Accounting jobs in United Kingdom

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 11 January 2026

We’re seeking an exceptional finance leader to join UHB as Associate Director of Finance – where you’ll shape the financial future of Good Hope Hospital.

The NHS 10 Year Plan is fundamentally reforming how resources flow through the health system – with multi‑year budgets, outcomes‑based contracts, and new financial incentives to shift investment from hospital to community care. Finance leaders will be critical in aligning funding flows with the plan’s goals, ensuring the financial foundation enables rather than constrains transformation. This is your opportunity to lead that work at Good Hope.

A CCAB‑qualified accountant with significant post‑qualification experience in strategic finance leadership within large, complex organisations will be a valued member of the Executive Team. You’ll be the senior finance voice – challenging at Board level, and driving strategic financial decision‑making across a complex, multi‑discipled hospital. Your financial modelling, business‑case development, and analytical skills are matched by political awareness and the ability to communicate complex issues persuasively to non‑finance executives.

Most critically, you’ll have the confidence to propose and implement decisions with far‑reaching strategic consequences, the authority to represent finance policy across the hospital, and the credibility to challenge and support in equal measure.

We’re seeking an exceptional finance leader to join UHB as Associate Director of Finance – where you’ll shape the financial future of Good Hope Hospital.

The NHS 10 Year Plan is fundamentally reforming how resources flow through the health system – with multi‑year budgets, outcomes‑based contracts, and new financial incentives to shift investment from hospital to community care. Finance leaders will be critical in aligning funding flows with the plan’s goals, ensuring the financial foundation enables rather than constrains transformation. This is your opportunity to lead that work at Good Hope.

A CCAB‑qualified accountant with significant post‑qualification experience in strategic finance leadership within large, complex organisations will be a valued member of the Executive Team. You’ll be the senior finance voice – challenging at Board level, and driving strategic financial decision‑making across a complex, multi‑discipled hospital. Your financial modelling, business‑case development, and analytical skills are matched by political awareness and the ability to communicate complex issues persuasively to non‑finance executives.

Most critically, you’ll have the confidence to propose and implement decisions with far‑reaching strategic consequences, the authority to represent finance policy across the hospital, and the credibility to challenge and support in equal measure.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long‑term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Please Note: For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description.

• Recognised Professional Accountancy Qualification – fully qualified member of a CCAB accountancy body (e.g. CIMA, ACCA, ACA).
• Expert and up‑to‑date knowledge of financial and accounting procedures including relevant legislation and NHS accounting policies acquired through professional accountancy qualifications and/or attendance on specialist training.
• Experience and expertise in financial management, strategic and staff leadership roles underpinned by a professional accountancy qualification background.
• Completion of evidenced ongoing continuing professional development, in accordance with guidelines produced by the relevant Professional Accountancy Body.

• Significant post‑qualification experience in strategic finance leadership in a large complex organisation.
• Financial modelling and translating complex data from various systems into clear and comprehensive financial models.
• Experience working with computerised financial systems.
• Business case appraisal.
• Significant experience working within senior management.
• Experience of leading a team including objective setting, performance reviews and performance management.
• Experience of implementing change.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities.
• Extensive relevant experience of business partnering and financial management including substantial post‑qualification experience operating at a strategic level.
• Extensive experience of the financial elements of business planning, the preparation of business cases and the practical application of investment appraisal techniques.
• Sufficient experience to be able to deputise for the Director of Finance as and when required, often at short notice.
• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development in accordance with the requirements of the professional bodies.
• Experience and knowledge of the NHS including the financial and political agenda.
• Good working knowledge of and proven interest in the NHS including understanding of key targets and the performance management framework.
• Up‑to‑date knowledge of financial and management accounting procedures including International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

• Accounting skills including financial analysis, planning and option appraisal.
• Ability to react quickly where decisions are required urgently.
• Ability to work with competing priorities to meet tight deadlines for self and team.
• Ability to reflect on own performance and recognise areas of development.
• Exceptional written communication skills including the ability to summarise highly complex financial issues into concise financial reports and prepare complex, multi‑faceted business cases to Board level.
• Exceptional verbal communication and presentation skills including the ability to explain highly complex financial issues clearly and persuasively to non‑financial staff and communicate sensitive or contentious information in order to influence decision making.
• Excellent negotiation skills are required to overcome barriers to understanding arising from the complexity of issues. The ability to empathise with a conflicting point of view and work in a co‑operative way in order to facilitate a workable compromise is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels from within the organisation and external stakeholders.
• Awareness of organisational politics in order to keep healthcare professionals on board with the change and resource management agenda.
• Proven leadership capability including the ability to effectively lead and motivate teams to manage change and achieve organisational goals.
• Flexibility to work autonomously with the skills to make decisions independently and delegate effectively.
• Proven ability to use own initiative, prioritise work to meet tight deadlines, delegate appropriately and apply problem‑solving skills effectively.
• Good understanding of operational issues and how organisational pressures affect broader resource utilisation.
• Strong analytical skills including the ability to make sound judgements and decisions on highly complex issues to minimise financial risk in situations where there is a multiplicity of targets / objectives, imperfect information and no obvious precedent.
• Ability to remain calm and project a highly professional image across all situations, including formal meetings with Executive Directors, senior staff from external organisations and more broadly throughout the finance and operational team environment.
• Confidence to propose and implement courses of action / decisions which may have far‑reaching and long‑term strategic consequences for the Trust and Business Unit.
• Confidence and authority to be the lead finance representative across the site, with the ability to represent group and site finance policy and strategy effectively to influence at site board level.
• Comprehensive IT skills including the use of financial systems / general ledgers. Experience with Microsoft Office products / other software packages. Standard keyboard skills.
• Commitment to development and training of staff.
• Adhere to and ensure compliance with relevant Health and Safety legislation.
• Reliable, punctual, proactive approach. Ability to travel to fulfil the role, both between hospital sites and elsewhere, as required.
• Understanding of the changing NHS environment and its implications for service delivery.

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.