Job vacancy: Deputy Chief Finance Officer, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick

Job summary

Main area: Finance
Grade: Band 9/ VSM
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 203-C565

Employer: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Finance - Financial Management
Town: Warwick
Salary: per annum
Closing: 19/04/2026 23:59
Interview date: 06/05/2026

Deputy Chief Finance Officer

Band 9/ VSM

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.

We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.

The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

Many of the roles we advertise have a requirement for a DBS check to be carried out. If you are successful for a role and it requires a DBS check the Trust will carry out the initial check and subscription to the DBS Update Service, however successful candidates will be expected to cover the associated costs . Details of this will be sent to successful candidates in their offer letter.

Probationary Period

All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 6 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.

As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2

We appreciate you completing the survey.

Agile and Flexible Working

All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.

The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.

Staff Benefits

The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.

Car Parking

The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.

To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).

Visa Sponsorship

The Trust will only consider sponsoring staff for certain roles, however this will be considered on a case by case basis in line with current legislation. As an employer we are unable to offer sponsorship to all roles in particular we cannot offer sponsorship for roles below Band 5.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will oversee financial controls, reporting, budgeting, and compliance to ensure efficient resource management and adherence to NHS regulations. You will lead on budget setting, identifying cost saving opportunities, and supporting service transformation to enhance financial efficiency while maintaining quality.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring a Deputy CFO who is not only strategic in outlook but also comfortable operating at pace in the detail, maintaining close oversight of day-to-day financial management and performance.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO) is a pivotal senior leadership role, working in close partnership with the Chief Finance Officer to deliver a high-quality, forward-looking finance function that underpins the delivery of safe, effective and cost-efficient patient care.

The postholder provides strategic and operational financial leadership across both Trusts, ensuring long-term financial sustainability, robust governance, and full alignment between financial strategy and organisational priorities.

Key responsibilities include:

· Financial management and control – maintaining close, hands-on oversight of core accounting processes including reporting, controls, and financial performance, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and strong financial grip

· Strategic financial leadership and planning – shaping long- and medium-term financial strategies, investment plans and resource allocation to support organisational objectives

· Financial governance and control – ensuring strong financial systems, statutory reporting, regulatory compliance and effective relationships with internal and external audit

· Performance, insight and decision support – leading forecasting, financial analysis and reporting with direct engagement in the underlying financial data and processes, ensuring robust and reliable outputs and the development of innovative tools to support informed decision-making across clinical and operational teams

· Financial management and risk oversight – overseeing financial risk, investment appraisal, and the delivery of efficiency and savings programmes

· Value and transformation – driving value-based healthcare, ensuring financial resources are aligned to clinical outcomes and patient experience

· Corporate and system leadership – contributing to wider organisational strategy, supporting corporate decision-making, and representing the Trusts within ICS and external forums

· Executive support and deputisation – acting on behalf of the CFO when required, including representation at Board and senior committees

In addition, the DCFO plays a key role in ensuring financial objectives are clearly defined, aligned to Board-approved strategy and compliant with NHS England requirements, while building strong partnerships with external advisers and system stakeholders.

Overall, the role is instrumental in embedding financial expertise at the heart of organisational leadership, ensuring resources are used effectively to deliver sustainable, high-quality healthcare services for the communities served.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Educated to Masters level or equivalent or equivalent experience of working at a senior level in complex organisation in a Healthcare Setting (e.g NHS Trust , NHS commissioning, NHS England and Improvement
Professionally qualified accountant (CIMA, ACCA, CIPFA, ACA
- Significant, substantial and extensive post qualification experience at a senior level in a complex healthcare organisation (e.g. NHS Trust, Commissioner, Regulator).

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don’t want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).

Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.

We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.

Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it’s a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.

The Trust is part of a ‘Foundation Group’ through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.