Head of System Finance

This is a fantastic opportunity to take your finance career to the next level working for Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent ICB. This is an established key post within the Finance/Planning & Intelligence Directorate as we strengthen strategic finance &intelligence across the ICS. The vacancy has been created through the gaining of a promotion for the existing post holder within a different system.
You will be an exceptional leader, passionate about analysing financial & broader data sources & using these to inform, understand & articulate our system position to the broadest range of users. You will be pivotal in creating our system financial strategy & our approaches to investment, risk management & system level reporting & be the key link for our senior finance professionals across the system.
Working under the leadership of the Director of Planning, the Head of System Finance will be a senior member of the ICB Finance System Planning and Intelligence Team, supporting the ICS manage allocations of over 2bn & ensuring triangulation of Finance, Performance & Workforce information. The post holder will provide senior leadership & facilitate system working supporting the system CFOs & the ICB Director of Operational Finance to create a single system finance approach.
The role will be a key member of the finance leadership team supporting the development of the system finance strategy, the medium-term financial model and the annual operating plan.
The post holder will be responsible for the overall co-ordination of financial planning at the system level (individual organisations being responsible the development of their statutory plans) and system level financial reporting; this will include leading the annual financial planning programme and in-year reporting of delivery against plan.
The post holder will be responsible for developing robust, efficient and effective financial planning processes and models to deliver an assured financial plan at the system level. They will be expected to take a strategic lead, working with other colleagues within the ICB Unitary Body and Providers, to develop robust planning assumptions with full engagement and ownership by relevant stakeholders. The post holder will be required to maintain multiple relationships with senior and executive managers within the ICB and the broader system.
The post holder will have responsibility for the completion of all ICS planning returns, overseeing bid submissions in a timely manner and will support assurance discussions with NHS England and NHS Improvement around the plans.
You will deputise for the Director of Planning as required including presenting at the ICS Board, ICS Finance and Performance Committee, Regional assurance meetings and other formal groups.
The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for planning functions; managing the NHS budget and arranging the provision of health services in the geographical area
Location Home based/hybrid working (majority of posts).
There may be occasions when you will be required to attend a location hub, usually this will be pre-planned and with at least a days’ notice
All new starters are expected to collect their new IT equipment, from the IT Department, which is based in Stoke on Trent.
All posts at Band 8c and above, are expected to take part in the Silver on call rota. Full training will be provided.
All new starters based at home are required to have appropriate desk/chair or other relevant equipment in compliance with DSE regulations to be able to work remotely and will attend mandatory Unconscious Bias Training, Invisible Disability Training and a separate induction on Equality and Inclusion.
Interviews may take place via Microsoft Office Teams or in person at one of our local hubs
The post holder will be required to;
- Maintain regular contact with internal and external stakeholders and will often need to engage with them over sensitive, complex, contentious and confidential issues.
- Lead relevant internal and external working groups/projects, services and initiatives to provide project, information and analytical advice and expertise.
- Plan and organise a broad range of highly complex activities, formulating and adjusting plans to reflect changing circumstances.
- Lead system working with the teams from across multiple organisations to manage data collection systems that will provide accurate and timely financial information.
- Challenge and assure financial data received from system partners and prepare aggregated financial modelling and reporting in a variety of forms
- Present financial information and issues, explaining complexities, to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- To liaise with other ICS planning and performance functions to share best practice.
- Chair the system Deputy Directors of Finance Group and lead identified short term task and finish groups as required.
- Organise the agenda and material for the weekly CF