Director of Strategic Finance

Job summary

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 Operational 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 Board has recently approved an ambitious Financial Sustainability Plan that will see the Trust return to a recurrently sustainable place over the next two years. This role is key in leading the delivery of the FSP, developing the strategic financial direction of the Trust and managing the capital programme.

Main duties of the job

This role is crucial in ensuring the financial health and sustainability of our Trust. The role leads delivery of strategy, capital, commissioning and income, and financial sustainability to support our strategic objectives while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and best practices. This position requires strong leadership skills, financial insight, deep understanding of healthcare finance, and the ability to deliver high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services.

The role reports into the Chief Financial Officer, and is responsible for directing the Strategy, Capital, and Commissioning and Income teams and strategic oversight of the financial recovery and sustainability of the Trust, including the work of our Financial Recovery Strategic Partner. The post holder will lead and motivate teams effectively as well as building strong relationships with a range of stakeholders and partners.

Working collaboratively with the whole Finance leadership team, and in particular with the Director of Operational Finance, the Chief Financial Officer and ICS Finance colleagues. Close working relationships will ensure that strategic planning arrangements are designed in a way which takes into account the current financial performance of the Trust, and supports delivery of the annual budgets and rolling forecasts.

About us

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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Leadership

To lead and develop the finance directorate so that it provides the management of the Trust with the financial advice, information and expertise to enable the provision of the best possible standards of health and social care, within defined costs, timescales and resources. To promote standards of professionalism within finance to ensure compliance with external standards and best practice and support the delivery of the finance function. To recruit, deploy, develop, train, review and motivate staff to fulfil the functions objectives, embedding a culture of continuous improvement. To provide advice and support to the Chief Financial Officer and to all those carrying management responsibilities within the Trust. Ensure technical information is explained in a style appropriate for the user. To deputise for the Chief Financial Officer in their absence. Work with the Chief Financial Officer to define and develop the strategic direction of the finance function so that it is able to set challenging objectives for the future in response to changing needs. Work with the Chief Financial Officer to manage and minimise strategic financial risk for the organisation. Contribute to the development of overall vision and of strategies for the Trust which provide clear direction for future development. Provide advice and support to the Trusts governance structures as required, including the Board of Directors, Finance and Performance Committee and Audit Committee. To engage with the national One NHS Finance programme and lead implementation in their functional areas.

Strategic Planning

Advise on the formulation of financial strategy and continuously monitor it against performance. The financial strategy should ensure best possible use is made of the organisations resources and will require adjustment over time. ensure the development of a medium-term financial plan, based on best practice financial and business principals. co-ordinate the preparation of the Trusts Annual Plan for presentation in a clear and concise manner to the Trust Board prior to the start of the financial year and ensure the agreement of a plan that meets the Trust's agreed financial performance. communicate planning information and assumptions to the Executive Directors and senior managers and, where necessary, make challenging recommendations in order to meet the Trusts financial targets. ensure capacity and workforce plans are triangulated into the financial plan of the Trust and that NHSE detailed requirements as outlined in planning guidance are fully complied with. ensure there is realistic planning around likely resources and an appropriate assessment of risk including detailed reviews of business cases.

Capital

develop a capital investment plan. ensure there are sufficient resources to finance the Capital Investment Programme, identify innovative sources of funding and, where necessary, apply for loan funding from the Department of Health, subject to the approval of the Trust Board. ensure that robust policies and procedures are in place for the effective stewardship of the Trusts assets and management of the Trusts Capital Investment Programme within the Trusts delegated limits. review and analyse highly complex business cases and recommend a course of action to the Trust Leadership Team, presenting the facts in a clear and concise manner. The review and analysis will include reference to VFM issues, Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions. develop and implement an effective strategy for the efficient maintenance, utilisation, safe custody and protection of ownership of the Trusts fixed assets including real estate.

Costing

further develop the PLICS and SLR systems and roll them out across the Trust. Present findings and change opportunities to senior colleagues and lead the implementation. Work with clinical and operational colleagues to set up a clinical user group to continuously refine our systems further. develop a high-quality patient level costing function and service line reporting, ensuring that costing information is made available to operational managers and clinicians in a user-friendly way, and ensure they are engaged in its interpretation, development and use for planning and managing services and improving use of resources alongside model hospital and GIRFT data. develop, interpret and disseminate other sources of benchmarking information on the efficiency and effectiveness of services, such as NHS Benchmarking Network studies. deliver Service Line Reporting, national costing submissions and Reference costing to the Trust ensuring that this is a clinically led and informed service embedded within the operational decision making of the organisation.

Commissioning and Income

agree commissioning contracts and participate in the evaluation and preparation of bids for new tenders in line with the Trusts strategic objectives. effectively manage financial agreements between the Trust and its stakeholders to ensure appropriate recovery of costs.

Financial Recovery and Sustainability

Manage relationship with strategic partner, ensuring delivery of recurrent cash out savings, and ensuring knowledge transfer to Trust. Oversee the design, implementation and monitoring of a 3 year rolling cost improvement plan and the routine reporting of financial delivery against agreed plans. Person Specification

Other requirements specific to the role

Essential

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

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

Doctorate/ Masters in a subject relevant to the role or equivalent level management / operational experience

Experience

Essential

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

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

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 Proven negotiating skills Ability to Manage conflict and communicate in a hostile or emotive atmosphere

Desirable

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

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

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

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

Able to travel nationally

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