Head of Finance - Financial Services & Assurance

Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mainly onsite)

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Finance Team in a large complex Foundation Trust. This role is a key part of the finance Senior Leadership Team, reporting to the Director of Operational Finance. We are supportive and collaborative and are committed to your career development with us. We are looking to encourage diversity of talent to University Hospitals Bristol & Weston Foundation Trust , so if you are working in the public or private sector, we would love to hear from you.

This rewarding role presents a unique opportunity to help to build a strong, exciting, and more sustainable future for services we provide to the most vulnerable people in society.

Main duties of the job

Role Purpose:

• To lead financial accounting, statutory financial reporting and financial governance and control across the Trust.
• To lead on cash and working capital management, ensuring that appropriate systems and reporting are in place to maximise cash flows and operate effectively.
• To lead the financial services and payroll services teams in providing efficient, high quality and customer focused functions.

Role Context:

• Roles at this level require a fully qualified finance professional with significant NHS experience at a senior level and the ability to lead and motivate a team of finance staff.
• A key element to the role will be to promote the highest standards of professionalism within the finance function to ensure compliance with external standards and best practice.
• The role requires high level leadership, technical, analytical, and interpersonal skills and involves effective working relationships with a range of internal and external colleagues.
• The post holder will manage the Head of Controls and Assurance, the Head of Payroll Services, the Head of Financial Accounting.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Expert specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures including statutory regulations and NHS accounting frameworks and policies
• Knowledge of business continuity planning, risk management and control
• Experience of developing and implementing finance staff development and training strategies
• Working with and chairing multi-disciplinary teams at a senior level
• Experience of liaising with external auditors

Desirable criteria

• Experience of leading and managing a large finance department
• Experience of financial systems and process evaluation and design
• Knowledge of NHS pay terms and conditions.

Skill and Abilities

Essential criteria

• Able to analyse and interpret highly complex finance and business information to both take and recommend decisions
• Ability to interpret highly complex information and take decisions regarding allocation of resources and risk
• Ability to prioritise and deliver workload in a dynamic/unpredictable work environment and support and direct others appropriately
• Able to plan and organise complex activities leading multi-disciplinary teams in delivering financial controls and strategy
• Able to lead and facilitate change within the Trust and the finance function.
• Able to create supportive and inclusive environment for finance staff to develop.
• IT skills, including powerpoint and word to produce reports and presentations

Aptitudes

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, with ability to communicate highly complex and sensitive information effectively to large groups, including non-finance managers
• Highly developed negotiating and influencing skills to persuade senior health care leaders (including external to the Trust) of the appropriate course of action
• Able to exercise expert and professional judgement to make decisions or provide advice at senior management/Board level
• Able to challenge and raise issues effectively

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent work experience
• CCAB qualified
• Significant post qualification experience as a senior finance manager in a complex organisation
• Evidence of recent CPD including specialist training and experience relating to NHS finance, leadership and management.

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.