Senior Finance Manager

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust; Huddersfield; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is looking for an experienced Senior Finance Manager to oversee financial planning, budgeting, and reporting processes. This key role involves managing Trust Reserves, analyzing financial data, and providing expert advice to senior leaders. The ideal candidate will have a professional accounting qualification and strong leadership skills, as well as experience in a large organization, preferably within the NHS. The position offers an opportunity to contribute to the financial sustainability of the Trust.

Qualifications

• Experience in a large organization with complex management structures.
• Experience of delivering board-level financial information.
• Knowledge of NHS funding flows and the financial framework of NHS Foundation Trust.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning and budgeting processes.
• Coordinate monthly financial returns to NHS England.
• Manage Trust Reserves and support financial modelling.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Leadership

Financial modelling

Collaboration

Education

Professionally qualified accountant (CCAB, CIMA etc)

Tools

Microsoft Office

General ledger systems

Job description

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Finance Manager

The closing date is 04 January 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented and proactive finance professional to join our central Financial Management Team at Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (CHFT).

This is a key role within the central Financial Management team, responsible for supporting Trust-wide financial planning, budgeting, reporting, reserves management and CIP performance monitoring. The role includes co‑ordinating mandatory submissions, delivering high-quality financial planning, and providing expert support across the organisation.

The post holder leads the reconciliation and weekly reporting of the Trust's Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) tracker, working closely with the Programme Management Office (PMO).

The role works in close partnership with the Systems Accountant to enhance financial systems, improve reporting processes, and support digital transformation including automation of routine reporting.

The post holder will represent the Trust at system-level finance and planning groups, contributing to collaborative planning, assurance, and performance processes. They will also contribute to Internal and External Audit activities.

The role requires strong analytical skills, excellent communication, and the ability to influence senior leaders and non-finance stakeholders in support of the Trust's financial sustainability agenda.

Main duties of the job

The Senior Finance Manager is a key member of the central Finance team, responsible for leading the Trust's financial planning, budgeting and reporting processes. The post holder will co-ordinate monthly statutory returns to NHS England, ensure high-quality financial reporting, and provide expert advice to senior managers and clinical leaders.

The role manages Trust Reserves, supports long-term financial modelling, and leads the weekly reconciliation and reporting of the Trust's Cost Improvement Programme (CIP), working closely with the PMO to validate schemes and monitor delivery. The post holder will analyse complex financial issues, identify risks and opportunities, and support Divisions in achieving financial sustainability.

The role works closely with the Systems Accountant to maintain and develop financial systems, improve reporting structures, and lead initiatives to automate routine reporting processes. The post holder will represent the Trust at system-level finance and planning groups, contribute to Internal and External Audit processes, and help ensure strong financial governance across the organisation.

The role includes providing financial training to non-finance managers, supporting continuous improvement across the Finance Directorate, and deputising for the Assistant Director of Finance when required.

About us

CHFT is an integrated Trust of 6,500+ colleagues providing hospital and community services to patients and communities across Calderdale and Kirklees. We are rated as 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission, are a top performing Trust for Elective Recovery, Emergency and Cancer Care and widely acknowledged as a national digital lead when it comes to caring for people across our local and regional systems.

Our people are at the core of everything we do, hence our commitment to One Culture of Care. Our focus is to care for and support each other in order to provide outstanding compassionate care to our patients. That is why we are looking for an inclusive collaborative, creative, innovative and compassionate leader to join us in this role.

Job responsibilities

Financial Planning and Business Planning

Lead the co‑ordination of the annual Financial Planning and Budget Setting process, ensuring robust assumptions, high‑quality documentation, and a comprehensive audit trail.

Support completion of the annual Financial Planning Return for NHSE, ensuring compliance with national guidance.

Responsible for the accurate financial reporting and provide effective business partnering for CHS, ensuring the consolidated position is clearly understood and well governed.

Contribute to the development of long‑term financial models covering Income & Expenditure, balance sheet, capital, cash flow, and risk metrics.

Provide clear guidance and support to Divisional Finance teams to ensure consistency and quality in planning processes.

Represent the Trust at system‑level planning groups, contributing to planning discussions, financial alignment, and joint decision‑making.

Lead the co‑ordination and production of the monthly Provider Finance Return (PFR) and other statutory submissions, ensuring accuracy and alignment with Board reporting.

Deliver robust financial control processes, ensuring high‑quality monthly and quarterly reporting, accurate forecasts, and early identification of financial risks.

Manage Trust Reserves, ensuring transparency, effective governance, and a clear understanding of commitments and risks.

Lead the business planning process for Technical Accounting and Reserves.

Investigate and interpret highly complex financial issues involving multiple targets and conflicting priorities, providing clear recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Ensure financial controls and processes comply with Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions, and best practice.

Contribute to Internal and External Audit activity, supporting financial control reviews, facilitating audit access, providing information, and implementing improvements arising from audit recommendations.

Lead the reconciliation and weekly monitoring of the Trusts CIP tracker, ensuring accuracy, timely updates, and full understanding of recurrent and non‑recurrent impacts.

Work in close partnership with the PMO to validate financial benefits, identify risks and mitigations, and support scheme development.

Provide expert financial advice to operational and clinical leaders on efficiency opportunities and CIP development.

Support the production of CIP reports for Finance & Performance Committee, Executive Board, and external regulators.

Systems, Reporting & Automation

Work closely with the Systems Accountant to ensure financial systems are configured correctly, produce reliable outputs, and support Trust financial processes.

Provide guidance and subject‑matter expertise on financial reporting structures, ledger integrity, and coding.

Lead initiatives to automate routine financial reporting processes, reducing manual effort, increasing accuracy, and improving timeliness.

Support the development or enhancement of dashboards to support Board, Divisional and CIP reporting.

Ensure system changes or upgrades are effectively embedded into business processes.

Business Partnering & Leadership

Provide high‑quality financial advice to senior budget holders and Divisional leadership teams, enabling informed decision‑making and improved financial performance.

Develop strong relationships with stakeholders across the Trust, promoting shared accountability for financial management.

Provide training and education to non‑finance managers to improve financial literacy and support improved financial decision‑making.

Deputise for the Assistant Director of Finance as required, representing the finance function at meetings and contributing to organisational decision‑making.

Maintain awareness of regional and national policies, evaluating their impact on the Trust and advising senior leaders accordingly.

Support a culture of continuous improvement within the Finance Directorate and contribute to wider organisational transformation initiatives.

Support ad‑hoc projects and carry out other duties as required.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

• Professionally qualified accountant (CCAB, CIMA etc)
• Evidence of personal development
• Demonstrates ability to lead and develop a team
• Demonstrates ability to train non finance staff

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

• Experience of working in a large organisation with complex management structures
• Experience of business case development and implementation
• Experience of financial modelling and associated technical financial accounting skills
• Experience of partnership working
• Experience of providing board level financial information, forecasting and gaining ownership of financial information to support decision‑making.
• Experience of financial risk assessment and reporting and the development of risk management strategies
• Knowledge of IFRS accounting standards in the classification and reporting of financial transactions.
• Knowledge, experience and expertise in a finance management role.
• Awareness of social, political, financial and business issues affecting the NHS
• Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office and general ledger systems
• Knowledge of NHS funding flows and the financial framework of an NHS Foundation Trust.
• Able to demonstrate experience of successful outcomes in service redesign and transformation
• Experience of working in finance in an NHS environment
• Experience of working effectively with clinicians
• Experience of delivering a long term financial model

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• The emotional intelligence and stamina necessary to achieve demanding challenges and goals in a complex and challenging environment
• Demonstrates the energy and ability to lead and manage the complexity of tasks that supports the achievement of the organisation's objectives
• Excellent communication skills including, listening, influencing and persuading
• Ability to analyse highly complex problems relating to business case production and analysis and communicate key messages to clinicians and managers and directors
• Able to manage day to day business challenges, including cash flow, profit and loss, whilst not losing sight of the long‑term strategic goals
• Ability to provide financial leadership.
• Ability to make judgments on financial decisions and financial risk where there is no precedent and where opinions may conflict
• Ability to develop and maintain communication with non‑finance managers on complex financial issues, conveying concepts clearly and persuasively, anticipating barriers and taking action to improve communication as necessary
• Ability to works autonomously, and interpret available standards e.g. DHSC policy; Accounting Standards

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.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust