Director Commercial Finance | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS organization is seeking a Commercial Enterprise Director to lead financial operations, ensuring strategic oversight and operational leadership across diverse ventures. The ideal candidate will have experience in finance management within the NHS or public sector, focusing on innovative approaches to improve mental health services while ensuring financial sustainability. The deadline for applications is 29th September 2025.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in financial management and strategic planning.
• Experience leading finance functions within the NHS or other public sectors.
• Ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership on all aspects of finance within Commercial Enterprise.
• Collaborate with the Trust Finance Department to monitor financial positions.
• Oversee complex commercial infrastructure developments and negotiations.

Skills

Commercial financial leadership

Strategic planning

Internal controls

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder relationship management

Job description

Overview

This post will provide an exceptionally dynamic, driven individual with an exciting opportunity to join and lead an innovative, growing NHS-based portfolio of ventures that work towards improving people’s lives and mental health in a financially sustainable way. These ventures include strategic property disposal, international service delivery (range of models) and a range of UK based margin making businesses with different levels of maturity including learning, consulting and private care. An interest in working commercially and creatively within the NHS or other public sector, as well as a track record of strategically and operationally leading a finance function (inside or outside the NHS) are essential, as well as a commitment to improving people’s health and lives.

About South London and Maudsley

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King\u2019s College London and are part of King\u2019s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care, research, and training.

Commercial Enterprise and ventures

Builds on initiatives going back more than 10 years and helps the Trust to fulfil our core purpose in three ways. First, to provide effective, responsive and efficient support services to our people on any commercial matters. Second, it takes to other organisations here and overseas via a range of platforms, the best approaches with which we serve people; and third it generates vitally needed investment to help us change the lives of people we serve.

Job Purpose

Responsibilities

• To provide strategic and operational oversight of all aspects of finance within Commercial Enterprise, including individual ventures and partnerships;
• To collaborate closely with the Trust Finance Department, CFO and leadership team to ensure seamless monitoring of management accounts and financial positions;
• To manage financial and business intelligence to guide strategic decision making across the portfolio, from new investment options appraisals through to major financial partnerships.

Additionally, the post holder will contribute to the overall leadership of Commercial Enterprise as one of several Directors, as well as supporting individual ventures and partnership teams with strategic leadership and decision making.

As a Commercial Enterprise Director, the post holder will influence the strategic vision and provide strategic and operational leadership on all aspects of finance, liaising with the South London & Maudsley (SLaM) NHSFT finance department.

Role Structure and Accountability

The post holder will be accountable for the delivery of financial performance and robust financial forecasting and drive the delivery of well-managed budgets and ensure the financial viability of Commercial Enterprise. The postholder will have direct accountability to the Chief Commercial Officer, SLaM Executive Leadership Team, and Trust Board and will establish the internal governance structure within ME and involved Trust Finance to provide financial assurance. The post holder will be responsible, along with other Commercial Enterprise Directors, for the development and delivery of strategic objectives, oversight of performance and risk, use of resources, and delivery of services and for promoting the vision, values and strategic aims of Enterprise both internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities

1. To provide strong commercial financial leadership, strategic and operational on all aspects of finance within Commercial Enterprise and within the context of SLaM NHSFT, providing timely financial information to Directors, the Board, Executive Leadership Team and ventures to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities.
2. To work closely and collaboratively with the Trust Finance Department and leadership to ensure that Commercial Enterprise’s management accounts and financial position within the Trust is monitored in real-time and is always reconcilable with the Trust’s overall position.
3. To contribute as a Commercial Enterprise Director to the formulation and delivery of strategic and business plans, advise on the financial implications of strategic planning and lead on the development of complex business cases.
4. To oversee large, complex commercial infrastructure developments, negotiate with investors and partners and work effectively with a wide selection of expert advisors (financial advisory, legal, development management).
5. To provide expert advice to the Directors and individual ventures on all financial issues and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of Commercial Enterprise and its individual ventures.
6. To be responsible for ensuring there is a robust system of internal financial controls and effective budgetary control systems in place, including building the internal governance required to achieve this goal.
7. To devise supporting financial plans for new and existing ventures, including financial forecasts, options appraisals, investment plans, and financial dashboards to support strategic objectives through evaluation of business opportunities and risks.
8. To apply rigorous best practice commercial models and systems in assessing viability of investment proposals.
9. To represent Commercial Enterprise in internal and external forums, building commercially, financially and regulatorily important relationships with key stakeholders.
10. To lead and manage contract negotiation, contract performance monitoring and contract management, including mitigation against under performance.
11. To effectively manage financial agreements between Commercial Enterprise / the Trust and partners or contractors.
12. Develop and operationalise reports and processes linking operational activity to Trusts reporting structures.
13. Improve business intelligence reporting and monitoring both within Commercial Enterprise and how this is fed into the Trusts reporting structures.
14. To meet agreed targets and objectives and deliver within defined costs, timescales and resources.
15. To ensure Value for Money through effective procurement arrangements, working closely with existing Trust processes and personnel.
16. To provide strong individual and professional leadership through change supporting colleagues, staff and partners through a visionary and motivational problem-solving approach.

This advert closes on Monday 29 Sep 2025