Deputy Chief Finance Officer

Deputy Chief Finance Officer Location: Herefordshire Department: Finance Reports to: Chief Finance Officer Contract Type: Permanent Hours: 37.5 BAND 8D Job Purpose: The Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO) is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring the financial health and governance of the organization. The DCFO will provide strategic vision, leadership, and operational oversight to the financial management functions, fostering strong relationships with clinical teams and key stakeholders to promote excellent patient care and effective resource utilization. Key Responsibilities: Finance Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain trusted relationships with the finance team, clinical teams, and key stakeholders through effective communication and influence. Promote and ensure sound financial governance across the organization. Strategic & Operational Leadership: Provide leadership and strategic direction to the financial management functions, aligning financial processes with the organization’s goals. Support clinical teams in delivering excellent patient care through effective financial management. Financial Systems & Process Optimization: Ensure that business and financial systems and processes are efficient, effective, and user-focused while maintaining rigorous financial governance. Continuously strive to improve financial processes and deliver excellence across all financial operations. Budgeting & Financial Reporting: Lead the annual budget-setting process, ensuring accuracy and adherence to deadlines. Oversee in-year financial reporting, providing clear and timely updates to senior leadership. Strategic Financial Advising: Advise on strategic planning assumptions, taking into account internal and external contexts, benchmarking data, and commercial opportunities. Provide expert analysis on financial risks, offering solutions to mitigate potential impacts on the organization. Risk Management: Analyse and advise on financial risks, developing strategies to mitigate them and protect the organization’s financial health. Staff Development & Leadership:Ensure the continued professional development of finance staff, fostering a culture of learning and growth. Act as a role model, demonstrating behaviours in line with the organization’s Leadership Charter. Education & Qualifications: * CIMA or CCAB qualified with active membership. Experience: * Extensive senior financial management experience in the NHS/Public Sector environment or equivalent. * In-depth knowledge of financial management and accounting procedures, particularly within the NHS. * Proven experience as a leader and manager, with a track record of guiding teams to success. * Experience in strategic and operational planning, with a strong understanding of their impact on operational efficiencies, budgets, and performance monitoring. * Comfortable with communicating and negotiating with senior management, both internally and externally. Knowledge: * High-level understanding of the planning cycle within the NHS. * Knowledge of acute sector operational flows and complex clinical pathways. * Ability to interpret complex information and develop actionable recommendations. * Strong business acumen with an understanding of current health policies and legislation, and their implications for service planning and management within the Trust