Job summary
- Main area
- Finance
- Grade
- Band 9
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 350-TWS8115069
- Employer
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Hollins Park
- Town
- Winwick
- Salary
- £112,782 - £129,783 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 05/07/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 17/07/2026
Employer heading
Deputy Director of Finance – Financial Management & Strategic Planning
Band 9
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.
Using AI to support your application
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For tips and guidance, please refer to our applicant guidance.
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Job overview
We are seeking an experienced values-led chartered accountant who can demonstrate excellent financial stewardship, compassionate leadership whilst balancing the operational and strategic demands of the broad portfolio of services in a large NHS provider.
With a focus on quality improvement, quality and safety, this role is for a finance leader who can consistently create a positive, productive culture that continually promotes finance staff development.
Reporting to the Operational Finance Director, and working alongside the Deputy Director of Finance – Financial Services, the successful candidate will be able to deputise for the Operational Finance Director and be able to demonstrate the ability to build credibility with, inspire confidence and demonstrably influence staff at all levels across our diverse services.
A forward thinking, innovative leader with experience working as a senior finance professional in a large, complex organisation, you will have proven ability in leading, a Financial Management function. With the ability to gain credibility with a range of stakeholders, you will have the ability to interpret and advise on complex financial issues.
Main duties of the job
You will contribute to building a culture which is actively anti-racist and supports our strategic framework. You will be an exceptional leader of people, with drive, vision, a strategic mind-set, clarity of purpose, proven track record of successful financial leadership and management.
The post holder will have responsibility for the strategic and operational development of the Finance Directorate and will contribute heavily to the development of the Financial Strategy of the organisation and the Integrated Care System. Plans to achieve the financial strategy will be underpinned by the delivery of short to medium term objectives.
Key aspects of this role will be to provide assurance to the Board of Directors and Trust Committees that all internal financial processes reflect latest financial standards, national policy and recommendations from both internal and external audit.
Working for our organisation
At Mersey Care we strive to continually build on our values and
beliefs that will allow all our workforce to develop their potential
and bring their whole self into the organisation. In order to
strengthen our inclusivity and diversity, we recognise the need to
ensure we become more representative of the communities we
serve.
This is recognised in the NHS England EDI Workforce
Improvement Plan 2023 and NHS Workplace Race Equality
Standard that in senior NHS Leadership positions, there is an
underrepresentation of Black and Asian Minority colleagues
(BME).
As an organisation we are committed to our Perfect Care Goal on
Anti-racism and so are employing positive action where we know
there is underrepresentation and for this position therefore, we
encourage applications from people who are from BME
communities.
The Equality Act (2010) permits Mersey Care as a defined public
authority, to take steps to address inequity and
underrepresentation as positive action, and this includes our
approach for this position.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide day to day direction and management of the finance function. Work closely with other senior staff within the organisation and wider System to ensure the development and management of plans. Ensure appropriate financial systems and processes are in place to enable the implementation of the strategic plans in the organisation and the system
Proactively manage the key financial risks and issues associated with the delivery of strategic and operational plans, ensuring appropriate actions are taken to mitigate or respond. Monitoring and establishing accountability on the overall progress of the financial strategy to ensure completion within the agreed time scales. Manage changes without the destabilisation of business as usual. To manage and actively promote the relationships with the key stakeholders.
As an organisation we are committed to our Perfect Care Goal on Anti-racism and so are employing positive action where we know there is underrepresentation and for this position therefore, we encourage applications from people who are from BME communities.
The Equality Act (2010) permits Mersey Care as a defined public authority, to take steps to address inequity and underrepresentation as positive action, and this includes our approach for this position.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters degree or equivalent experience
- CCAB or CIMA membership with a minimum 10 years post qualification experience
- CPD Registration with professional body
Desirable criteria
- Higher level degree or post graduate level management qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- A successful track record at a senior level
- Experience of working with Executive teams and Boards
- Experience of strategic service planning and redesign
- Experience of leading and developing staff including qualified staff and senior management staff
- Experience of effective partnership working with other organisations at a senior level, preferably a mix of public and voluntary sector
- Demonstrate the capability to maintain financial control whilst supporting a devolved style
- Expertise in financial management
- Experience of working under pressure and meeting deadlines
Desirable criteria
- Working in a Mental Health Trust
- Working in a Community Trust
- Project / change management experience
- Working with local authorities
Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to demonstrate strong influencing and negotiation skills- must be able to present credible and compelling arguments to Board members, senior management, peers, finance staff and commissioners, and to develop effective relationships with them
- Skills to be able to communicate in a variety of methods written, verbal and presentational including report writing.
- Skills to communicate on a wide range of highly complex financial and nonfinancial issues
- Skills to communicate with a wide variety of people at all levels both within the organisation and externally
- Demonstrate highly developed planning skills and knowledge of project management approaches
- Skills to deliver contentious information
- Coaching & values led leadership style, encouraging engagement and empowerment amongst staff and stakeholders, and in developing high performing teams
- Ability to manage competing priorities. Solve problems, using a solution focused approach
- Politically astute
- Process Redesign – the ability to design and implement changes to improve systems and process Strong proactive and solution orientated
- Ability to understand and interpret complex financial information.
- IT literate and able to use and implement financial software and bespoke systems
- Deal with uncertainty and complexity in a political environment
- Ability to work autonomously guided by general NHS and organisational policy
- Ability to formulate and evaluate alternative courses of action and advise and persuade senior staff of a certain course, applying constraints as appropriate
- A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights
- Significant knowledge of contract and procurement legislation and frameworks
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Strong proactive and solution orientated
Desirable criteria
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Access
- Mentoring skills
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Evidence of the ability to manage a senior team within a finance function
- Implementing national financial policies and guidance across an organisation
- Developing and implementing organisation wide financial policies
- NHS Finance Issues
- Working knowledge of Annual Accounts processes
- Understanding of Capital Accounting requirements
- Experience of delivering major capital programme of multi sites/ projects
- Experience of leading on the relationship with NHS regulators
- Performance managing outsourced contracts
- NHS costing methodologies
- Knowledge of NHS contractual and financial framework
- Demonstrate able to work at Deputy Director of Finance level
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Matthew Greene
- Job title
- Operational Finance Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07557 498 798
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