Chief Finance Officer

Integrated Care System; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Integrated Care System seeks a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead their financial strategy and governance. This influential role requires a strategic leader with a background in financial management, capable of working collaboratively within the NHS framework. The CFO will ensure robust financial oversight and foster a culture of accountability and innovation in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in financial leadership.
• Track record of driving financial performance.
• Experience working at or near board level.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of financial management including budgeting and planning.
• Establish sound policies and procedures for financial governance.
• Support integrated care and long-term sustainability.

Skills

Financial strategy

Governance

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Education

Professional accountancy qualification

Degree or equivalent experience

Master's level Postgraduate qualification

Job description

Go back Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

Chief Finance Officer

The closing date is 24 July 2025

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), rated "Good" by the CQC, provides a wide range of mental health, community & learning disability services across hospital and community settings, and has been accredited as a Teaching Partner of the University of Cambridge.

With a turnover of £275 million and a workforce of 4,900 staff serving nearly 1 million people, CPFT is a major regional employer and a key partner in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS).

We are committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care, improving community wellbeing, and driving innovation through leading-edge research in mental and physical health--all underpinned by our PRIDE values.

We are seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join our Executive Team where they will become a voting member of the CPFT Board. This is an influential role leading the Trust's financial strategy, governance, and risk oversight. As a key partner in the ICS, you will work closely with Board colleagues to shape CPFT's future.

We're looking for a strategic, inclusive leader with a strong track record in performance and governance, who brings compassion, collaboration and a drive for change. While prior board experience isn't essential, you should be confident operating at a strategic level and building effective partnerships.

To register your interest in this post and to receive an application pack please email [e-mail]

Main duties of the job

CFO Additional Information please view the link below

The role of CFO is responsible for developing and implementing the Trust's financial strategy, overseeing all aspects of financial management including budgeting, planning, reporting and risk oversight.

The CFO ensures robust financial governance through the establishment of sound policies and procedures, enabling effective decision-making and accountability. Working closely with Board colleagues and external partners--particularly within the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS)--the CFO plays a vital role in supporting integrated care and long-term sustainability.

Additionally, the postholder is expected to foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across the finance function and the wider organisation.

About us

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.

Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk

Job responsibilities

For a full list of responsibilities please refer to the attached job description and person specification

• A professional accountancy qualification (e.g. CIPFA, CIMA, ACCA, ACA) and significant senior-level experience in financial leadership, ideally within a complex public sector or healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial strategy, governance, and risk management.
• Proven experience with a strong track record of driving financial performance.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain robust financial governance frameworks.
• Experience working collaboratively at a strategic level, ideally within complex or multi-partner environments such as the NHS or public sector.
• Prior board-level experience is desirable but not essential.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to lead and develop financial strategy and risk management.
• Inspirational and action-oriented leadership style.
• Compassionate and inclusive, with the ability to motivate and empower teams.
• Strong partnership and stakeholder engagement skills, with a commitment to collaborative working across organisational boundaries.
• Clear communicator with the ability to influence and lead within a dynamic and evolving healthcare system.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience
• Evidence of CPD
• Master's level Postgraduate qualification in management or other relevant area

Experience

• Evidence of significant experience of leading and influencing multi professional groups to deliver cross system change and or improvement
• Proven track record of successful and sustained financial management in a large, complex, multi-site organisation operating in a regulated environment
• Successful track record of working at or near board level/or equivalent.
• Experience of delivering performance goals and targets within large complex organisation

Knowledge and Skills

• Up to date knowledge of NHS finance policy and practice
• All aspects of financial management, strategic planning and performance management systems underpinning the activities of a complex multi-site organisation operating in a competitive environment
• Ability to prepare plans for financial aspects of service provision to develop long term financial strategy
• Understanding of the national and political context within which the NHS operates alongside the current and future challenges.
• An excellent understanding of the financial and regulatory environment of the wider health sector, both public and private
• Demonstrates understanding of NHS regulatory regime, including role of CQC and NHS England/Improvement
• Demonstrates understanding of the NHS financial operating environment.

Other

• Exceptional leadership and communication skills.
• Strong commercial and business acumen with ability to negotiate and lead major investment programmes.
• Results focused with ability to performance manage and hold others to account.
• Able to set financial strategy and implement policy that achieves safe, quality outcomes for service users

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

£100,000 to £200,000 a yearper annum pro rata