Job summary
- Main area
- Finance
- Grade
- VSM
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 164-7387102
- Employer
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- City Hospital
- Town
- Nottingham
- Salary
- Depends on experience
- Closing
- 07/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 18/09/2025
Employer heading
Director of Operational Finance / Deputy Chief Financial Officer
VSM
Job overview
We are looking for an exceptional leader to join our Finance Team. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer and in conjunction with the Director of Strategic Finance, you'll be pivotal in building and developing the Finance Team and implementing highly effective systems and practices. To succeed you will have the ability to provide strategic leadership and to foster a culture of compassion, innovation & inclusion, that improves the services we provide, whilst supporting financial sustainability. As an expert communicator, you'll be comfortable to lead on the sharing of highly complex information in a way that empowers others and facilitates their contribution. You will be working with colleagues across the Trust and the wider Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care system.
The Trust is part way through the delivery of its Financial Sustainability Plan that will see it return to financial balance. This role is key in leading the delivery of the financial management, financial services and procurement functions.
Main duties of the job
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Provide expert strategic and technical advice to the Board, Finance & Performance Committee and Audit Committee, ensuring robust stewardship of a £1.9 billion budget.
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Lead and motivate the Financial Services, Financial Management, Procurement & Supply‑Chain and Finance‑Transformation teams, embedding a high‑performance, digitally enabled culture.
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Own the full cycle of budget‑setting, in‑year performance, statutory accounts, cash and working‑capital management and drive delivery of cost‑improvement and productivity plans.
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Champion One NHS Finance principles, modernise processes and systems, and cultivate strong partnerships across our Integrated Care System.
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Deputise for the Chief Financial Officer, acting as a visible, values‑led senior leader across the Trust and on the gold on‑call rota.
Working for our organisation
At NUH you will join an executive team committed to compassionate, inclusive leadership and continuous improvement.
We offer:
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Competitive Very Senior Manager (VSM) package with NHS pension.
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Agile / hybrid working based mainly at City Hospital but with the requirement to work at QMC and at other ICS partners.
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Access to national One NHS Finance and leadership development, plus strong university links.
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A collaborative culture that celebrates diversity, wellbeing and the Trust’s core values of Kind, Inclusive, Ambitious and One Team.
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Leadership & Governance
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Shape and deliver the Trust’s financial strategy and annual financial plan in line with NHS England, DHSC and ICS requirements.
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Lead recruitment, development and performance of c.250 finance and procurement professionals, embedding continuous improvement and professional standards.
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Provide assurance on financial controls, risk management and compliance with Standing Financial Instructions, IFRS and Better Payment Practice Code.
Financial Services
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Oversee accounts payable/receivable, treasury, cash forecasting, investment and tax arrangements with NHS SBS.
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Ensure production of monthly management accounts, statutory annual accounts and all NHSE returns to deadline and to audit‑ready standards.
Financial Management
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Coordinate Trust‑wide budget setting, forecasting and reporting; translate strategic objectives into clear, costed and assigned targets.
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Provide insightful analysis and early‑warning indicators to support decision‑making and corrective action.
Procurement & Supply Chain
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Develop and deliver the Trust’s Procurement Strategy, driving value for money, clinical engagement and Model Hospital excellence.
Finance Transformation
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Sponsor projects that modernise finance processes, data and systems, improving efficiency and the user experience.
Person Specification – at a glance
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Degree and CCAB/CIMA qualification with ≥5 years post‑qualification experience at Deputy/Director level in a large, complex NHS (or comparable) organisation.
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Expert knowledge of NHS finance regime; proven delivery of large‑scale turnaround and cost‑improvement programmes; outstanding leadership, communication and stakeholder‑management skills.
Person specification
Other requirements specific to the role
Essential criteria
- Driving licence required to meet travelling requirements at short notice.
- Ability to provide senior on call support and if necessary, physical attendance in an emergency if required.
- Demonstrates high levels of motivation, drive and determination
- A leadership role model who promotes organisational values and desired leadership behaviours
Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent)
- CCAB / CIMA accounting qualification with at least five years post qualification experience.
- Must have significant evidenced continual professional development.
Desirable criteria
- Doctorate/ Masters in a subject relevant to the role or equivalent level management / operational experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Expert understanding of the NHS finance regime
- Experience of delivering complex change programmes
- Experience of applying programme management techniques
- Experience in managing teams
- Must be able to demonstrate substantial experience of leadership across multiple financial disciplines and multiple stakeholders.
- Evidence of continual improvement in a challenging setting.
- Must be able to demonstrate significant experience of strategic financial leadership at a personal level across multiple financial disciplines; with evidence of achieving cross-discipline, targets/goals.
- 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.
- Must be able to demonstrate experience in dealing with complex people issues and providing pastoral leadership to teams
- To have demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the NHS and its culture.
- A proven track record in project management, managing and delivering highly complex and multiple projects across functional boundaries
- Experience of cultivating a high performance culture
Desirable criteria
- To bring experience of working at Board level with exceptional track record of achievements.
- To bring proven management experience from within a large Acute or complex NHS setting
- Deputy or Director level experience
Communication and relationship skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills demonstrating highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels
- Proven track record of building successful teams
- Able to work collaboratively with partner organisations
- Ability to influence and motivate staff at all levels (include Board level) through the use of integrity, influence and credibility
- Must possess the experience, credibility and gravitas to communicate with senior stakeholders; both internally and externally; to provide the confidence at the technical expert level; producing clear and non-technical advice on complex technical issues succinctly.
- Must be able to facilitate, build and maintain strong professional relationships across multiple disciplines – within the technical, customer and supplier bases – to provide confidence and assurance to peers, staff and others, the service provided is a trusted, respected enabler
- Must be able to demonstrate strong negotiation skills in complex and challenging situations with the ability to adapt and flex within agreed parameters to deliver mutually acceptable outcomes
- Demonstrate an external as well as internal focus; able to “learn from the best”
- Must inspire others and lead by good example to deliver chaAbility to present very complex, sensitive and contentious information to a range of colleagues and in a variety of media.nge
- Proven negotiating skills
- Ability to Manage conflict and communicate in a hostile or emotive atmosphere
Desirable criteria
- Able to promote and market
- Able to manage communication with external bodies, in other industries (eg Universities) in a proactive manner
- To have received media training
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of NHS policies and regulations
- Able to interpret and provide judgement on highly complex facts or situations
- Able to manage a multiplicity of targets and objectives
- Provides judgements regarding resource allocation where no precedent exists and where potential for disagreement at a senior level exists
- Innovative thinker with the ability to cut through barriers to change
- Required to plan and organise a broad range of complex and technical activities
- Required to manage a series of targets
- Required to organise duties in a way which meets rigorous external scrutiny by regulators, Commissioners, etc
- To be able to demonstrate taking a financial solution through the design, business case, approvals, planning, delivery, business as usual and benefits realisation stages.
- Ability to interpret national, health and broad organisational policies and establish the way in which these will be implemented and interpreted
- Able to manage and prioritise conflicting demands and meeting various deadlines required for producing highly complex tasks requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
- Proven record of pro-active performance management
- Able to work independently and on own initiative
Desirable criteria
- 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
- Experience of presenting service level performance management data to enable continual service improvement
- Experience of presenting patient level information to enable continual service improvement
Physical skills
Essential criteria
- Able to work across the local health community and travel often at short notice
- Ability to manage long periods of concentration and pressured work
- Advanced IT skills to manage and report on highly complex performance management information
Desirable criteria
- Able to travel nationally
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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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
- Helen Johnson
- Job title
- EA to Chief Financial Officer
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
0115 969 1169 Ext 71061 / Mobile 07770895346
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