Head of Financial Governance and Strategic Investments in Oxford

Head of Financial Governance and Strategic Investments

NHS AfC: Band 8d

Main area Finance Grade NHS AfC: Band 8d Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week Job ref 321-CORP-8371621-B8d

Site OUH - Unipart House Town Oxford Salary £94,356 - £108,814 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 16/11/2026

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.

The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

Many of our recruitment programmes useValue Based Interviewingto identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values

Job overview

The post holder will operate as a senior Trust-level finance leader, providing authoritative oversight, assurance and expert professional advice across financial governance, investment oversight, technical financial assurance and value optimisation. The role is accountable for setting, assuring and continuously developing Trust-wide financial governance, assurance and control frameworks, and for ensuring material investment decisions and technical financial opportunities are aligned to the Trust’s strategic priorities, stewardship responsibilities and financial sustainability objectives.
The role provides independent assurance and advice to the Chief Finance Officer, Director of Finance, Executive Directors, Audit Committee and Trust Board on complex, sensitive and high-risk financial matters. It requires significant autonomy, expert judgement and the ability to influence senior clinical, operational and corporate leaders where issues are contentious, financially significant or carry organisational risk. It also leads senior teams responsible for governance, assurance, systems, investment support and technical value optimisation, ensuring the Finance Directorate supports robust decision-making and maximises value for patient services.

Main duties of the job

• Provide senior Trust-wide leadership for financial governance, controls, assurance and risk management.
• Lead the Finance relationship with internal audit, external audit and counter fraud, and oversee key assurance requirements.
• Lead and coordinate the Trust’s Annual Report and Accounts, providing senior oversight of complex technical accounting matters.
• Lead financial oversight of significant business cases, investments and benefits realisation.
• Identify and oversee opportunities to improve financial value through accounting, VAT/tax, capital and revenue treatment, and balance sheet management.
• Provide senior leadership for finance systems, digital enablement, data, controls and business continuity.
• Lead and develop teams across financial governance, assurance, systems, investment and technical finance, providing expert advice to senior leaders and Trust committees

Working for our organisation

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view OUH At a Glance by OUHospitals - Issuu

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Financial Governance, Controls and Assurance

• Lead the development, maintenance and embedding of Trust-wide financial governance, assurance and control frameworks, including Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions, Scheme of Delegation and related policies.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders, Audit Committee and Trust Board on financial governance, assurance, risk and controls.
• Prepare and present committee papers and advise on complex governance matters, balancing compliance, operational requirements, audit expectations and financial risk.

2. Audit, Counter Fraud and External Scrutiny

• Act as senior finance lead for internal audit, external audit and counter fraud, providing strategic oversight and escalation of key issues.
• Provide assurance on the effectiveness of audit and counter fraud arrangements.
• Oversee the Value for Money assessment, Management Representation Letter and finance input to external assurance processes.
• Ensure recommendations are tracked, followed up and embedded appropriately.

3. Annual Report, Accounts and Technical Assurance

• Lead the production, coordination and quality assurance of the Trust’s Annual Report and Accounts, including governance, narrative reporting, financial disclosures and compliance with national requirements.
• Work with senior finance colleagues to ensure clear accountability for accounts production, technical accounting and audit evidence.
• Ensure significant accounting judgements are appropriately evidenced, reviewed and approved.
• Provide senior review and challenge on complex technical accounting matters.

4. Investment Oversight, Business Cases and Benefits Realisation

• Lead Finance’s approach to investment oversight, business case governance and benefits realisation across significant capital, revenue, transformation and strategic investments.
• Provide senior financial challenge on affordability, options, risk, opportunity cost and benefits.
• Challenge assumptions, financial models and benefits claims, exercising professional judgement on complex or sensitive proposals.
• Oversee consistent investment reporting, risk escalation and post-implementation review.
• Ensure service teams retain ownership of delivery while receiving appropriate financial guidance and assurance.
• Lead the identification and delivery of financial value opportunities across accounting treatment, VAT and tax, capital and revenue classification, balance sheet management, financing and financial structuring.
• Maintain a quantified pipeline of opportunities, assessing compliance, risk, deliverability and financial benefit.
• Assess the impact of changes in accounting standards, NHS guidance and VAT or tax requirements.
• Develop internal capability where this can safely reduce reliance on external advice.

6. Finance Systems, Data and Digital Enablement

• Provide senior leadership for finance systems and digital enablement, ensuring systems, data and reporting support effective governance, control, auditability, resilience and decision-making.
• Oversee systems governance, supplier relationships, business continuity, authorisation and system controls.
• Ensure access, controls and continuity arrangements are proportionate to financial risk.
• Support increased use of Power BI, automation, AI-enabled analysis and digital processes where these improve insight, efficiency, control or service quality.

7. Risk Management, Business Continuity and Corporate Leadership

• Lead financial risk management across Finance, including oversight of the Finance risk register and appropriate escalation.
• Lead Finance business continuity and resilience arrangements.
• Contribute as a senior Finance leader to directorate strategy, workforce sustainability, succession planning and improvement programmes.

8. Leadership and People Management

• Lead and manage teams across governance, assurance, systems, investment, technical finance and value optimisation, including objectives, appraisal, performance, workforce planning and development.
• Promote strong governance, accountability, professional judgement, continuous improvement and collaborative working.
• Provide professional leadership beyond the immediate team, influencing senior colleagues and strengthening financial controls and decision-making.
• Represent Finance and the Trust on complex and sensitive financial governance, assurance, systems and investment matters.
• Act as a senior role model for inclusive, professional and accountable leadership, supporting resilience, succession planning and capability development.

Person specification

Qualifications and Experience

• CCAB qualified accountant, with evidence of continuing professional development
• Substantial senior finance experience gained within a large and complex organisation
• Expert knowledge of financial governance, accounting, internal control, audit and assurance, including experience operating across organisational boundaries.
• Demonstrable experience of advising senior decision-makers on complex, sensitive or high-risk financial matters
• Experience of interpreting complex policy, professional guidance and accounting requirements, including matters involving significant financial consequence or judgement.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with evidence of translating highly complex financial and non-financial information into clear advice and written material for senior audiences
• Proven leadership and people management experience, including developing staff and leading across professional or organisational boundaries.
• Strong understanding of finance systems, data quality, digital reporting and system controls
• Senior finance experience within an NHS provider organisation
• Experience of reporting to or working with Board, Executive or Audit Committee-level stakeholders
• Experience of investment governance, business case assurance and/or benefits realisation
• Experience of finance systems, digital finance or transformation
• Specialist knowledge or experience of VAT, tax, capital accounting, investment appraisal or financial value optimisation.
• Working knowledge of Power BI, automation or AI-enabled financial analysis

Sexual Safety Charter: In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit tothe ten core principles

Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

Vacancy Closures: Please note, this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications are received.

Visa and Immigration: Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is able to offer Certificates of Sponsorship for all eligible roles for a Skilled Worker Visa without exception, provided the role meets the minimum salary and skill level criteria set by the Home Office (UKVI). All eligible candidates will be considered with equal consideration at all stages of the application and recruitment process. Skilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers / Work in the UK - GOV.UK

COVID-19: The COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage...

Probation Period: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period. If you currently hold a contract of employment with the Oxford University Hospitals, this will not apply..

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Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Application numbers

Please note that this job advertisement will close automatically once the application limit is reached, regardless of whether this occurs before the advertised closing date.

Band 5 NurseandBand 2 Healthcare Support Workerrecruitment iscentralised, meaning when you apply you will be considered fora number of rolesacross the Trust. If you have any questions please email: nursing.careers@ouh.nhs.uk .

Domestic / catering / portering services at the John Radcliffe Hospitalare provided byMitie.

Domestic / catering / portering / maintenance engineer services at the Churchill HospitalandNuffield Orthopaedic Centreare provided byG4S.

Maintenance engineer services at the John Radcliffe Hospital are provided by Equans.

All meetings and interviews will be scheduled on Microsoft Teams from a verified OUH email account.

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