Director of Finance - LCOs and UDHM Clinical Group

Go back Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Director of Finance - LCOs and UDHM Clinical Group The closing date is 14 September 2025

Join MFT as the next Director of Finance for the Manchester & Trafford Local Care Organisations (LCOs) & the University Dental Hospital Manchester (UDHM) Clinical Group - a pivotal role at the heart of community & dental care excellence. In partnership with Manchester City Council & Trafford Council, reporting to the Clinical Group Chief Executive, will place you at the core of strategic decision-making. You will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, helping to shape the future of integrated care across Manchester and Trafford.Using your highly established finance and exemplar leadership skills, you will lead financial planning & performance for the Clinical Group, supporting the overall financial performance of the Trust, working closely with Trust Finance teams including costing, financial accounts & the capital finance. Accountable for the analysis & evaluation of the overall financial consequences of different service options, you will also inform the annual planning of the Clinical Group too.Moreover, with a strong track record in complex NHS environments, you will be confident in delivering financial improvement and long-term sustainability. You will lead with autonomy and clarity, developing & driving robust financial strategies that support transformation & innovation across the LCOs & UDHM Clinical Group.So, if you're looking for a role that challenges, empowers & elevates your career in financial leadership, this could be your next - and best - move.

Main duties of the job

• You will use your deep expertise in financial risk management to steer financial planning for the Clinical Group - balancing day-to-day demands with bold, long-term ambitions.
• With a proven track record in delivering complex financial plans, you will be a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, ensuring financial decisions align with statutory obligations, contractual commitments, and the Trust's strategic direction.
• Oversee Section 75 partnership arrangements with Manchester City Council, supporting the seamless integration of Community Health Services and Adult Social Care. You will manage delegated budgets and financial schedules, ensuring full compliance and alignment through annual reviews with Council Directors of Finance.
• Professionally accountable to the Chief Finance Officer, you will work across teams to shape financial strategy, support development, and drive consistency in delivery.
• Bring significant experience in developing and implementing annual financial strategies, underpinned by robust modelling and scenario planning that supports sustainable service transformation.
• As a people leader, you will set a clear vision, nurture talent, and inspire performance - driving change and continuous improvement across your teams.
• You will embody MFT's vision and values, championing quality and high standards to consistently improve patient outcomes.

About us MFT is one of the largest NHS Trust In England with a turnover of £3.0bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Job responsibilities To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading.

Candidate Information Pack

To support this vacancy, we have developed a bespoke Candidate Information Pack which provides specific information about the role and the Selection Process. To request a copy of this pack, please contact Talent Attraction & Senior Acquisition Co-ordinator, Beth Houghton, via email at .

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at .

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Person Specification Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive senior level leadership and managerial experience within a finance function in an acute NHS Trust (or comparatively large and complex multi-disciplinary organisation). Statutory and non-statutory organisations, senior managers, colleagues and their representatives.

Qualifications Academic/Professional

• Evidence of recent and relevant continuous professional development.
• Additional post-graduate degree or equivalent experience.
• Formal management or leadership qualification.

Qualifications Academic / Professional

• Fully qualified accountant with a recognised chartered accountancy body.
• Unblemished record with the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) / Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.

Skills and Abilities

• Outstanding personal impact. Highly developed interpersonal, networking, advocacy, written and presentation skills that are persuasive and influential and develop relationships that inspire respect, trust and confidence.
• Expert level numeracy, numerical reasoning and numerical analysis skills.
• Commercially astute and able to develop costing models and pricing strategies to drive business growth and improve cash flow.
• Ability to negotiate and influence in order to secure value for money and added value.
• Ability to work effectively with clinical colleagues and teams in a collaborative manner.
• A high level of political awareness.

Personal Attributes

• Holds themselves to the highest standards of probity and corporate governance, acting ethically and with the utmost integrity.
• A commitment to personal development and the development of colleagues, with the ability to develop a culture in which all individuals can thrive and feel a sense of belonging.

Knowledge and Experience

• A successful track record in a senior finance role delivering challenging financial plans within a complex environment or sector, preferably within an acute NHS Trust.
• Experience of developing and operating the systems, processes and procedures which are appropriate to ensure the smooth operation of a finance function of an acute NHS Trust.
• A clear appreciation of the context of acute healthcare provision within the modern NHS and understanding of NHS financial frameworks.
• Extensive knowledge of clinical governance systems and (financial) risk management.
• Experience of developing and implementing financial strategy and business planning, supported by appropriate financial modelling and scenario planning.
• A successful track record of consistent delivery against NHS financial expectations and sustainable bottom-line delivery through sound financial and operational management.
• Experience of setting ambitious but attainable targets and leading the implementation of innovative solutions.
• Experience of developing and implementing transformation programmes, including the management of service change, organisational development and cost improvement / reduction.
• Experience of managing significant resources and budgets, and a proven track record of delivering financial balance, sustainability and value for money.
• A successful track record of delivering a long-term vision whilst responding to short-term challenges and opportunities.
• A successful track record of developing an organisational culture committed to high quality, people, financial and performance standards.
• Demonstrable success in building, developing and inspiring high performing financial teams, increasing staff engagement and innovation, and motivation to improve performance.
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