Head of Income and Commissioning

Job overview

This is an exciting time to join the Trust’s Finance Directorate as we strengthen our financial leadership and modernise our approach to income, contracting and long‑term financial planning. We are seeking an experienced and capable Head of Commissioning & Income to lead a pivotal function and provide strategic direction to the Income and Commissioning team.

The post holder will provide strong professional leadership, managing and developing staff to ensure the effective delivery of the Trust’s income, contracting and financial planning responsibilities. As a senior leader, you will play a central role in shaping the Trust’s financial strategy, contributing to budget setting, business cases, business plans and long‑term financial modelling.

A key aspect of the role is the accurate monitoring, forecasting and planning of income, alongside leading the annual contracting processes. The post holder will also provide complex and sensitive strategic information to support operational and corporate decision‑making, including overseeing the administration and operation of the National Tariff Payment System (SLAM) and ensuring compliance with contractual timescales and data quality standards.

Main duties of the job

To provide a vital role within the Finance Department, to manage and support in key aspects of the Trust’s financial planning processes, including input into budget setting, business cases, business plans and long-term financial models.

The post holder will also be responsible for accurately monitoring, forecasting and planning income levels for the Trust and will play a key role in the annual contacting process.

Provide highly complex sensitive strategy and management information to support the business operations of the Trust including systems administration of the National Tariff Payment System monitoring systems (SLAM) to ensure all day-to-day operations of the systems are completed to agreed contractual time scales.

The post holder will be an expert on National Tariff Payment System (NTPS) and be responsible for interpreting and implementing all aspects of NTPS policy and fully quantifying the impact of these changes on the Trust’s income base, for both short- and medium-term plans.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Role Duties & Responsibilities

• Analytical & Judgemental skills
• The role demands highly developed analytical and judgemental skills to interpret complex financial, activity and income data, identify the true drivers of variance, and provide authoritative advice that shapes organisational performance and contract positions.
• The post‑holder must routinely assess conflicting information from SUS, SLAM/Belvan, BI reports and provider submissions, applying professional judgement to distinguish between genuine activity shifts, operational pressures, data quality issues, and coding‑related income movements.
• Planning & Organisational Skills
• The role requires highly developed planning and organisational skills to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously, often to tight and immovable deadlines that directly impact trust wide reporting, income recovery, and regulatory submissions.
• Income Monitoring, Forecasting and Planning
• Manage month‑end closedown routines, ensuring the financial ledger and contract monitoring reports reconcile with all relevant data interfaces.
• Lead and develop strategic information and income‑reporting processes for the Finance Department and the Trust, ensuring efficient and accurate monthly contract monitoring.
• Use trend analysis to model income forecasts for the Trust and Commissioners, assessing associated risks.
• Interpret and implement all aspects of the National Tariff Payment System (NTPS), quantifying the impact of changes on the Trust’s income base.
• Lead the provision of detailed financial support for the annual contracting process.
• Support the Trust’s business and financial planning processes, including contributions to budget setting.
• Provide expert advice to senior finance and non‑finance managers and clinicians on the implications of NTPS.
• Ensure that data quality concerns raised externally are addressed through the Trust Data Quality Group, promoting best practice across the team and wider organisation.
• Work with Informatics teams to ensure activity is recorded in line with NTPS guidance and that current and forecast activity and financial trends are understood.
• Co-ordinate the triangulation of the activity plans within the Trust and commissioners.
• Monitor local Commissioners’ activity and financial reports to ensure any potential impact on Trust income is identified and addressed
• Strategic Development
• Monitor national websites and publications to identify potential financial policy changes at the earliest opportunity.
• Work autonomously, interpreting relevant standards such as Department of Health policy, NHS guidance and accounting standards.
• Review public documentation from principal Commissioners and assess the likely impact of their priorities and plans on the Trust.
• Systems Management & Development
• Ensure daily, monthly and annual system routines and reports are scheduled, reconciled and completed on time, maintaining effective system performance and user experience.
• Maintain complete and accurate procedures for all system applications in line with Standing Financial Instructions and audit requirements.
• Ensure appropriate application security controls are in place and adhered to.
• Review, test and implement system upgrades that benefit the Trust or meet legal requirements, working with Informatics to resolve complex technical issues.
• Manage financial master data within applications, ensuring full documentation is retained to meet audit standards.
• Other Duties
• Ensure compliance with Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions and Financial Policies.
• Develop and implement financial policies and procedures in accordance with Department of Health, professional and other relevant guidelines.
• Maintain up-to-date procedures and working guidance notes within the team.
• Work with auditors to ensure that all required information is provided, and all audit queries are resolved promptly.
• Undertake any other duties as may be required.

Governance

• Ensure the contract service and portfolio comply with the Trust’s Standing Financial Instructions (SFI’s), Standing Orders (SO’s), Scheme of Reservation and Delegation (SoRD) and all relevant Trust policies.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedures and guidelines for self and others, escalating concerns to senior management where practice appears to contravene policy, or where patient care may be affected.

Managerial / Leadership

• Maintain a healthy, safe and secure working environment, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation and reporting any concerns.

Education /Learning

• Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including full participation in KSF/appraisal, supervision, action learning and by maintaining a professional/personal portfolio of learning.  All learning and development responsibilities including supporting the training of others standard statement as below to be included.

All staff at MCHFT have a responsibility to:

• Maintain active registration status
• Always act in accordance with professional Codes of Conduct and guiding documents
• Where applicable, always act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for NHS Managers,
• Maintain up to date skills and knowledge
• Maintain an awareness of patient led service issues
• Maintain a professional/personal portfolio
• Adhere to all Trust policy, procedures, and guidelines.
• Adhere to Trust standards of behaviour and expected performance
• Comply with Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) policies and procedures as appropriate to their role and responsibilities in their individual work setting. Staff are required to be personally accountable for their actions and be responsible for their own compliance in relation to IP&C polices, protocols or advice.
• Ensure they work in accordance with local procedures and report any issues which they consider to be a risk to the health and safety of themselves and/or others.
• Act in accordance with the Trusts values
• Where applicable to participate in and provide data on the efficacy of treatment and specialties

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to ensure that we provide equity of services across seven days of the week.  This post may be reviewed in line with this plan and in some cases an element of weekend working may be required.