Head of programme finance - Oriel

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a Head of Programme Finance to act as the finance lead across a major joint venture project. The successful candidate will manage financial reporting, budgeting, and ensure compliance with NHS regulations. They must be a qualified accountant with significant experience presenting financial results to senior management. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate complex financial environments are essential. This role offers a competitive salary and the chance to contribute to a groundbreaking healthcare initiative.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Professional development opportunities

Impactful work in healthcare

Qualifications

• Must be a fully qualified member of a CCAB body or CIMA.
• Minimum 5 years post-qualification experience is required.
• Experience of presenting financial results to senior staff.

Responsibilities

• Manage financial reporting and budgeting for the joint venture.
• Provide timely financial information to project committees.
• Ensure compliance with NHS regulatory environment.

Skills

Financial Management

Reporting

Stakeholder Engagement

Change Control

Cash Flow Management

Education

Qualified accountant (CCAB or CIMA)

Degree or equivalent

Tools

MS Excel

NHS LTFM

Job description

Head of programme finance - Oriel

The closing date is 21 December 2025.

Together, Moorfields Eye Hospital (Moorfields), University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Charity (MEC) are creating a purpose‑built centre of excellence for eye care, research and education. The business case has been approved, setting a project budget of over £500m, and construction has begun. The construction is managed by a joint venture between UCL and the Trust, which has been set up as a separate legal entity. This role is the finance lead across the whole joint programme to cover maternity leave of the existing incumbent – this means acting as finance lead for the joint venture as well as for wider aspects of the programme as they relate to Moorfields and UCL individually, and transactions that are required between UCL/Moorfields and the joint venture.

This role reports to the Chief Financial Officer of Moorfields and to the Oriel Finance lead for UCL, who are also executive directors of the joint venture and reporting to this role is a full‑time Band 8A Project Accountant whose role is focused on financial management, systems and administration. This is an exciting time to join the Oriel team and play a key role in their vision for the future, developing this dynamic new venture which will impact generations of patients.

Main duties of the job

Incorporating financial management of the programme finances for the joint venture, UCL and Moorfields, duties will include:

• Financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting, financial administration and controls.


• Advising on the financial elements of change control, governance and cost control.


• Financial reporting to the project committees including Oriel Executive Board, Moorfields management executive and UCL Oriel Project Board, and attendance at the Oriel Executive Board.


• Joint venture cash flow, treasury management, tax advice and financial reporting.


• Monitoring of business case and approvals from higher bodies.


• Stakeholder engagement across a number of partner organisations and external bodies.

The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with experience of developing, delivering and monitoring business cases and capital projects. You will have extensive experience of providing financial reports to board members, directors and a variety of internal and external stakeholders as well as firsthand experience of the NHS regulatory environment and compliance processes. Proactive, resilient and interpersonally strong, you will be adept at presenting highly complex financial information across a wide audience and problem solving at a high level. You will have a professional attitude, sound judgement and the credibility and drive to make an impact in a high‑profile major project such as this.

About us

At Moorfields, people's sight matters—and so do the people who make it possible. For over 200 years, Moorfields has been at the forefront of ophthalmic care, research, and education. With more than 2,300 dedicated team members and over 700,000 patients seen annually across our City Road site and 22 networked sites, we are proud to be a global centre of excellence. We’re also a vibrant community where kindness, equity and excellence shape every aspect of our work. Whether it’s pioneering research through our partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre or training the next generation of global eye care leaders, we’re united by one mission—delivering world‑class eye health, sustainably and at scale. And we’re just getting started. Construction is well underway on our groundbreaking new centre in Camden – Project Oriel – a joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. This modern, flexible facility will bring together eye care, research and education under one roof—enabling transformative innovation and collaboration like never before.

Job responsibilities

General financial management of programme finances for the joint venture, UCL and Moorfields.

Financial reporting, forecasting, budgeting to be accountable for delivering timely and accurate financial information in relation to incurred cost, forecast cost and budgets to the project committees and senior managers.

Financial management, administration, and controls responsible for ensuring appropriate financial decision making and administration of those decisions, managed through an appropriate control environment.

Responsible for advising on the financial elements of the change control process:

• understand governance and ensure financial approval are as required;


• ensure calculations of apportionments are applied correctly (with cost consultant support where appropriate).

Oversight of billing between Moorfields and UCL, and joint venture to Moorfields/UCL.

Monitoring of contingency utilising advice from the project’s cost consultants and other professional advisors as well as wider budget monitoring and change control processes, responsible for reporting on contingency levels and their forecast use. Responsible for working with professional advisors to ensure that risk is appropriately reflected in the assessment of required contingency.

Understanding and advising on the procedure for allocating budget and costs between the joint venture, Moorfields and UCL, and ensuring this is appropriately reflected in financial reporting.

Provision of financial reports to the project committees including Oriel Executive Board, Moorfields management executive and UCL Oriel Project Board, and oversight of financial information provided in other reports to these committees. Attendance at the Oriel Executive Board.

This role will have delegated authority to approve Moorfields expenditure relating to the project.

Joint Venture specific financial management.

Cash flows / Treasury management responsible for managing the cash flows between Moorfields/UCL and the joint venture to ensure the joint venture is appropriately funded for required payments out.

Technical accounting: ensure external accountants are in place and providing accounts on time for Moorfields year‑end and then rolled‑forward information for UCL year‑end; understand how the accounting works between Moorfields and UCL to be able to identify issues to either one (supported by accounting advisors).

Ensure financial systems and controls are functioning appropriately, and segregation of duties is effective.

Tax – ensure advice for both Moorfields and UCL tax advice is being complied with in the financial management of the JDV (with support from client tax advisors).

Provision of financial reports to the Joint Venture Board, and oversight of financial information provided in other reports. Attendance at the Joint Venture Board.

This role is a signatory to the joint venture bank account.

Monitoring of business case and approvals from higher bodies.

For Moorfields: Responsible for working with NHS regulators on finances, monthly reporting, and obtaining budget approvals as required; Responsible for producing CDEL analysis of forecast (with support from accounting advisors where appropriate); Responsible for reviewing Trusts plans against the FBC model to identify variances and to escalate (in conjunction with Moorfields finance team); Responsible for monitoring finances of the benefits realisation programme.

For UCL: Responsible for supporting variance analysis against approved business case where required; Responsible for delivering any additional ad‑hoc financial reporting for UCL Estates committee, Council or other key governance groups.

Key relationships.

• Moorfields Chief Financial Officer and UCL Oriel Finance lead – key reporting line.


• Moorfields and UCL Senior Responsible Officer – dotted reporting line, key decision makers.


• Moorfields and UCL project directors – day‑to‑day working relationship as the key roles driving the cost of the project through design and construction; and

Person Specification

Education / qualifications

• Degree or equivalent.


• The post holder must be a fully qualified member of a CCAB body or CIMA and must be actively undertaking Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Experience

• Experience of producing and presenting financial results to Board members, Directors and other senior staff members.


• At least 5 years post‑qualification experience.


• Experience of using the NHS LTFM.


• Experience of developing, delivering and monitoring business cases and capital projects.


• Demonstrate the capability to maintain financial control whilst supporting a devolved style of management.

Knowledge

• Advanced skills in MS Excel.


• Knowledge of business case development (e.g., five case model process).


• Knowledge of NHS regulatory environment and compliance processes.


• Technical accounting and taxation knowledge in relation to NHS and University.

Skills / abilities

• Ability to present highly complex financial information to non‑finance colleagues and to large groups.


• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work closely and effectively with different disciplines in the Programme and in partner organisations.


• Proactive approach to problem solving, anticipating issues before they arise, and developing solutions.


• Highly developed technical analysis skills, with an ability to produce complex financial models.


• Highly numerate and analytical.


• Advanced report writing skills.


• Ability to influence senior managers and clinicians – Essential.


• Evidence of negotiating and influencing ability.


• Commands credibility and respect from peers across multiple organisations.


• Able to work under pressure and to plan and prioritise workload effectively.


• Professional attitude with reputation for integrity.


• Flexible and supportive work colleague.


• Driven and can demonstrate initiative, innovation and imagination.


• Sound judgement: able quickly to identify and explain the essential issues.


• Independence: challenges received wisdom.


• Empathy: ability to understand and respond to managers' motivations to achieve successful behavioural change.

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.

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Address

Kemp House, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Kemp House, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.