Head of Finance interviews: the questions to prepare for

Finance leadership roles in the public sector have never carried more influence. As councils, NHS trusts, and government departments navigate tight budgets and rising demand, strong financial direction is crucial for protecting and enhancing frontline services.

Head of Finance roles are central to that mission. Interviews at this level explore how you make strategic decisions, support transformation, and build trust across departments. It’s your opportunity to show how finance can shape better outcomes, not just manage resources.

In this guide, we’ve outlined the key themes and questions to help you prepare, with insights drawn from real public sector hiring processes.

What sets public sector interviews apart

Head of Finance jobs sit at the heart of decision-making in public sector organisations. These are senior roles with a wide remit, often reporting into the executive team and advising on long-term strategy, risk, and performance. The financial decisions made at this level have a direct impact on service delivery, organisational resilience, and public confidence.

Most public sector jobs at this level exist within local authorities, NHS trusts, housing providers, or government departments. The scope varies, but you are likely to lead multi-million-pound budgets, manage complex funding arrangements, and work across political, operational, and professional boundaries.

The role typically includes:

• Setting and managing medium-term financial strategies.
• Advising boards, senior leaders, and elected members.
• Leading on audit, compliance, and financial governance.
• Supporting major service transformation or recovery plans.
• Developing and managing finance teams.

Organisations hiring into these roles through public sector recruitment agencies are looking for more than technical expertise. They need people who can guide decisions, manage uncertainty, and lead with authority across departments.

Public sector recruitment at this level focuses on identifying individuals who combine strong financial leadership with the confidence to support others and challenge when necessary. If you’re preparing for interview, understanding the wider expectations of this role is essential.

What are interviewers really assessing?

Head of Finance roles in the public sector are highly competitive. These are senior leadership positions that attract candidates with both technical depth and strategic experience. The interview process reflects this level of responsibility and is designed to test how you lead, influence, and deliver under pressure.

You may be assessed across several stages, such as:

• A technical interview focused on financial planning, audit, and governance.
• A stakeholder panel with senior leaders, board members, or elected representatives.
• A practical task or case study, often related to a live challenge within the organisation.
• A competency-based interview using frameworks like the Civil Service Success Profiles or local authority behaviours.

Some stages may be held online, but many organisations continue to run final interviews in person. Public sector employers place a strong emphasis on communication, presence, and team fit, especially at senior level. While 69% of employers now use video interviews, face-to-face meetings remain a key part of public sector recruitment, particularly for leadership roles.

Each panel will assess different aspects of your suitability:

• Finance Directors will want evidence of financial leadership and risk management.
• Chief Executives may focus on how you support strategic priorities.
• Elected members or board chairs are often interested in your ability to explain financial decisions and build trust across services.

Across all stages, you’ll be expected to draw upon real examples of your work. Qualifications such as CIPFA, ACCA or CIMA may be assumed at this level, but proven experience carries more weight. Interviewers will want to see where you’ve influenced outcomes, led teams, and added value in complex financial environments.

Being clear, specific, and aligned with the organisation’s goals will help you stand out at every stage.

The 6 core areas to prepare for in public sector interviews

Most Head of Finance interviews assess a wide range of competencies, including strategic planning, financial control, leadership and communication. These roles require more than technical ability. Panels want to understand how you think, how you lead and how you support broader organisational goals.

To help you prepare, we’ve outlined six areas that come up regularly in interviews for Head of Finance jobs. These reflect the priorities we see in current public sector recruitment, with example questions and insight into what panels are likely to explore.

1. Strategy and budget management

Strategic financial planning is one of the most important areas to prepare for. Interviewers will want to understand how you’ve shaped financial strategy, balanced priorities, and supported organisational goals during periods of uncertainty.

Budget pressures are a constant reality. Councils in England alone are forecasting a £3.5 billion funding gap by 2024/25, and similar challenges exist across NHS trusts and housing providers. At this level, panels are looking for candidates who can lead planning across multiple years, adapt to shifting funding models, and advise others with clarity and confidence.

Typical interview questions might include:

• How have you developed and delivered a medium-term financial strategy?
• Can you describe a time you had to reforecast in response to funding changes?
• How do you prioritise when budget constraints affect frontline services?

What interviewers are looking for:

• A clear approach to long-term financial planning.
• Proven experience leading budget strategy and influencing outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, especially with non-finance colleagues.
• Evidence of impact, not just process. 

When preparing for this part of the interview, choose one or two examples that show how you’ve supported financial planning during periods of change. Focus on your decision-making, the outcome, and how you worked with others to achieve it.

Example

“When a significant in-year funding reduction was announced, I led a full reforecast and reallocation exercise. We protected frontline services by identifying contract efficiencies and delaying lower-priority capital spend. I worked closely with directors to model options and reported the revised position to the leadership team within two weeks, allowing decisions to be taken quickly and transparently.”

2. Governance and compliance

Interviewers will expect a strong grasp of public sector regulations and financial accountability. As a Head of Finance, you’ll be responsible for leading on governance, not just meeting requirements.

This could include how you prepare for audit, support scrutiny, or challenge financial risk. It’s about applying regulations consistently and giving others the confidence to do the same.

Common questions include:

• How do you ensure compliance with public finance regulations?
• What’s your experience of working with auditors?
• Can you describe a time you strengthened governance in your organisation?
• How have you responded when a process wasn’t being followed?

If you’ve led audit responses, reviewed controls, or supported governance committees, this is the time to show it. Panels want practical evidence of how you keep oversight in place when things get stretched.

Tip
If you’ve worked in different organisations, highlight how you’ve adapted. In public sector recruitment, that kind of insight makes a difference.

Example
 “In a previous role, I identified gaps in our contract monitoring. I worked with internal audit to scope the issue and introduced a quarterly review process, with better reporting to directors. It reduced risk and helped us respond more confidently during external audit.”

3. Change and transformation

Change is a constant in the public sector. Whether through restructures, service redesign or digital programmes, finance leaders are expected to provide control, clarity and strategic input. Interviewers want to see how you’ve supported transformation, not just by managing costs but by shaping delivery.

Only 17% of UK public sector decision-makers say their digital transformation efforts have been completely successful. Budget pressures remain a major barrier, with 44% citing this as a key challenge. As a Head of Finance, your role is often to test assumptions, highlight risks and help others manage change well.

You might be asked about your role in a restructure, a system rollout or a cost improvement plan. Strong answers will show how you balanced financial control with service needs, and how you helped ensure the right decisions were made.

Example questions might include:

• Describe a change programme you supported and what your role involved
• How do you help non-finance colleagues manage change effectively?
• What’s your approach to challenging cost estimates during project planning? 

You do not need to have led the programme. Interviewers are looking for good judgement, cross-team collaboration and the ability to influence outcomes. These qualities are key in public sector recruitment, where finance teams often sit at the centre of organisational change.

Example
“During a shared services review, I worked across two authorities to assess savings and operational risks. I supported the modelling, led finance workshops, and advised directors on the timing of changes. The revised plan balanced staff impact with long-term savings and was signed off unanimously.”

4. Risk and audit

Risk and audit are a core part of every Head of Finance role. Interviewers want to know how you maintain control, respond to uncertainty and support others to do the same.

According to reports, 91% of public sector internal audit plans now include cyber risks, 79% address fraud, and 86% cover Consumer Duty considerations. At this level, you’re expected to lead audit preparation, manage controls and support accountability across departments.

Expect questions like:

• How have you identified and managed financial risks?
• What role have you played in improving audit outcomes?
• Tell us about a time you had to address a compliance issue.

Interviewers want to see how you took responsibility and what changed because of it. Be ready to explain how you’ve responded to findings, supported audit committees or helped other teams improve their approach. These are the kinds of examples that make a difference in public sector recruitment, especially at the senior level.

Example
“In a previous role, I led a review of our internal controls after identifying gaps in reporting. We introduced new checks, delivered training, and reduced audit findings by 30% the following year.”

5. Leadership and team development

Strong team leadership is a key part of any Head of Finance role. At this level, interviewers want to know how you bring out the best in others, especially when managing high workloads, structural change or service delivery pressures. They’ll be assessing your ability to set expectations, hold people to account, and support colleagues to progress, even when resources are stretched.

This goes beyond management. It’s about building trust, supporting confidence and creating teams that deliver consistently under pressure. These are traits that stand out in public sector recruitment, particularly when working across finance, transformation and operations.

Common questions include:

• How do you build a culture of accountability in your team?
• Tell us about a time you supported someone’s development.
• How have you led your team through a period of change?

When answering, focus on how you made decisions, how you communicated them and what changed as a result. Interviewers want to hear what you did, but also how you adapted your style, supported performance or stepped in when things weren’t working.

Example

“I led a restructure that affected half of my finance team. I made sure 1:1s happened weekly, gave clear timelines and stayed visible throughout. One team member was struggling to adjust to their new role, so I arranged mentoring support and paired them with a peer for weekly check-ins. They stayed in post and are now managing their own team.”

6. Scenario-based questions

Scenario-based questions are a common feature of senior public sector interviews. For Head of Finance roles, they’re used to assess how you make decisions in real time when there isn’t a clear answer. Panels are looking for how you weigh risk, apply judgement and stay aligned with public service priorities.

In public sector finance, these decisions are often made in the spotlight. Interviewers want to see how you manage difficult trade-offs, respond under pressure and maintain transparency.

Common examples include:

• “A service lead has asked to fund a new initiative that wasn’t part of the agreed budget. How would you approach the request?”

Think about budget governance, value for money and how you’d assess urgency versus strategic fit.

• “There’s been an unexpected overspend. How do you manage communication with members and your internal team?

Focus on control, accountability and keeping stakeholders informed without overreacting.

There isn’t a model answer. Be clear, structured and show your understanding of both risk and public impact. These questions are a regular part of public sector recruitment and help differentiate candidates who can lead under pressure.

Closing advice for public sector finance interviews

Senior public sector finance roles are an opportunity to lead with purpose and deliver lasting impact. The interview is your chance to show you can navigate complexity, support strategic decisions and lead a high-performing team.

Focus on how you think, what you’ve delivered, and how you support others to do the same.

Explore Head of Finance jobs with Sellick Partnership

We work with local authorities, central government departments and public bodies across the UK to recruit senior finance professionals. Whether you’re exploring new opportunities or ready for your next move, our team understands what makes public sector finance hiring different.

Get in touch today to explore current Head of Finance jobs and take the next step in your leadership career.