivery of policing services.
About the Role
Reporting to the Director of Support Services but directly responsible to the Chief Constable on financial matters this senior leadership position will lead the development and delivery of a comprehensive finance strategy aligned to the operational and strategic priorities of Kent Police. You will ensure the highest standards of financial stewardship, governance, control, and statutory compliance, while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen management insight and maximise the impact of public funding.
The role will also provide senior strategic leadership of the Estates function, maintaining oversight of delivery, risk, performance, budgets, assets, and contracts, while drawing on appropriately qualified specialists for technical property, surveying, engineering, and building safety advice.
You will oversee and lead the Force’s financial strategy and budget planning, ensuring financial management information and assurance arrangements are in place to strengthen organisational insight and monitor financial performance. The role will act as Delegated Scheme manager for the Police Pensions Scheme on behalf of the Chief Constable.
About You
You will be a CCAB-qualified accountant with significant post-qualification experience in senior financial leadership, ideally gained within a complex public sector, or similarly regulated environment. You will combine strong professional judgement with the ability to influence at Board /Executive level and provide clear, independent challenge on strategic, financial, and organisational matters.
Experience of strategic oversight of estates, major assets or another substantial technical service would be advantageous, but is not essential. You will need the leadership capability to quickly establish yourself and provide effective strategic leadership across both Finance and Estates, drawing on qualified technical estates expertise where appropriate.
You will bring:
- A strong track record of strategic leadership, professional influence and effective challenge at Board or Executive level.
- Expert knowledge of financial strategy, governance, statutory reporting, risk, audit, and the stewardship of public money.
- Commercial acumen and the ability to identify and deliver efficiencies, investment opportunities, and sustainable organisational value.
- The ability to interpret complex information and provide clear, timely and evidence-based advice to senior decision-makers.
- Excellent communication, political awareness, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- A collaborative, inclusive and values-led leadership style, with a clear commitment to ethical standards, integrity, and public service, with the ability to lead, develop and inspire high-performing professional teams and promote continuous improvement.
How to Apply
Your application will be shortlisted against the requirements you will bring to the role as set out above. To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter (of no more than 2 A4 sides, font Tahoma 11), providing clear evidence of how your experience, knowledge and leadership achievements meet the criteria we are seeking the successful candidate to bring to the role.
Please ensure you provide as much detail as possible as insufficient information may mean that you do not meet the shortlisting criteria.
CV and covering letter are to be submitted to Log in to view email by 12:00 on Wednesday 28th October 2026.
The assessment stages of this process are scheduled to take place from 30th October 2026 onwards. Further details will be provided post-closing date
For further information about the application process & assessment arrangements, please contact Log in to view email
All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.
Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.
Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at Log in to view email stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.
If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.
Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.
Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.
