Head of Finance & Business Transformation

‘St Andrews – the Home of Golf’ is recognised as one of the most iconic venues in sport. St Andrews Links Trust operates as an independent charitable trust and is responsible for the management and maintenance of the eight courses at St Andrews. These include the world famous Old Course, host of the Open Championship a record 30 times. Today more than 250,000 rounds are played every year over the Links Trust courses.

The Links Trust manages a number of additional facilities including four clubhouses, a golf academy and five shops, and the facilities attract visitors from around the world to follow in the footsteps of the worlds greatest golfers and become a part of golf’s rich history.

With global business partnerships, fantastic ambition and exciting commercial opportunities, revenue streams are driven largely through golf revenue, retail, hospitality, merchandising, royalties and commercial licencing arrangements.

St Andrews Links is entering a period of unprecedented investment and organisational change. Over the next several years, the business must establish sustainable, future-ready business models capable of supporting significant transformation activity and substantial negative cash flows anticipated during 2027–2028, including those associated with The Open Championship in 2027.

The Head of Finance & Business Transformation will play a critical role in designing and delivering the financial systems, processes, and operating models required to support this transformation. The role will lead the automation and integration of finance processes across the estate, implement best-in-class practices in key areas (notably CAPEX), and help shape a finance function that is fit for the future.

This is a highly fluid, change-driven role, requiring an experienced finance transformation professional rather than a traditional finance operator. The postholder will act as a problem-solver and change leader across finance and the wider organisation.

Finance Transformation & Systems
• Define the “end-state” finance systems landscape required to optimise automation and integration of financial processing.
• Develop and execute a clear transformation roadmap to deliver this end-state.
• Lead the selection of systems and suppliers, working closely with internal stakeholders and external consultants.

Process Improvement & Governance
• Identify existing finance processes requiring overhaul or simplification (e.g. CAPEX) and lead the redesign and implementation of improved processes.
• Work closely with the Financial Controller to embed new controls, governance, and best-practice ways of working.
• Ensure finance processes are robust, scalable, and appropriate for a complex, multi-site operation.

Business & Operational Support
• Partner with General Managers and the Head of Procurement to help design sustainable operating models, particularly within Retail and Food & Beverage, but across the wider estate as required.
• Support business growth, investment decisions, and efficiency initiatives through improved financial insight and operational finance models.

Organisation Design & Capability
• Work with finance leadership to design a future-proof finance organisational structure aligned to long-term business needs.
• Identify capability gaps within finance and help build the skills, systems, and processes required to support ongoing transformation.

Stakeholder Engagement
• Act as a key finance representative in major transformation initiatives across the business.
• Work closely with the Chief Technology Officer to ensure finance requirements are fully considered in all technology and systems changes.
• Liaise effectively with senior stakeholders across the organisation to drive engagement and adoption of change.

We are looking to appoint an extremely bright, commercial and qualified finance professional into this role, with the experience and credibility to lead finance transformation and add value across all areas of the business. Experience within retail, hospitality or multi-site operational environments will be advantageous, as will a proven track record in the successful delivery of large capital projects.