Associate Director of Finance - Financial Improvement Band 8D
1 day ago
Lincoln
Employer United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Lincoln County Hospital Town Lincoln Salary £94,356 - £108,814 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 11/10/2026 23:59 We recognise that outstanding care can only be delivered through our people. We want to attract people who can help us deliver our vision. We want in return to help people achieve what they wish in their careers in the NHS at ULTH. We are always keen to welcome highly skilled, committed and compassionate individuals to our hospitals – people who put patients at the heart of everything they do and are ready to help us achieve our vision. Our Group values guide everything we do. They are: • Compassionate - We care about people - Compassionate is the act of showing empathy, kindness, and respect to others, recognising their individual needs and circumstances. It involves listening, understanding, and supporting others in a way that makes them feel valued, safe, and cared for., • Collaborative - We work together as a team - Collaborative is working inclusively and respectfully with others to achieve shared goals. It involves open communication, valuing diverse perspectives, and building trust to create a supportive and effective team environment., • Innovative - We strive to improve - Innovative is the process of exploring new ideas, approaches, and technologies to improve care, services, and working practices. It involves creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to take risks in a safe and supportive environment. If you believe in them too, then you are ready to join the ULTH team. We’ve taken great pride in building working environments where staff always feel valued, cared for and part of a team. Without doubt this is a challenging yet very rewarding job that is at the centre of health and care in Lincolnshire - making a positive difference to our patients. Our Trust is situated in the beautiful county of Lincolnshire and is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England, serving a population of more than 700,000 people. We provide acute and specialist services to people in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. We have an annual income of £710 million (22/23) and we employ nearly 8,600 people. Our Group Board have recently agreed a new vision statement – “Caring and building a healthier future for all” – stating their ambition for our Trust and the wider group to be among the best. We also have a five year Integrated Improvement Plan setting out how we will achieve our strategic objectives, for patients, services, people and partners, the last recognising that our future success depends on our ability to ensure the Lincolnshire healthcare system is successful in achieving its ambition to help people live healthier lives and provide care closer to where people live. Our latest CQC report increased our ratings for being effective and well-led from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’. Our rating for caring remained as ‘Good’. This is in recognition of the huge amount of work that our amazing staff have done to improve the quality of care for our patients in recent years. We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated. So,what is in it for you? • Flexible working: Depending on the needs of your role, we will consider requests for flexible and/or part-time working for whatever reason you should need it. We recognise flexible working will not look the same for everyone, because it depends on the nature of the role and the needs of the individual. Types of flexibility could include: • Part-time - less than 37.5 hours per week., • Off-site/remote working - working from home or other sites for part or all the week., • Compressed hours – usually full-time hours but over fewer days or shifts., • Staggered hours – having different start and finish times., • Set shift patterns – to allow for predictability, • NHS Pension:A generous and flexible pension scheme with contributions from us as your employer fully protected against inflation and guaranteed by the government, • Annual Leave: Starting at 27 days a year, rising to 33 days after 10 years plus eight bank holidays (for staff covered by Agenda for Change) For Medical Workforce positions (Consultant and Specialty Doctor), the full-time entitlement commences from 32 days per annum. For all other Medical Workforce positions, the full-time entitlement commences from 27 days per annum., • Bank working:The chance to work extra hours at enhanced rates and we will pay you weekly too, ideal if your income needs a quick boost. In addition, there ismore. • Family & Childcare: Including on-site nurseries at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital Boston, maternity, paternity, adoption & shared parental leave following a set period of employment., • Health & Wellbeing: including counselling, mental health first aid, physiotherapy, eye tests., • Learning & Development including Lincolnshire Talent Academy, leadership training, medical education, clinical education, Lincolnshire clinical research, • Financial support and benefits including Cycle2Work, car lease scheme, home electronics. Free on-site parking and free tea and coffee and the ability to save and borrow through your salary., • Rewards & Recognition including staff awards, long service awards, retirement awards, examples of excellence and staff lottery. Enjoy a better quality of life in one of the UK’s most welcoming counties. Whether you’re taking the first exciting steps in your career, itching for a new challenge or searching for a better place to raise a family, Lincolnshire welcomes everyone. Discover a range of rewarding health and social care careers in a county that’s friendly, fascinating, affordable and brimming with everything you need to live a happy life. Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG) is seeking an exceptional finance leader to join our senior leadership team as Associate Director of Finance – Financial Improvement. This pivotal role will lead the Group's financial improvement, productivity, efficiency and costing agenda across a complex NHS organisation with an annual turnover of approximately £1.1 billion. Working closely with the Chief Finance Officer, Deputy Chief Finance Officer, Group Deputy Director of Strategic Finance and Executive colleagues, you will provide strategic leadership for the delivery of financial improvement programmes, ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable while supporting high-quality patient care. You will lead the Group's Cost Improvement Programme, drive productivity initiatives, oversee costing and service line management, and provide expert financial advice to senior leaders, Board Committees and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will be a qualified CCAB accountant with significant senior-level NHS finance experience, a strong understanding of the NHS financial regime, and a proven track record of delivering financial transformation and change. This is an exciting opportunity to influence decision-making at the highest level, help shape healthcare services across Lincolnshire, and play a key role in developing a high-performing, innovative and inclusive finance function Lead the development and delivery of the Group's financial improvement, productivity and efficiency programmes, ensuring long-term financial sustainability across a £1.1bn NHS organisation. Provide strategic leadership for the Group's Cost Improvement Programme (CIP), supporting the identification, delivery and monitoring of savings and transformation opportunities. Lead the costing function, including statutory costing requirements, National Cost Collection submissions and the development of service line management information to support decision-making. Work closely with Executive Directors, Care Group leaders, clinicians and corporate teams to drive financial performance and support strategic objectives. Present complex financial information and recommendations to senior committees, Board members and external stakeholders, providing expert advice on financial sustainability and improvement. Build strong relationships with NHS England, the ICB, auditors and wider system partners, representing the Group on financial improvement and costing matters. Provide leadership to finance teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, professional development and high performance. Deputise for the Group Deputy Director of Finance as required, contributing to corporate leadership and key organisational decision-making Lincoln Hospital is a thriving university city and with the opening of the medical school, it provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been granted teaching hospital status, after demonstrating evidence to significant teaching commitment. From now on it will be known as United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Pilgrim Hospital is situated in beautiful countryside and serves the communities in the South Lincolnshire area. It provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service. Grantham and District Hospital serves the communities of Grantham and the local area. It provides ambulatory paediatric and accident and emergency services. Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) have come together in a Group arrangement, with the goal of improving the care provided to patients across the county. This will not constitute a formal merger of the two organisations, but will bring the Trusts together under a single Board and Executive Leadership Team, with the goal of improving the care that is provided to patients both in the community and in hospitals across Lincolnshire. Both Trusts will retain their separate statutory names and legal obligations. The Group will be known as Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG). Lead the development, implementation and delivery of the Group-wide financial improvement, productivity and efficiency agenda, ensuring the organisation remains financially sustainable and achieves its strategic objectives. Provide strategic leadership for the Group's Cost Improvement Programme (CIP), including the development, monitoring and delivery of financial recovery and efficiency plans. Lead the Group's costing function, ensuring compliance with all mandatory costing requirements, including the National Cost Collection and associated regulatory submissions. Develop and promote the use of costing, benchmarking and service line management information to support evidence-based decision making and improve operational and financial performance. Support the Finance & Performance Committee and Board in providing assurance on financial performance, sustainability and delivery of improvement programmes. Provide expert financial advice and challenge to Executive Directors, senior operational leaders and clinical teams to support strategic and operational decision making. Actively identify opportunities for financial improvement and intervene to support the resolution of issues that could impact the organisation's financial position. Lead and develop high-performing finance teams, promoting a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, professional excellence and staff development. Provide leadership and line management for the Financial Improvement, Costing and Capital Finance teams, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services and outcomes. Deputise for the Group Deputy Director of Finance as required, representing the organisation at internal and external meetings and supporting wider corporate leadership responsibilities. The post holder will work closely with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders across the organisation and wider NHS system, including: Internal • Chief Finance Officer (CFO), • Deputy Chief Finance Officer / Group Deputy Director of Finance, • Board of Directors and Board Committees, • Care Group and Corporate Directors, • Clinical Leaders and Senior Operational Managers, • Senior Finance Leadership Team, • Finance, Costing and Capital Teams, • Internal Audit Services External • NHS England, • Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire (DLN) ICB Cluster and system partners, • Peer Finance Directors and Deputy Directors across the NHS, • Internal and External Auditors, • National Costing and Regulatory Bodies, • Benchmarking and Professional Networks, • Wider NHS and healthcare partners across the local health economy The Associate Director of Finance – Financial Improvement is a senior member of the Finance Leadership Team and is accountable for leading the Group's financial improvement, productivity, efficiency and costing agenda. The role provides strategic leadership across a complex NHS organisation and contributes directly to organisational sustainability, transformation and performance • CCAB-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)., • Evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) through further specialist training & experience., • Evidence of leadership development, • Experience of working at a senior management level in a finance department., • Undertaking or willing to undertake further management courses., • Educated to Masters Level or measurable experience of working at masters level, • Expert understanding of the NHS financial regime and policies, • Understanding of financial legislation and ability to ensure the organisation adheres to it., • Knowledge of all appropriate legislation and its application within a large organisation, • Thorough knowledge of and understanding of governance issues., • Experience of effective staff management, • Experience of developing IT solutions including advanced spread-sheets, computerised financial ledgers, budgeting and financial modelling systems and costing systems, • Experience of managing a senior finance team, • Experience of Financial improvement and change management., • Experience of Financial Management including substantial post qualification experience operating at a strategic level., • Experience of working and contributing effectively with Board members, clinicians and other senior staff both within and outside the NHS, • Experience on management accounting and Experience of SLA Contract negotiations costing techniques, • Experience of SLA Contract negotiations, • Advanced key board skills to produce and present high quality coherent reports, • Analytical skills and Business Thinking to interpret financial and non-financial information, • Able to demonstrate planning and organisational skills to take into account good judgement, decision making and strategic prospective, • Possess excellent communications skills with the ability to be clear and persuasive in speech and writing; and to handle difficult and sensitive situations, • Evidence of working across a range of organisations including external stakeholders to achieve significant change, • Leadership of complex organisations change management., • Ability to analyse complex problems using data analysis to understand the root causes and develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them, • Able to demonstrate an innovative approach to management issues, • Leadership and coaching, change and learning orientation, • Able to demonstrate team building and inter relationship skills including influencing and communication, • Ability to have a high level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and flexibility in approach and attitude and ability to work under pressure., • Ability to work in line with and role model Group values., • Be able to demonstrate achievement orientation, self-confidence and initiative ULTH recognises that everyone is different, and values the unique contribution that individual experiences, knowledge and skills make in delivering quality healthcare and becoming a model employer. We are committed to transforming our organisational culture by actively committing to implementing the Trust Single Equality Scheme, and other policies, such as the Dignity in Care policy and the Dignity at Work policy. We will continue to promote equality and challenge discrimination in all service provision, recognising and meeting the needs of the diverse communities we serve. We will strive to provide an environment in which people want to work and to be a model employer leading in good employment practice. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, ULTH reserves the right to close this advert prior to the closing date. We welcome applications from the UK Armed Forces Community. On the application form please tick “Member of the Armed Forces Community” if the below applies to you. You are: • A Veteran, • A Military Reserve, • Partner/Spouse of those Serving NB: partners/spouses are only eligible whilst their partner is serving in the Armed Forces All new employees will be subject to a charge for the DBS check that is required for the post. The Disclosure & Barring Service application form (formerly CRB) will be provided by ULTH and the fee will be deducted from your salary over a 3 month period. Candidates are advised to read the attached guidance on using AI technology. When you complete your application, you are required to declare that the information in your application form is true and complete. Please note, for applicants with previous NHS service: If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions. Name Paul Bulman Job title Group Deputy Director of Strategic Finance Email address p.bulman@nhs.net #J-18808-Ljbffr