Deputy Director of Finance – Operations

Job overview

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint an exceptional Deputy Director of Finance – Operations to join the newly established senior finance leadership structure at a pivotal point in the Trust’s journey.

Reporting directly to Kimberli McKinley, Director of Operational Finance, this role is a senior member of the Trust’s Finance Leadership Team with strategic and operational responsibility across Financial Management, Financial Accounting, Payroll, Pensions, Treasury Management, and Charitable Funds

The postholder will provide expert professional leadership across the full financial lifecycle, ensuring the Trust delivers robust financial governance, statutory and regulatory compliance, high-quality operational finance support and long-term financial sustainability.

This is a highly visible leadership role sitting at the heart of the Trust’s financial recovery and transformation agenda. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening operational finance, modernising financial services and supporting the development of a high-performing, forward-looking finance function.

Like many NHS organisations, Mid Cheshire is operating in a challenging environment, balancing rising demand, financial pressures and system expectations while continuing to invest in transformation and long-term sustainability. The Trust has a clear financial recovery trajectory and remains one of the more financially stable providers within Cheshire and Merseyside, delivering compliant financial plans and maintaining strong governance and assurance processes.

Alongside this, the Trust is progressing plans for a £1.5bn new Leighton Hospital and wider strategic transformation programmes, creating significant opportunities for finance leaders who want exposure to major capital developments, organisational change and system-wide collaboration.

This role would particularly suit an experienced NHS finance leader seeking broader operational leadership exposure and the opportunity to help shape the future operational finance model of an ambitious organisation.

Main duties of the job

As Deputy Director of Finance – Operations, you will:

• Provide senior operational leadership across Financial Management and Financial Services functions, ensuring strong governance, assurance and financial stewardship across the Trust.
• Lead the continued development of the Trust’s financial management framework, ensuring robust financial planning, forecasting, reporting and operational support aligned to national NHS requirements and organisational priorities.
• Oversee the production of high-quality monthly financial reporting for the Executive Team and Board, including forecasting, risk analysis, recovery actions and linkage between finance, workforce, activity and operational performance.
• Support delivery of the Trust’s financial recovery plans and Cost Improvement Programme, ensuring robust tracking, governance and benefits realisation.
• Provide leadership and accountability across Financial Accounting, Treasury Management, Capital Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Pensions and Charitable Funds.
• Lead the timely production of statutory accounts, NHS returns and regulatory submissions, maintaining strong relationships with auditors, regulators and system partners.
• Support major strategic programmes including the New Hospital Programme, capital planning and wider transformation initiatives.
• Lead strategic reviews of transactional and back-office services, including opportunities for automation, digital enablement, service redesign and shared services.
• Act as a senior professional advisor to operational and clinical leaders, supporting effective financial decision-making across the organisation.
• Lead, coach and develop multidisciplinary finance teams, creating a positive, collaborative and improvement-focused culture.
• Deputise for the Chief Finance Officer and Director of Operational Finance as required and represent the Trust across system, regional and national forums.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

We are seeking a senior finance leader with strong technical credibility, operational leadership capability and the ability to lead teams through change and transformation.

Essential criteria

• CCAB-qualified accountant with current professional membership.
• Significant senior finance experience within a complex NHS organisation, ideally within an acute provider setting.
• Experience spanning both Financial Management and Financial Services functions.
• Strong operational understanding of NHS financial governance, statutory reporting and regulatory requirements.
• Experience of leading annual accounts, PFR returns and complex technical accounting processes.
• Demonstrable experience of leading teams and delivering service improvement within finance functions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior level.
• Strong analytical, leadership and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex environment.

Desirable criteria

• Experience supporting major capital programmes or organisational transformation initiatives.
• Experience of finance systems development, automation or digital transformation.
• Experience of collaborative working across systems or shared service environments.
• MBA or equivalent management qualification.
• Leadership potential and ambition to progress towards Director-level operational finance leadership roles in the future.

Values and behaviours

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates who demonstrate:

• Calm, credible and supportive leadership
• Strong technical judgement combined with pragmatism
• Commitment to developing people and building positive team cultures
• Curiosity, openness and a willingness to modernise and improve
• Resilience, professionalism and delivery focus under pressure
• Collaborative and values-driven leadership