Senior Head of Finance (LW

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated finance leader to join NHS Fife as Senior Head of Finance. This is a key senior role within the Finance Directorate, providing strategic leadership across financial planning, management accounting, corporate reporting, and the continuous improvement of financial management services.

NHS Fife is responsible for the health of a population of around 367,000 people across Fife, delivering services through the Health and Social Care Partnership and Acute Services. With a revenue budget of approximately £1.1 billion and a capital budget of approximately £30 million, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant contribution to financial sustainability, transformation and the delivery of high-quality patient care.

As Senior Head of Finance, you will lead the management accounting service for NHS Fife, ensuring robust financial governance, effective stewardship of resources and high-quality financial advice to support decision-making across the organisation. You will work closely with senior leaders, clinical and non-clinical managers, finance colleagues and external partners to support the achievement of NHS Fife’s financial targets and strategic objectives.

You will also deputise for the Assistant Director of Finance as required and represent NHS Fife in relevant local, regional and national forums.

• Provide strategic leadership for NHS Fife’s management accounting and corporate reporting services.
• Lead the production of timely, accurate and insightful monthly and year-end financial reports and returns.
• Support the development of financial planning, medium-term financial plans, annual budgets and transformation plans.
• Provide expert financial advice, analysis and challenge to senior leaders, budget holders and key stakeholders.
• Lead and develop high-quality costing arrangements, including the NHS Cost Book and Patient Level Information and Costing Systems.
• Contribute to the financial oversight of the savings programme and support delivery of year-on-year financial balance.
• Strengthen financial governance, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, professional standards, Standing Financial Instructions and relevant policies.
• Lead, manage and develop the Management Accounting Team, supporting a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and professional development.
• Support preparedness for implementation of new financial ledger system

We are looking for a qualified and credible senior finance professional with substantial experience in financial management within a large, complex organisation. You will bring strong technical expertise, excellent leadership skills and the ability to influence, advise and challenge constructively at senior levels.

You will be a qualified accountant with membership of a CCAB body or CIMA, or have demonstrable equivalent experience within a public sector organisation. You should also be educated to degree level, with evidence of continued professional development. The successful candidate will have experience of budgeting, budgetary control, financial reporting, performance management, project management, implementation of new systems and staff management.

You will be confident in presenting complex financial information clearly to finance and non-finance audiences, and skilled in building trusted relationships across organisational and professional boundaries.

This is an excellent opportunity to take on a senior leadership role at the heart of financial decision-making in NHS Fife. You will help shape financial strategy, support service transformation and contribute directly to the effective use of resources for the benefit of patients, communities and staff across Fife.

We are a forward thinking NHS organisation, and are keen to further strengthen our dynamic finance function which is underpinned by strong management accounting resource coupled with finance business partnering principles. You will join a committed Finance Directorate that plays a critical role in supporting sustainable, high-quality health and care services. The…