Its members maintain strong international collaborations through academic visits, invited keynote presentations, and participation in leading conferences worldwide. The Discipline engages actively with policymakers and practitioners, including the Bank of England, OECD, World Bank, NATO, the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK), and the European Parliament. It also hosts distinguished international scholars and contributes to the academic community through editorial leadership in leading journals and book series. Its research is increasingly informing wider public debate, including through coverage in leading academic journals as well as outlets such as The Guardian and The Independent, reflecting growing influence on contemporary questions in finance, financial regulation, corporate governance, and sustainability.

The Role

We are seeking to appoint an outstanding Professor of Finance. We are interested to hear from applicants with expertise in Financial Technology (FinTech). This is a strategic appointment with the opportunity to establish and lead a distinctive program of research and innovation at the intersection of finance, digital technologies, and AI.

The successful candidate will be an internationally recognized scholar with a sustained record of high-quality, field-advancing research, demonstrated academic leadership, and the ability to set an ambitious intellectual agenda in FinTech. We welcome expertise across areas such as digital financial services and new business models; financial inclusion and access to services; competition and financial stability; regulation and risk; AI and machine learning in finance; blockchain and distributed technologies; sustainable finance, or related fields.

The postholder will lead the development of Surrey Business School’s research capacity and external profile in FinTech, while contributing to the University’s wider ambition to establish leadership in this strategically important area. They will play a central role in strengthening the School’s flagship center in Digital Economy and AI, developing interdisciplinary collaborations across finance, business, computer science, engineering, law, data science, and relevant areas of the University.

A key expectation will be to develop and lead significant external funding bids in collaboration with colleagues within the Discipline, School, and University, and with industry, public-sector, and international partners. The appointee will be expected to build a strong funding pipeline that responds to the opportunities created by the UK Industrial Strategy’s eight growth-driving sectors, particularly Financial Services and Digital and Technologies, and translates research excellence into policy, business, and societal impact.

The successful candidate will provide intellectual leadership within the Finance and Accounting Discipline and contribute actively to the development of colleagues. This includes supporting and mentoring early career researchers, building interdisciplinary teams, and developing a vibrant doctoral community through the recruitment, supervision, and development of PhD and professional doctorate researchers.

The role will also involve senior academic leadership in education, including contributing to the development of distinctive finance and FinTech provision across undergraduate, postgraduate, executive, and doctoral programs. The successful candidate will bring an engaging, inclusive, and research-informed approach to education, enabling students to understand the opportunities, risks, and responsibilities associated with the changing financial landscape.

We are looking for a collaborative academic leader who can connect ambitious research with real-world relevance, build productive external partnerships, and help position Surrey as a recognized center of excellence in FinTech.

At Surrey, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equitable opportunities for all, in the pursuit of Surrey’s vision to be a leading global University. We work together to create a truly inclusive culture. We place great value on diversity and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are seeking to increase the diversity within our community and would particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities. Appointments will always be made on merit.

If you are interested in learning more about this position, please contact the Head of Finance and Accounting Discipline, Victoria Milligan (v.milligan@surrey.ac.uk).