Chief of Staff – Finance, Europe
London
Hybrid (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in office. Monday and Friday from home)
Why this role
This is a unique opportunity for a qualified chartered accountant to work as Chief of Staff to the CFO, Vanguard Europe. In this role you will gain direct exposure to senior decision making, enterprise strategy, and the commercial drivers of long term assets under management (AUM) growth across multiple European markets.
Designed as a career accelerating role, this position offers breadth, visibility, and responsibility beyond a traditional finance role. You’ll provide a strong foundation for progression into senior Finance or broader leadership roles over time.
Role Purpose
The Chief of Staff (CoS) to the CFO is a pivotal member of the European Finance leadership team. The role exists to support the CFO and Finance function in delivering Vanguard’s growth ambitions across Europe, supporting growth, deeper market penetration, and the continued evolution of how Europe invests.
This role is designed as a development and acceleration opportunity for high potential finance professionals at an early stage of their leadership journey. Working closely with the CFO, the CoS helps translate strategic priorities into clear plans and disciplined execution, ensuring sustained focus on the outcomes that matter most. The role blends commercial insight, structured execution, and cross functional collaboration to improve decision making, alignment, and delivery across the European Finance agenda.
Strategic Context
Vanguard’s European business is entering a new phase of growth, with ambitious AUM and commercial objectives across multiple markets. To support this, the Finance function is evolving - requiring stronger governance, sharper insight, and the ability to influence outcomes at senior levels.
The Chief of Staff plays a central role in enabling this shift, supporting the CFO to lead a Finance organisation that is forward looking, well governed, and closely aligned to business priorities and Vanguard’s mission.
Role Scope & Mandate
The Chief of Staff operates as an extension of the CFO, with a broad enterprise remit rather than direct functional ownership. The role is focused on increasing the effectiveness of the CFO’s office by improving prioritisation, decision quality, and follow through.
The CoS is expected to act as:
A trusted partner and advisor to the CFO
An integrator across Finance, the European Executive Leadership Team, and global stakeholders
A proxy for the CFO in agreed forums, initiatives, and decision making contexts
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Planning & Commercial Execution
- Partner with the CFO to translate European growth ambitions and AUM targets into clear Finance priorities and execution plans.
- Ensure Finance activities are aligned with regional business objectives, market dynamics, and competitive context.
- Track progress against strategic commitments, highlighting risks and enabling timely, well informed decision making.
2. Portfolio & Governance Leadership
- Oversee the portfolio of Finance transformation initiatives, investment cases, and enterprise critical programmes.
- Run the operating rhythm of the CFO’s office, including leadership meetings, planning cycles, QBRs, and strategic offsites.
- Produce high quality, insight led materials to support executive, governance, and commercial decisions.
3. Organisational Effectiveness & Change
- Identify opportunities to improve Finance processes, operating models, and cross team ways of working.
- Support effective resource allocation to maximise impact on business performance and AUM growth.
- Contribute to talent development, succession planning, and capability building in partnership with HR.
4. Executive Support & Decision Enablement
- Act as a sounding board to the CFO, providing clear analysis and well reasoned recommendations.
- Ensure the CFO is fully prepared for key engagements, with concise insights, analysis, and effective pre-reads.
- Represent the CFO in meetings, steering committees, and working groups where appropriate.
5. Stakeholder Management & Influence
- Build strong, trust-based relationships with senior leaders across Europe and the global enterprise.
- Maintain alignment between Finance, the European Executive Leadership Team, and key partners.
- Foster a collaborative, outcome focused culture aligned to Vanguard’s values and mission.
6. Executive Time, Information & Follow Through
- Manage the flow of information into and out of the CFO’s office, ensuring clarity and prioritisation.
- Support effective decision making by clarifying ownership, escalation paths, and next steps.
- Track actions and outcomes to ensure commitments are delivered and issues are closed.
Experience & Skills
Essential
- ACA qualified and first rate academics
- A strong foundation in core finance disciplines (e.g. FP&A, financial analysis, audit, commercial finance).
- Demonstrated interest in moving beyond technical finance into broader business, commercial, and strategic topics.
- Evidence of strong learning agility, sound judgment, and potential to operate at increasing levels of responsibility.
- Experience supporting senior stakeholders or contributing to complex, cross functional initiatives.
- Strong analytical capability, with the ability to synthesise information and form clear, well reasoned recommendations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable
- Experience in asset management, financial services, or a regulated environment.
- Exposure to transformation, change, or operating model initiatives.
- Experience working across multiple European markets.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
