Assistant Director of Financial Improvement

Transformationunitgm; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 91,000 - GBP 106,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health organization in Nottingham seeks an Assistant Director of Financial Improvement to lead financial transformation efforts. This strategic role involves developing and implementing financial improvement practices while ensuring efficiency, productivity, and value for money across services. Candidates should have a Master's degree or equivalent, a professional accountancy qualification, and extensive experience in financial management and improvement. This position offers a competitive salary and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Opportunities for professional development

Collaborative working environment

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent experience to PhD level.
• Professional Accountancy Qualification (fully qualified member of CCAB).
• Proven experience in delivering financial improvement and change management.

Responsibilities

• Lead Trust-wide efforts for financial transformation across the Trust.
• Develop evidence-based financial improvement practices.
• Drive strategic financial efficiencies and outcomes.

Skills

Financial improvement

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Masters degree or equivalent

Professional Accountancy Qualification

Job description

Employer Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site City Hospital Town Nottingham Salary £91,342 - £105,337 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 12/02/2026 23:59

Assistant Director of Financial Improvement

Band 8d

Job overview

Finance is central to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s strategic ambition to deliver outstanding patient and clinical outcomes and world‑class experience for both patients and staff.

As a senior leader within the Finance Directorate, the Assistant Director of Finance, Financial Improvement, is responsible for leading Trust‑wide efforts to deliver sustained financial transformation across the Trust. The postholder is responsible for strategic planning, service improvement and embedding methodologies that drive efficiency, productivity and value for money across the organisation and the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System.

This post holds Trust‑wide responsibility for the strategic direction, operational delivery, and continuous development of the Trust’s Financial Improvement function. Operating at a senior level, the post holder will lead the design and development of evidence‑based financial improvement practices across clinical and corporate services, ensuring that productivity gains and financial planning are rigorously developed, tracked and realised.

The Trust is delivering an ambitious portfolio of financial and operational improvements. Realising these benefits requires proactive and visible leadership, strategic oversight and close collaboration across all Care Groups, specialities services, systems and ICS partners.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be joining a high‑performing and aspirational finance team. NUH’s Finance function is committed to national leadership standards, empowered by modern technologies, an inclusive and empowering culture, and an investment in staff development. All team members are actively supported in becoming experts in their field across the organisation and wider Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System, helping them reach their full potential.

While this post is not a direct budget holder, the role of Assistant Director of Finance, Financial Improvement carries strategic accountability for enabling substantial financial benefits and outcomes. This is achieved through strategic expert leadership, effective stakeholder engagement, and robust governance of benefits realisation and performance delivery. The role demands gravitas, influence, and resilience to engage senior leaders, challenge constructively, and embed financial accountability at every level of the organisation.

As a recognised authority in financial transformation, the postholder will act as a visible leader, trusted advisor, and strategic influencer, driving the Trust’s financial efficiency agenda and shaping strategic decisions. Operating across Board, executive, and system levels, they will lead financial strategy through expert guidance, performance assurance, and innovation, enabling the Trust to deliver measurable improvements in value, productivity, and sustainability.

Working for our organisation

With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.

Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the Job description and Person specification attached to read through and familiarise yourself with the job details.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

• Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent experience to PhD level
• Professional Accountancy Qualification (i.e. Fully Qualified member of CCAB)
• Completion of evidenced on‑going Continuing Professional Development (CPD), in accordance with guidelines produced by the relevant Professional Accountancy Body

Experience

• Extensive experience of financial improvement and change management
• Extensive experience of Financial Management including substantial post qualification experience operating at a strategic level
• Experience of working at a strategic level, with the ability to recognise direction and full understanding and implications of NHS policy and guidance
• Proven track record of delivering effecting change within a financial environment
• Experience of working strategically with system partners
• Extensive experience in the financial aspects of the business planning process
• Experience of working in a management position within a provider Trust clinical directorate
• Experience of working with external professional advisors

Communication and Relationship Skills

• Able to communicate highly complex technical data in a rigorous and accessible manner, utilising a variety of media
• Excellent written communications skills
• Able to build trusted relationships with both external and internal stakeholders
• Able to lead staff in a manner which promotes a customer focus and in line with the Trust’s values and behaviours
• Able to manage conflict in an open, professional and constructive manner

Analytical and Judgement Skills

• Capacity to make judgements involving highly complex data
• Ability to present analysis and interpretation of NHS acute information, both financial and non‑financial
• Ability to prioritise workload in situations where no precedent exists
• Ability to specify information requirements and manage the production of that information to agreed standards
• Able to prioritise tasks within highly complex projects
• Ability to interpret national direction of travel in areas such as health policy, costing, contracting, financial management and financial improvement and productivity
• Able to demonstrate rigour and judgement when presenting complex technical issues to senior managers

Applicants are kindly requested to refrain from using AI at any stage during the recruitment process.

Closing Dates: Please submit your application form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment; we reserve the right to close vacancies prior to the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Communication: All communication related to your application will be via the email address you have provided. Please ensure you check your email account including your junk email regularly.

Easy read application: If you have a disability and find online job applications difficult, you can use an easy read application form instead.

To get this form, please email [emailprotected] and ask for an easy read application.

NUH are now able to offer application completion support and interview preparation support. Please follow the link to book onto our sessions: Support for NUH Job Applications

If you are aged 16 or 17 and applying for a role that is more than 20 hours a week, please be aware that you will be asked to commence an Apprenticeship within the Trust alongside your role, as long as there is a suitable apprenticeship standard available. This is in line with the current guidance in England that whilst young people under the age of 18 can leave school (on the last Friday in June) they must then do one of the following:

• Stay in full‑time education, for example at a college
• Start an Apprenticeship
• Spend 20 hours of more a week working or volunteering, while in part‑time education or training

Salary: The quoted salary will be on a pro rata basis for part time workers.

Disability Confidence: All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.

At Risk of redundancy: NHS employees within the East Midlands who are ‘at risk’ of redundancy will be given a preferential interview where they meet the essential criteria of the person specification.

ID and Right to work checks: NUH authenticate ID and right to work documentation including passports and driving licences through called Trust ID. NUH will scan your ID and right to work documentation in to the Trust ID system at your face to face ID appointment. The system will run a check against the key security features within your documentation. The system will provide us with an outcome of your check which will be stored securely on your personal file along with all other pre‑employment check documentation.

Consent:

• Transfer of information: If I have previous NHS service - I consent to the transfer of my Electronic Staff Record (ESR) data between this and other NHS Trusts. I also consent to the Occupational Health Department confidentially accessing my occupational health records from my current or previous employer in order to check the status of my vaccinations, immunisations and screening tests as relevant to the post. I understand this is an automated process and the information will only be used for these purposes prior to me taking up the position at NUH.
• Disclosure and Barring Service: Your post may be subject to a DBS check which incur a cost dependent on the level of check required (£49.50 for enhanced and £21.50 for standard). I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if it is required (by deduction from first month’s pay). Should I decide to withdraw from my job offer, I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of the DBS check undertaken by cheque or other agreed method.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.