Senior Lead - Central Financial Management
Job Description
Job summary
The Central Financial Management Team in the NHS England Finance and Planning Directorate is now recruiting for a Senior Lead.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be at the heart of work to support the NHS. We:
work closely with government to agree NHS funding;
ensure the NHS lives within its annual budget;
decide how to distribute the funding to the different NHS services and parts of England;
support innovative programmes that improve the care and experience of NHS patients or people using NHS services;
set out the financial and performance priorities the NHS should be delivering each year;
report how much the NHS has spent on providing services each year;
explore how the NHS can make the best use of its money;
look at how spend on building or equipment can improve the care and experience of people using NHS services.
consider how nationally we use these resources to improve healthcare outcomes, reduce inequality, improve health and support the NHS.
As a Senior Lead you will be helping to ensure that NHS England allocates, manages, and reports on it's multi-billion pound budget to deliver excellent outcomes for patients. It is a great opportunity to build a broad range of experience and understanding across almost all areas of NHS activity.
Main duties of the job
The team offers high profile, fast-paced projects. This requires adaptability, rigor and innovation and provides exciting development opportunities for those developing their careers in the NHS, health or the public sector.
Below are the types of skills and experience that we are looking for. Even if you feel you only meet some of the criteria, we encourage you to apply.
Ability to manage and report on complex £m+ budgets and explain to senior stakeholders in an easy-to-understand way.
Interest in finance systems and the potential of robotics / AI and a passion for system and process improvement.
Strategic thinking - ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
Technically strong accountant who enjoys being involved in a broad range of finance work.
Detailed understanding of wider NHS Finance.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and 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 may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description for further information about the responsibilities of this role.
Interested in applying and want to find out more about our team and the work we do?
Please email Mike Lowe on[email protected]if you would like to discuss.
SecondmentsApplicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Must hold a CCAB or CIMA professional accountancy qualification and have extensive relevant post-qualifying experience
Knowledge
Essential
- Detailed understanding of NHS Finance
- Financial performance management and value for money at a strategic level including budgeting, costing, and forecasting techniques
- Subject matter expertise across a number of key areas relating to knowledge of Financial Accounting Standards, Financial systems and processes, Statutory Accounts, Standing Financial Instructions, expenditure classification/limits and Government financial framework documents
Skills
Essential
- Numerate and technically competent. High level of understanding of accounting standards and demonstrated practice leadership in financial accounting/financial management
- Providing advice on and monitoring compliance with financial policies/guidance across the business and ensuring the application of accountability, transparency, integrity and the public good to all activities within own area
- Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
Values
Essential
- Commitment to equality of opportunity, focussed on removing barriers to full participation and values diversity and difference
- Embrace change, viewing it as an opportunity to learn and develop
- Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
NHS England
Address
This role can be based in London or Leeds, (other sites will be considered)
Leeds
LS1 4AP
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)
