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Job summary

Main area
Finance
Grade
Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
357-LN-133-25-QIA396
Employer
United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Lincoln County Hospital
Town
Lincoln
Salary
£100,000 - £200,000 Per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/05/2025 23:59
Interview date
07/07/2025

Employer heading

NHS

Group Operational Director of Finance

Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM

We recognise that outstanding care can only be delivered through our people.  We want to attract people who can help us deliver our vision. We want in return to help people achieve what they wish in their careers in the NHS at ULTH.

We are always keen to welcome highly skilled, committed and compassionate individuals to our hospitals – people who put patients at the heart of everything they do and are ready to help us achieve our vision.

Our values guide everything we do. They are:

  • Patient-centred – Putting patients at the heart of everything we do, listening and responding to their needs and wishes.
  • Safety – Following ULTH and professional guidelines. Speaking up to make sure patients and staff are safe from harm.
  • Excellence – Striving to be the best that we can be. Innovating and learning from others.
  • Compassion – Caring for patients and their loved ones in ways we would want for our friends and family.
  • Respect – Behaving and using language that demonstrates respect and courtesy to others. Zero tolerance to bullying, inequality, prejudice and discrimination.

If you believe in them too, then you are ready to join the ULTH team.

We’ve taken great pride in building working environments where staff always feel valued, cared for and part of a team. Without doubt this is a challenging yet very rewarding job that is at the centre of health and care in Lincolnshire - making a positive difference to our patients.

Our Trust is situated in the beautiful county of Lincolnshire and is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England, serving a population of more than 700,000 people. We provide acute and specialist services to people in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. We have an annual income of £710 million (22/23) and we employ nearly 8,600 people.

Our Board have recently agreed a new vision statement – “Outstanding Care Personally Delivered” – stating their ambition for our Trust to be among the best.

We also have a five year Integrated Improvement Plan setting out how we will achieve our strategic objectives, for patients, services, people and partners, the last recognising that our future success depends on our ability to ensure the Lincolnshire healthcare system is successful in achieving its ambition to help people live healthier lives and provide care closer to where people live.

Our latest CQC report increased our ratings for being effective and well-led from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’. Our rating for caring remained as ‘Good’.

This is in recognition of the huge amount of work that our amazing staff have done to improve the quality of care for our patients in recent years.

We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated.

So, what is in it for you?

  • Flexible working: Depending on the needs of your role, we will consider requests for flexible and/or part-time working for whatever reason you should need it. We recognise flexible working will not look the same for everyone, because it depends on the nature of the role and the needs of the individual.

Types of flexibility could include:

  • Part-time - less than 37.5 hours per week.
  • Off-site/remote working - working from home or other sites for part or all the week.
  • Compressed hours – usually full-time hours but over fewer days or shifts.
  • Staggered hours – having different start and finish times.
  • Set shift patterns – to allow for predictability
  • NHS Pension: A generous and flexible pension scheme with contributions from us as your employer fully protected against inflation and guaranteed by the government
  • Annual Leave: Starting at 27 days a year, rising to 33 days after 10 years plus eight bank holidays (for staff covered by Agenda for Change) For Medical Workforce positions (Consultant and Specialty Doctor), the full-time entitlement commences from 32 days per annum. For all other Medical Workforce positions, the full-time entitlement commences from 27 days per annum.
  • Bank working: The chance to work extra hours at enhanced rates and we will pay you weekly too, ideal if your income needs a quick boost.

In addition, there is more.

  • Family & Childcare: Including on-site nurseries at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital Boston, maternity, paternity, adoption & shared parental leave following a set period of employment.
  • Health & Wellbeing: including counselling, mental health first aid, physiotherapy, eye tests.
  • Learning & Development including Lincolnshire Talent Academy, leadership training, medical education, clinical education, Lincolnshire clinical research
  •  Financial support and benefits including Cycle2Work, car lease scheme, home electronics. Free on-site parking and free tea and coffee and the ability to save and borrow through your salary.
  •  Rewards & Recognition including staff awards, long service awards, retirement awards, examples of excellence and staff lottery.

Enjoy a better quality of life in one of the UK’s most welcoming counties. Whether you’re taking the first exciting steps in your career, itching for a new challenge or searching for a better place to raise a family, Lincolnshire welcomes everyone. Discover a range of rewarding health and social care careers in a county that’s friendly, fascinating, affordable and brimming with everything you need to live a happy life. Visit beinlincolnshire.com to find out more.

Job overview

The Group Director of Operational Finance plays a crucial role in ensuring the financial health and sustainability of our Trust. The role leads delivery of financial services and management to support our operational objectives while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices. This position requires strong leadership skills, financial insight, deep understanding of financial management, and the ability to deliver high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services.

Main duties of the job

The Group Director of Operational Finance will be accountable for delivering financial operational targets and continuously striving to exceed customer expectations. Central to the success of this role is building a culture of high performance, continuous improvement and getting the basics right, whilst operating in a financially challenged and evolving organisation.

The Group Director of Operational Finance will provide leadership for the Group shared service function, providing a core finance service to our local sites and our Group Support Service teams, encompassing all operational finance activities including financial planning & reporting, corporate finance, financial control, financial performance, financial management and partnering.

The post will be responsible for delivering a high quality, effective, professional and efficient service across the organisation including provision of quality financial information.

Working for our organisation

Our Group is situated in the beautiful county of Lincolnshire, serving a population of more than 750,000 people. Lincolnshire is such a wonderful place to live and work with many opportunities to grow and develop as well as spend time on hobbies, activities and taking in local historic sites. Find out more on the Visit Lincolnshire website.

Our Group provides community, acute and specialist services to people in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. Our 2023/24 Group annual income was c£874m, and we employ approximately 11,000 WTE staff.

We provide services at Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, as well as running services from community hospital sites and other community locations across Lincolnshire.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ensure that each organisation receives high quality financial services, including ensuring the maintenance of robust financial controls and systems, rigorous working capital, cash flow management and effective financial reports of historic and prospective financial performance information.

·       Responsible for ensuring that each organisation obtains best value for money from its financial systems and services and provides professional support to all financial services and control departments.

·       Provide the financial framework and guidelines for each organisations annual plans and ensure they are consistent with the long-term strategy and objectives.

·       Lead budget setting and financial planning process for the Group, leveraging best practice and automation where beneficial.

·       Develop clear insight into the key challenges across the Group and work to ensure that Directorates and business units monitor trends and areas of concern or strategic importance.

     Work with the Group Chief Finance Officer to develop and implement in- year financial strategies necessary to meet the Trust’s financial requirements.

·         Provide effective financial management and control systems so each organisation meets its statutory financial duties.

·      Provide valuable KPIs and insight to the Group in delivery of key plans and objectives.

·       Manage and report on the Trust compliance with the Public Sector Payments Policy (PSPP). Actively manage performance in line with PSPP requirements by identifying and implementing strategies to continuously improve compliance and consider the value of alternative delivery models.

·      Maintain stringent liquidity controls through effective long term cash management.

·       Focus on improving processes and controls with clear lines of ownership, schedule of activities and cadence for monitoring performance against target.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • CCAB / CIMA qualification or equivalent and current professional registration
  • Management qualification at degree level or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of recent management and leadership development
  • Evidence of continuous professional and personal development
Desirable criteria
  • Postgraduate management qualification

Previous Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience at senior leadership role in either an acute or community Trust within the NHS or other large complex organisation
  • Experience of effective partnerships and working with internal and external stakeholders
  • Significant Experience leading finance operations including financial services, financial control and cash flow management.
  • Must be able to demonstrate substantial experience in financial management of both capital and revenue budgets; including evidence of cost improvements/efficiencies as well as in financial planning.
  • Experience of managing within a change-oriented environment
  • A proven track record in project management, managing and delivering highly complex and multiple projects across functional boundaries
  • Experience of delivering complex change programmes
  • Experience of cultivating a high performance culture
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge and experience of a variety of public and private sector financial management systems and processes
  • Experience of combining teams and driving high performing culture
  • Experience of implementing / leading Robotic Programme Automation.
  • To have demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the NHS and its culture.
  • Deputy or Director level experience

Evidence of Particular Knowledge, skills and Aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Proven track record of sound financial management
  • Developing and implementing strategies and savings plans
  • Evidence of continual improvement in a challenging setting.
  • Able to interpret and provide judgement on highly complex facts or situations
  • Able to manage a multiplicity of targets and objectives
Desirable criteria
  • Awareness of a broad range of management specialties
  • Knowledge of NHS policies and regulations
  • Able to judge value for money in its broadest sense
  • Able to analyse highly complex and technical information within tight timescales
  • Demonstrates detailed “risk” management” judgements in the development of responses to financial / business and quality challenges

Personal Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to demonstrate strategic thinking across a range of organisational issues
  • Leadership skills combined with a range of management competencies
  • Strong intellect with the capability to analyse complex multi-disciplinary problems
  • Good interpersonal skills and the ability to respond appropriately to a wide range of people including clinical staff
  • Ability to influence and motivate staff at all levels (include Board level) through the use of integrity, influence and credibility Willingness to challenge others and win support for new ideas
  • Ability to communicate complex financial information to non-finance members of staff across organisational hierarchy.
  • Advises Board members
  • Able to work collaboratively with partner organisations
  • Must inspire others and lead by good example to deliver change
  • Ability to present very complex, sensitive and contentious information to a range of colleagues and in a variety of media.
  • Proven negotiating skills
  • Ability to Manage conflict and communicate in a hostile or emotive atmosphere
Desirable criteria
  • Advocate of partnership working and collaboration
  • Able to promote and market
  • Able to manage communication with external bodies, in other industries (eg Universities) in a proactive manner

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerNHS Rainbow badgeStep into healthBronze Trailblazer by Race Equality MattersHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingOne Workforce Lincolnshire ICS

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Adrian Watts
Job title
Managing Director
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07816290865
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