Chief Financial Officer, NHS Scotland

ACCA Careers; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services organization is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Health and Social Care in Edinburgh. This role requires a qualified accountant with significant experience in managing large budgets and providing strategic financial leadership. The ideal candidate will oversee all financial planning and governance, ensuring best practices are followed while working closely with governmental health bodies. The successful applicant will thrive in a complex organizational environment and demonstrate strong leadership capabilities.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified accountant and a member of one recognized institute.
• Experience managing budgets of at least £500 million.
• Ability to lead multiple functions in complex settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of revenue and capital budgets.
• Establish effective framework for financial governance.
• Advise on financial planning and management across organizations.

Skills

Financially astute

Extensive knowledge of UK accounting standards

Leadership

Managing quality service

Communicating and influencing

Education

Qualified accountant (CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA)

Job description

Location

Edinburgh, Glasgow

About the job

We are seeking an exceptional leader to take on the high-profile role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Health and Social Care. This is a critical position at the heart of government, where your strategic insight and financial expertise will directly influence the vision, planning, and delivery of health and care services in Scotland.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the development and delivery of revenue and capital budgets, as well as finance plans, whilst providing advice to the Accountable Officer and Scottish Ministers in relation to both.
• Establish and oversee a sound effective framework of financial governance, control, risk management and mitigation.
• Manage and actively promote collaborative and single system working to ensure best value and optimal use of resources.
• Provide necessary advice, support and challenge to Health and Social Care Directorates (HSCD), NHS Boards and Integration Authorities.
• Work with HSCD, NHS and Integration Authorities, to develop sustainable and balanced financial plans.
• Develop constructive relationships with Chief Executives, Directors of Finance, Chief Officers, and Chief Financial Officers, which promotes transparency, and supportive challenge and with the Director General and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.
• Develop strong and trusting relationships within DG HSC and across Scottish Government, particularly with the SG Chief Finance Officer and Scottish Exchequer.
• Be a member of the Health and Social Care Management Board, and also an active member and participant in both the Exchequer, and Infrastructure Investment Boards.
• Have budgetary responsibilities in relation to the Health and Sport Portfolio which has an annual revenue budget of over £21 billion and annual capital budget of c£1b.
• Have oversight and financial management of allocation of funding and spend by HSCD Directorates and 22 NHS Boards, including both revenue and capital budgets.
• Lead the Health and Social Care Finance Directorate which has approximately 78 FTE and an annual budget of approximately £6m.

Key Priority Areas

• Oversight and management of revenue and capital budgets and funding, and lead actions to manage financial outturn, supporting the Portfolio Accountable Officer and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, with close collaboration with HSC Directors, particularly the Chief Operating Officer and NHS Boards.
• Provide leadership to NHS Directors of Finance and build constructive relationships with NHS Board Chief Executives, directing and advising on financial planning, monitoring performance, and reporting to the Director General & Chief Executive of NHS Scotland.
• Oversee the capital programme for health and social care, ensuring whole-system planning, risk assessment, and investment plans aligned to priorities.
• Support the Scottish Government year-end accounts process and approval of the NHS sub-consolidation certificate.

You Will Have a Personal Responsibility With Regard To Finance, Efficiency And Best Value Derived From The Budget Responsibility Delegated From The DG Health And Social Care For The Directorate Of Health Finance

• Ensure the highest standards of financial management and value for money from Scottish Government funds.
• Comply with governance and control requirements outlined in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.
• Utilise financial information to underpin sound decision making and consider Managing Public Money implications within your budget area.

As Part Of The Leadership Cohort In Health And Social Care Directorates

• Deliver improvements in support of wider strategic priorities of the DG family, including effective reporting and tracking of budget and expenditure against priorities and NHS Board performance against financial plans.
• Balance financial risk while championing innovation, reform and improvement.
• Collaborate across Directorates to define spend priorities and redirect resources as needed, including DG-level opportunities.
• Review business plans and DG/ministerial priorities, including Portfolio Operating Costs budgets.
• Align NHS Board delivery with financial planning and reporting, in collaboration with the Chief Operating Officer.

Qualifications

• You must be a qualified accountant and a member of either the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) or of one of the five accountancy institutes: CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS, ICAI, ACCA.

Experience

• Financially astute with extensive knowledge of UK accounting standards, with experience of managing budgets of at least £500 million, leading multiple functions in a complex organisational setting.

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Developing self and others
• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at pace
• Communicating and influencing