Head of Financial Governance and Strategic InvestmentsNHS 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 this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

Many of our recruitment programmes use Value Based Interviewing to 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

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 responsibilities1. 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...