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Job summary

Main area
Financial Management
Grade
Band 8a
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
150-GM1603-COR
Employer
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Arundel Building, Brighton General Hospital
Town
Brighton
Salary
£53,755 - £60,504 Per annum/pro-rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
03/04/2025 23:59
Interview date
15/04/2025

Employer heading

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust logo

Head of Finance

Band 8a

Job overview

Job title:  Head of Finance

Location: Brighton

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust was granted Foundation Trust status from April 2016 and provides high quality sustainable community services to the people of Brighton and Hove, West Sussex and East Sussex. The Trust has a turnover of £330m.

As a result of an operational restructure, an opportunity has arisen for a Head of Finance post supporting one of our Operational Divisions.

The post holder will be the expert in providing highly complex and business focused advice to the Area and will be responsible for leading and developing the Division’s Management Accounts team.

The post holder will need to make judgements and decisions on a range of complex financial situations and business opportunities, taking into account the principles supporting the Monitor risk rating regime as well as the impact on the Trust’s Income and Expenditure position.

The post holder will have experience of working as part of a large finance function and experience of producing corporate reports and providing long term strategic business planning advice.

The post holder will have excellent communication skills and be experienced in explaining complex financial information to non-finance managers.

The post holder will be a CCAB qualified accountant or equivalent with proven experience.

Main duties of the job

Produce financial plans for the Operational Division that meet the Trust’s 
business and financial objectives.

Develop, implement and monitor the financial components of the Operational Division Annual Plan ensuring that efficient systems are available to allow income and expenditure plans to be projected for up to 3 years.

Provide expert advice on the Division’s Income and Activity position to the Division’s Management Team and Trust Directors.

Analyse and identify the financial consequences and risks of local service 
changes and national financial guidance.

Lead investment appraisal and financial analysis of Divisional development proposals and business cases which may involve other organisations, commercial joint ventures and partnerships and commissioners.

Undertake strategic analysis which compares income, costs and financial risk for a range of options and outline recommendations. Liaison with the Contracts Team.

Provide financial support to identify and monitor delivery of the Division’s service transformation plans and cost reduction proposals.

Present highly complex financial information to senior managers and represent the financial interests of the Operational Division.

Working for our organisation

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.

We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.

Why work for us?

  • Positive 2022 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
  • Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
  • Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
  • Excellent training and development opportunities 
  • Research opportunities
  • Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
  • Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
  • Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
  • Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
  • Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
  • Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide monitoring information to the senior managers of the Division on key financial information to inform the Division’s performance management process.

Identify benchmarking opportunities and work with the Division to implement change to provide efficient services.

Assist in the preparation of the Trust’s monthly and year-end monitoring returns.

Responsible for leading the annual budget setting process for the Division with service managers so that they agree budgets that will meet Division and Trust QUIPP productivity and cost reduction targets.

Co-ordinate the production of high quality, accurate, relevant and timely 
information to ensure the Division and Trust financial targets are met.

This will include detailed financial analysis and investigation to understand and highlight key issues for attention and action.

Provide financial management information, analysis and advice to the Divisional Director, Heads of Service, Service Managers and other Budget Managers.

Oversee the provision of an effective budgetary control system for the Division, providing budget holders with accurate and reliable feedback on their financial performance in order to support the delivery of the planned year-end financial position.

Assist in the monitoring and recording of CIPs and any required reconciliations to Block contracts. 

Provide information for external reporting and statutory requirements as 
necessary. 

Ensure the Divisional Finance Team provides a high quality, timely and accurate service to the Division.

Manage and develop the Division Finance Team, carrying out appraisals, 
disciplinary procedures and ensuring that team members have a Personal 
Development Review, which they are supported to deliver.

Develop the skills and competencies of staff through training and development activities, ensuring that progress is maintained and future needs identified and actioned.

Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, complying with the Trust’s policies.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A Level or equivalent qualifications
  • CCAB qualified or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of Continuing Professional Development

Experience

Essential criteria
  • 3 years of working as part of a large finance function
  • Presenting complex financial information to senior level managers
  • Financial procedures and NHS policies affecting financial management
Desirable criteria
  • Senior Finance Management role in an NHS setting

Skills & Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • IT and spreadsheet skills
  • Written and Oral skills
  • Develop and maintain good working relations
  • Staff Leadership - motivate and manage team

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Armed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Tim Blatt
Job title
Assistant Director of Finance Financial Management
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07500089075
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