Met Office seeks Managing Director, Enabling Domain
Location: Exeter, Hybrid Working, relocation package considered
Total Reward Package: £130k + competitive package
Contract: Permanent
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Closing date: Midnight, Friday 14th August 2026
Shape the Future. Enable National Impact.
The Met Office is one of the world's leading weather and climate science organisations, helping citizens, businesses and governments make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.
We are seeking an exceptional executive leader to join the Met Office main Board as Managing Director, Enabling Domain incorporating Chief Financial Officer. This is a rare opportunity to lead a critical part of a nationally important organisation and drive transformation across the corporate services enabling functions that underpin their success.
This role combines strategic enterprise leadership with Chief Financial Officer accountability, overseeing the resources, systems, governance and people that allow the Met Office to deliver its mission.
The opportunity
As Director of the Enabling Domain, you will lead a diverse portfolio of professional functions that support the effective, secure and compliant operation of the Met Office, including:
Financial Management
Commercial
People & Culture
Communications and Engagement
Portfolio Delivery
Governance and Legal
Internal Audit
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Security and Cyber Security
Enterprise Design
Corporate IT
Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as a member of the main Board, Executive Committee and Audit & Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC), you will help shape the Met Office long-term ambitions and deliver their strategy.
You will lead a newly established Enabling Domain of approximately 650 colleagues, working across multiple disciplines to build an integrated, high-performing and future-ready organisation.
Key responsibilities
Executive leadership
Contribute to the strategic leadership of the Met Office as a member of the main Board and Executive Committee.
Partner with the CEO and fellow Directors to set organisational direction and ensure successful delivery of strategic priorities.
Promote a culture of innovation, inclusion, accountability and high performance.
Domain leadership
Lead the Enabling Domain and oversee delivery of its strategy, operating model and transformation agenda.
Chair the Enabling Domain Board and provide clear strategic direction across all enabling functions.
Establish effective governance, policies and service arrangements across the organisation.
Drive operational excellence, simplification and efficiency through modernisation and automation.
Chief Financial Officer responsibilities
Act as Chief Financial Officer for the Met Office.
Provide stewardship of annual turnover of approximately £300 million.
Lead a direct cost base of approximately £100 million.
Oversee substantial government loans, grants and capital programmes worth around £100 million, including major national infrastructure investments.
Ensure compliance with Managing Public Money, Government Functional Standards and all relevant financial governance requirements.
Deliver robust financial planning, forecasting, risk management and performance oversight.
Transformation and change
Play a leading role in embedding the recently established domain model.
Drive organisational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
Build strong collaboration and alignment across the organisation's three strategic domains.
Ensure enabling services evolve to meet future business needs.
Stakeholder engagement
Represent the Met Office at senior levels across government.
Build trusted relationships with Accounting Officers, senior finance leaders and key stakeholders.
Engage confidently with sponsoring departments, government functions and external partners.
Maintain the highest standards of governance, transparency and public accountability.
About you
We are looking for a strategic and collaborative executive who combines financial expertise with broad organisational leadership experience.
You will bring:
Essential experience
Significant executive-level leadership experience within a large, complex organisation, with board-level financial accountability and experience operating as a CFO, Finance Director or equivalent senior leader.
Proven executive leadership of large-scale corporate or enabling service functions.
Experience managing substantial budgets and delivering financial performance, efficiencies and value for money.
A strong track record of leading organisational transformation and change, with exceptional communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
Extensive understanding of governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.
Experience working with senior government stakeholders or within a regulated public-sector environment.
Desirable experience
Knowledge of Managing Public Money and Government Functional Standards.
Experience overseeing major capital investment programmes.
Experience leading technology, cyber security or digital transformation.
Professional financial qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent).
Experience operating within a scientific, research, technology or data-driven organisation.
Why join the Met Office?
This is an opportunity to help lead one of the UK's most trusted public institutions.
You will join a highly respected organisation that delivers services critical to public safety, national resilience, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.
In return, the Met Office offers:
A competitive reward package, including an excellent Civil Service pension scheme
Generous annual leave entitlement of 27.5 days, increasing to 32.5 days after 5 years’ service
Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
Professional development opportunities
The opportunity to deliver national impact through world-leading science and technology
How to apply
If you share the Met Office values, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply to simonquinn@moonexecsearch.com quoting MC2789 with your CV and cover letter/support statement with evidence against the each of the essential criteria by Friday 14th August at 23:59. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to first stage interviews taking place during the first two weeks of September, which will comprise a presentation and stakeholder panel. Successful candidates will then proceed to a final stage with the Met Office Chair and Chief Executive.
How we can help
If you are considering applying and need support to do so, please contact us at recruit@moonbexecsearch.com
You can request adjustments within your application or by contacting us.
Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test, or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.
As an equal opportunities employer Moon Executive Search welcome applications from all areas of society and from those with all protected characteristics. The Met Office recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.
We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.