Demonstrate able to work at Deputy Director of Finance level

Tripple Tree Ltd; Bury; On-site; GBP 105,000 - 122,000

Job description

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

About

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region (Halton, Warrington, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and St Helens) and is also commissioned for services that cover North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Our clinical services are provided across over 170 sites spanning a large part of the North West. Our services are supported by corporate teams based at our offices in Kings Business Park, Prescot, and Hollins Park, Warrington.

We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from BAME, disabled and LGBT people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Key details

Location

Site: Hollins Park
Town: Winwick
Postcode: WA2 8WA
Major / Minor Region: Merseyside

Contract type & working pattern

Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week

• Full time
• Flexible working

Salary

Salary: £105,385 - £121,271 Per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Grade: Band 9

Specialty

Main area: Finance

Interview date

17/02/2025

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced values-led chartered accountant who can demonstrate excellent financial stewardship, compassionate leadership whilst balancing the operational and strategic demands of the broad portfolio of services in a large NHS provider.

With a focus on quality improvement, quality and safety, this role is for a finance leader who can consistently create a positive, productive culture that continually promotes finance staff development.

Reporting to the Operational Finance Director, you will be joining the team at a challenging time as we lead the trust through the post COVID financial environment, working as a valued member of the integrated care systems finance leadership community. Working alongside the Deputy Director of Finance – Financial Management, the successful candidate will be able to deputise for the Operational Finance Director and be able to demonstrate the ability to build credibility with, inspire confidence and demonstrably influence staff at all levels across our diverse services.

A forward thinking, innovative leader with experience working as a senior finance professional in a large, complex organisation, you will have proven ability in leading, transforming and delivering a range of financial services, driving a trust capital programme and identifying best procurement practice. With the ability to gain credibility with a range of stakeholders, you will have the ability to interpret and advise on complex financial issues.

Advert

You will contribute to building a culture which is actively anti-racist and supports our strategic framework. You will be an exceptional leader of people, with drive, vision, a strategic mind-set, clarity of purpose, proven track record of successful financial leadership and management.

The post holder will have responsibility for the strategic and operational development of the Finance Directorate and will contribute heavily to the development of the Financial Strategy of the organisation and the Integrated Care System. Plans to achieve the financial strategy will be underpinned by the delivery of short to medium term objectives.

Key aspects of this role will be to provide assurance to the Board of Directors and Trust Committees that all internal financial processes reflect latest financial standards, national policy and recommendations from both internal and external audit. Act as expert advisor to the trust Charitable Fund. To support the Charitable Funds Committee and ensure timely provision of financial information to trustees.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide day to day direction and management of the finance function. Work closely with other senior staff within the organisation and wider System to ensure the development and management of plans. Ensure appropriate financial systems and processes are in place to enable the implementation of the strategic plans in the organisation and the system.

Proactively manage the key financial risks and issues associated with the delivery of strategic and operational plans, ensuring appropriate actions are taken to mitigate or respond. Monitoring and establishing accountability on the overall progress of the financial strategy to ensure completion within the agreed time scales. Manage changes without the destabilisation of business as usual. To manage and actively promote the relationships with the key stakeholders.

As an organisation we are committed to our Perfect Care Goal on Anti-racism and so are employing positive action where we know there is underrepresentation and for this position therefore, we encourage applications from people who are from BME communities.

The Equality Act (2010) permits Mersey Care as a defined public authority, to take steps to address inequity and underrepresentation as positive action, and this includes our approach for this position.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Masters degree or equivalent experience
• CCAB or CIMA membership with a minimum 10 years post qualification experience CPD Registration with professional body

Desirable criteria

• Higher level degree or post graduate level management qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• A successful track record at a senior level
• Experience of working with Executive teams and Boards
• Experience of strategic service planning and redesign
• Experience of leading and developing staff including qualified staff and senior management staff
• Experience of effective partnership working with other organisations at a senior level, preferably a mix of public and voluntary sector
• Demonstrate the capability to maintain financial control whilst supporting a devolved style
• Expertise in financial management
• Experience of working under pressure and meeting deadlines
• Evidence of the ability to manage a senior team within a finance function
• Implementing national financial policies and guidance across an organisation
• Developing and implementing organisation wide financial policies
• Working knowledge of Annual Accounts processes
• Understanding of Capital Accounting requirements
• Experience of delivering major capital programme of multi sites / projects
• Experience of leading on the relationship with NHS regulators
• Performance managing outsourced contracts
• Knowledge of NHS contractual and financial framework
• Demonstrate able to work at Deputy Director of Finance level

Desirable criteria

• Working in a Community and Mental Health Trust
• Project / change management experience
• Working with local authorities

Skills

Essential criteria

• Able to demonstrate strong influencing and negotiation skills- must be able to present credible and compelling arguments to Board members, senior management, peers, finance staff and commissioners, and to develop effective relationships with them
• Skills to be able to communicate in a variety of methods: written, verbal and presentational including report writing
• Skills to communicate on a wide range of highly complex financial and nonfinancial issues
• Skills to communicate with a wide variety of people at all levels both within the organisation and externally
• Demonstrate highly developed planning skills and knowledge of project management approaches
• Skills to deliver contentious information
• Coaching & values led leadership style, encouraging engagement and empowerment amongst staff and stakeholders, and in developing high performing teams
• Ability to manage competing priorities. Solve problems, using a solution focused approach demonstrating competent persuasive and influencing skills.
• Significant knowledge of contract and procurement legislation and frameworks
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Politically astute
• Process Redesign – the ability to design and implement changes to improve systems and processes
• Strong proactive and solution orientated
• Ability to understand and interpret complex financial information
• IT literate and able to use and implement financial software and bespoke systems
• Deal with uncertainty and complexity in a political environment
• Ability to work autonomously guided by general NHS and organisational policy
• Ability to formulate and evaluate alternative courses of action and advise and persuade senior staff of a certain course, applying constraints as appropriate
• A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights

Desirable criteria

• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Access
• Mentoring skills

Further details / informal visits contact

Name: Rob Collins
Job title: Chief Finance Officer
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone number: 01514732794