Associate Director of Finance - Improvement Programme

Associate Director of Finance - Improvement Programme We have an exciting opportunity to join Team LGT in a newly created post as Programme Director for the Trusts Improvement Programme. As a credible senior leader with significant experience in operational and financial management you would be joining a set of teams delivering large and complex improvement programmes across our sites and services. Reporting into the Deputy Director of Finance you would have senior accountability for the financial delivery these programmes

At LGT, we are clear about the journey we are on to improve the experience for our staff and patients through our Improvement Programme. We've made significant progress over the last year and have strengthened our operational, clinical and improvement teams to support this. We still have a lot of work to do, but know that we can do this through continuing to build and strengthen our relationships both in and outside of the hospitals. Our approach encompasses strong collaboration, sharp oversight and accountability, and celebration of our progress.

The South East London Finance Academy is committed to fostering professional development and career growth for all with a particular aim of enhancing opportunities for under-represented groups and improving the diversity of our finance community.

This means, that as part of our Secondment Pledge, this permanent role is advertised with the flexibility of a potential secondment opportunity for the successful candidate. If you would like to explore this flexibility, please discuss with your current line manager and raise for discussion with the recruiting manager, this will not adversely affect your application in any way. Whilst all secondments will require agreement from both the host and receiving organisations, all organisations within SEL are committed to approaching this conversation positively.

If successful, and you would like to take up the secondment opportunity, you will need to complete the Secondment Request Form found here, South East London: Secondment Request Form, to aid discussion with your host and receiving organisations. On successful completion of the secondment, and in collaboration with your receiving organisation, you will have the opportunity to convert the secondment to a substantive appointment.

This post may not attract a COS.

Main duties of the job The post holder is expected to work as part of a cohesive Improvement and Finance Teams and wider operational colleagues and, when necessary, to take lead responsibility for Trust-based issues outside of your immediate sphere of responsibility. You will be expected to present, and advise on, highly complex and sensitive financial and business information/issues to large groups, such as the whole Finance function as well as clinical and non-clinical colleagues from outside of Finance.

About us Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Colleagues across the department work flexibly and we encourage all employees to consider how best to work to suit your individual needs. Amongst other options we welcome applications from colleagues considering the possibility of reduced hours, flexible start and finish times and a hybrid working approach

Job responsibilities Strategic leadership

• Provide senior leadership to LGTs Improvement and Transformation Programme, developing a coherent structure to support the financial analysis and reporting of the programme
• Responsible for the delivery of strategic programmes, ensuring delivery of workstream success and continued progression of required programmes and business cases through Trust governance cycles to ensure delivery of short and medium-term Trust strategy
• Ensure quality, patient safety, productivity and efficiency, best practice and performance are at the heart of improvement and that operational and clinical teams are engaged in this
• Contribute to the design and delivery of relevant IT and business intelligence systems and products relating to the portfolio, including contribution to changes to the Trusts Electronic Patient Record and other enabling systems as required.

Programme management, governance and delivery

• Proactively drive improvement and next steps through personal experience, knowledge of current best practice, robust governance and visible leadership in holding teams and individuals accountable for their actions and commitments
• Hold leadership teams to account for delivery of their objectives through regular review meetings, including across areas without direct line management responsibility. Provide appropriate input and challenge to plans where necessary.
• Effectively and proactively lead a portfolio of concurrent, complex projects, with a range of interdependencies and stakeholders.
• Manage the complex nature of the portfolio, working with divisional teams to ensure that plans align with the Trusts overarching vision and strategy and support clinical and operational teams to identify new opportunities and ways to respond to challenges

Financial management and reporting

• Ensure sufficient data availability within the portfolio to identify, monitor and track financial performance and benefits delivery, and to satisfy reporting requirements internally and externally.
• Analyse complex data sets; provide meaning and reflection to ensure continuous improvement. Make judgements involving a range of facts or situations which require analysis or comparison of a range of options, or to identify the next course of action in nebulous situations.
• Work closely with divisional teams and business intelligence teams to ensure new policies and processes are embedded and there is strong alignment with general performance management and accuracy, in line with the national access policy.
• Undertake regular audit, benchmarking, data collection and analysis to determine improvement required and relative performance delivery to other providers.
• Manage the Costing Team and trusts Service Line Reporting function
• Lead the Trusts National Cost Collection and Corporate Benchmarking returns
• Ensuring Trust Standing Financial Instructions and Trust-wide financial policies and procedures are developed, implemented and maintained to minimise Trust risk.
• Contribute to the Development, implementation and maintenance of efficient and effective policies and procedures specifically related to the trust efficiency & transformation programme within Finance and Trust-wide to ensure accurate and reliable information and records are maintained and ensuring established Finance procedures are in place and are adhered to throughout the Trust and that Trust policies are adhered to by Finance staff.
• Along with other senior colleagues, acting as lead for the Finance Directorate on the development and implementation of local and/or national projects as may be required, and develop policies and procedures ensuring that they comply with relevant financial guidance and legal requirements, and having regard to the Trusts financial interests. Put in place processes to ensure compliance with financial content of policies.

Person Specification Qualifications and Training

• Educated to masters degree level or equivalent experience
• Professional Chartered Accountancy Qualification (CCAB)
• Evidence of continuing professional development and management education

Experience

• A proven track record of operating at a senior level within a large, complex organisation, ideally within the NHS or a similar public sector body
• A strong background in financial management, including successfully managing large budgets and a proven ability to deliver cost improvement programmes (CIPs).
• Significant experience in leading and delivering large-scale transformation, efficiency and strategy development programmes within a politically sensitive environment
• Proven experience of delivery of complex multi-disciplinary, multiple output projects
• Extensive post-qualification experience in a large and complex organisation with significant autonomy.
• Up to date with the NHS policy, national directives and all Governance aspects but with a specific emphasis on NHS Finance.

Knowledge

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal.
• Ability to communicate highly complex and sensitive information to large groups.
• Ability to challenge and effectively manage and deal with highly contentious situations and issues. Strong strategic and analytical skills to address complex issues and make data-driven decisions.
• Sound political judgment and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, information and diverse interest groups
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