Deputy Chief Finance Officer

NHS; Kettering; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare organization is seeking a Deputy Chief Finance Officer to lead financial governance and strategic planning across multiple hospitals in Kettering. This pivotal leadership role involves managing financial controls, statutory reporting, and guiding a senior finance team. The ideal candidate will have a master's degree and be a qualified accountant with extensive experience in healthcare finance. A collaborative and challenging approach is essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Senior level experience in a complex healthcare organisation.
• Successful sustained financial leadership in a changing environment.

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the CFO and support board-level decision-making.
• Lead statutory reporting and financial assurance.
• Drive productivity and efficiency programmes.

Skills

Strong understanding of the healthcare sector

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to engage with a range of stakeholders

Ability to lead and mentor staff

Ability to challenge contentious situations

Education

Masters level education or equivalent

Professionally qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, CIPFA, ACA)

Job description

Overview

We are recruiting a Deputy Chief Finance Officer to join our newly integrated finance team across Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital. This pivotal leadership role supports the Chief Finance Officer in delivering financial governance, strategic planning, and business advice across UHN.

Key Responsibilities

• Deputise for the CFO and support board‑level decision‑making.
• Lead statutory reporting and financial assurance for UHN.
• Drive productivity and efficiency programmes and support service transformation.
• Ensure effective financial controls, reporting, budgeting, and compliance with NHS standards.
• Lead budget‑setting, identify cost‑saving opportunities and deliver value‑based healthcare outcomes.
• Provide direct line management of the senior finance team, fostering a high‑performance culture.
• Represent UHN within the Integrated Care System and build constructive relationships with commissioners.
• Secure commitment, lead with integrity, inclusivity, and transparency, and promote collaboration, equity, and psychological safety.
• Participation in the Director on‑call rota is required.

Qualifications – Education & Training

• Masters level education or equivalent (or significant experience at a senior level in a complex healthcare organisation).
• Professionally qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, CIPFA, ACA).
• Evidence of continuing professional development.

Qualifications – Knowledge & Experience

• Senior level experience in a complex healthcare organisation and at board level.
• Track record of operating at or near board level in a large health system and influencing senior managers and clinicians.
• Successful sustained financial leadership in an environment of organisational change and improvement.
• Sound understanding of NHS strategic change agenda, political environment and commercial environment.
• Current knowledge of all aspects of finance, corporate governance and controls assurance.
• Experience of developing and reviewing large scale business cases and capacity plans.
• Expertise of financial and accounting procedures including current legislation and NHS accounting policies.
• Experience of implementing strategy with evidence of monetary savings and innovative ways of working.
• Substantial experience in managing a complex, multi‑site portfolio.

Qualifications – Skills

• Strong understanding of the healthcare sector and ability to interpret highly complex information.
• Ability to develop and review complex multi‑year financial models, covering I&E, balance sheet, cash and capital.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to present complex information to a range of audiences.
• Ability to engage, work with and influence a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to bring about change and service improvements.
• Ability to lead, manage and mentor staff.
• Collaborative working style with peers, sharing knowledge and being proactive in understanding current issues.
• Ability to challenge and effectively manage highly contentious situations and issues.
• Ability to articulate a strong and coherent vision in a way that inspires and motivates colleagues.
• Ability to think conceptually and simplify complexity to create clarity and provide direction and focus.

Qualifications – Competencies & Personal Qualities

• Personal values aligned to UHN’s values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage.
• Able to organise and prioritise heavy workloads for self and team.
• Passionate and committed to bring UHN’s dedicated to excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, and focusing on empowerment, equality, diversity and inclusion of staff, patients and service users.
• Constructively challenges activities which may not contribute to the delivery of the corporate strategy whilst balancing the importance of being a corporate player.
• Proven ability to deliver presentations and training sessions to audiences within and outside the Trust.
• Proven ability to operate at strategic level and translate into objectives and action.
• Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Proven ability to make significant contributions to long‑term organisational strategy.
• High level of emotional intelligence and self‑awareness with the ability to keep calm in challenging situations.
• Confident, challenging and questioning and prepared to challenge traditional views using empathy, evidence and curiosity.
• A passion for making a qualitative difference to service delivery.
• Strategic direction into deliverable, measurable outcomes.

EEO Statement

UHN encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

Application Note

Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close adverts once we have received sufficient applications.