Financial Controller

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Financial Controller to lead the Trust's Financial Services function, ensuring accurate financial accounting, reporting and controls. The role focuses on delivering annual accounts, coordinating audits, and embedding strong financial governance in a fast-paced NHS environment.

You'll lead a team, drive improvements, and work closely with senior managers across the Trust to support strategic decision-making and maintain excellent financial

Qualifications

• CCAB Qualified or equivalent with full membership
• Expert knowledge of financial accounting and reporting standards
• CPD in NHS financial management and technical skills

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and develop a professional financial accounting service in line with guidelines
• Ensure statutory/NHS accounts are accurate and timely
• Lead production of Annual Accounts and co-ordinate external/internal audit
• Develop policies, staff competences, and manage change with stakeholders

Skills

Autonomy

Decision making

Present complex information

Leadership

Education

CCAB Qualified

NHS financial management CPD

Tools

Excel

Job description

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Financial Controller

The closing date is 19 November 2026

The Postholder will be responsible for Trust's Financial Services function, ensuring that a professional and efficient financial accounts service is provided. This includes delivery of financial accounting and controls, statutory reporting, technical accounting expertise and efficient financial operations, They will lead the production of Annual Accounts and co-ordinating external and internal audit work. They will also play a key role in modelling the behaviours outlined in the Trust values.

Main duties of the job

• To coordinate and develop a professional financial accounting service to the Trust in compliance with Internal and External guidelines.
• Ensure all statutory/NHS accounts and returns represent a true and fair view and meet the financial timescale and legal requirements, interpreting these where necessary.
• To ensure sound system of Internal financial control are in place.
• Ensure efficiency, effectiveness, integrity and business focus of financial systems and processes.

About us

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the UK's leading heart and lung hospital, delivering care to more than 50,000 patients a year in its new state-of-the-art hospital in Cambridge. We perform the most heart and/or lung transplants in the UK and carried out the UK's first successful heart transplant in 1979. It also offers emergency heart attack treatment, sleep centre care and is one of just five centres nationally for those in severe respiratory failure.

Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe the Trust is at the heart of treatments of the future. Royal Papworth became the first hospital trust in the country to be rated outstanding in all five areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission - a rating it still holds today. The Trust holds its values of compassion, excellence & collaboration at its core, and all colleagues joining the team are expected to uphold these in their day-to-day roles & interactions. Royal Papworth is proud of its diverse workforce and encourages people to embrace their individuality.

The Trust values difference and welcomes all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex and sexual orientation. Providing they meet the minimum post criteria, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview.

For a street view tour: https://royalpapworth.nhs.uk/virtual-tour

Job responsibilities

On this page you will find a Role Profile which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.

Qualifications

• CCAB Qualified
• Expert knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, financial reporting standards, and financial & other aspects of relevant legislation, gained through full membership of Professional Accountancy Qualifications (CCAB) or equivalent
• Further relevant specialist CPD in technical skills and NHS financial management (including the NHS financial regime)

Experience

• Providing high quality accounting services and expert financial advice and support to senior financial staff
• Managing month and year end financial processes in a timely and accurate way
• Experience of leading and managing the annual external audit cycle
• Working effectively and efficiently at senior level in a fast-changing and complex environment.
• Leading and managing high performing teams, and developing staff competences and behaviours, including managing difficult conversations.
• Managing a wide range of internal and external stakeholder relationships, including external auditors, and negotiating outcomes to complex problems.
• Experience of initiating and leading substantial change with an impact within the team and across the organisation.
• Experience of developing policies and practices to guide financial management, and of delivering training to service users.
• Experience of managing or working with transactional financial services including maintaining a suitable control environment.
• Experience of staff management.
• The ability to suggest & demonstrate changes to own and departmental practice.
• Expert user of relevant financial systems and advanced skills in Excel
• Able to solve complex, multi dimensional issues, including complex accounting, financial and audit queries, requiring concentration for long periods of time and analysis of complex data and interpretation of accounting guidance.
• Able to work autonomously with the skills to make decisions independently.
• Able to prioritise work for self and others, and to react quickly when decisions are required urgently.
• Able to motivate and develop a team.
• Ability to clearly present complex, sensitive or contentious information to directors and senior managers both in writing and verbally.
• Conveys financial concepts clearly and persuasively to non financial managers.

Additional Criteria

• As well as being able to demonstrate examples of how they work in a way that is consistent with our values of compassion, excellence and collaboration the successful candidate will be able to clearly demonstrate a commitment to driving culture change through equality, diversity and inclusion.

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.

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Kingfisher Way, Hinchingbrooke Business Park