About this role
Job summary
We are recruiting a Chief Finance Officer to join our team at East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust.
This is a rare opportunity to join a major NHS organisation at a significant point in its development.
The Trust has ambitious plans for the future. These include improving operational performance, strengthening financial sustainability, accelerating digital transformation, enhancing productivity, supporting neighbourhood-based models of care and continuing to improve quality and patient experience.
The Chief Finance Officer will play a critical role in helping the organisation deliver these ambitions.
Working alongside the Chief Executive, Executive Team and Board, the successful candidate will help shape strategy, drive organisational performance and ensure that the Trust remains financially sustainable whilst continuing to invest in services, staff and infrastructure.
This role offers the opportunity to influence not only the future of the Trust but also the wider health and care system across Hertfordshire and West Essex.
Main duties of the job
The Chief Finance Officer is a statutory Executive Director and member of the Trust Board with collective responsibility for the overall leadership, strategy and performance of East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the Chief Finance Officer will provide strategic leadership across Finance, Planning, Performance and Business Intelligence, ensuring that financial stewardship, operational delivery and strategic decision-making are supported by high-quality information, robust analysis and clear accountability.
The postholder will act as a trusted adviser to the Chief Executive and Board, providing expert leadership on financial sustainability, investment decisions, commercial opportunities, productivity improvement and organisational performance.
The successful candidate will contribute well beyond the traditional boundaries of finance leadership and play a major role in shaping organisational culture, strategic direction and system relationships.
As a member of the Executive Team, the Chief Finance Officer will be expected to model the Trust's values, contribute to collective leadership and support the development of a high-performing organisation focused on delivering outstanding outcomes for patients and communities.
About us
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is on a journey of transformation. It was formed in 2000 following the merger of two former NHS Trusts serving the east and north Hertfordshire areas. It operates across four sites; acute services are offered at the Lister Hospital; specialist cancer services at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC); and non-acute services at Queen Elizabeth II and Hertford County hospital. The Trust underwent an extensive £150m reconfiguration some years ago which centralised all inpatient and complex services at the Lister in Stevenage.
The Trust provides a wide range of acute inpatient, outpatient, diagnostic, ambulatory and urgent care services - including an emergency department and maternity care - as well as regional and sub-regional services in renal medicine, urology and plastic surgery.
Proudly, the Trust is ranked as the highest performing acute trust in the East of England and 19th nationally among all acute and specialist trusts, according to the latest NHS performance league tables. It was also shortlisted for the HSJ Trust of the Year Award.
Approximately 6,800 staff are employed by the Trust, dedicated staff to providing high- quality, compassionate care to our patients. We also have an active volunteer network of around 350 people. The Trust's annual turnover is approximately £725 million.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached applicant pack for more information, including the job description and person specification.
To arrange an informal discussion or visit, please contact Martin's Executive Assistant.
The closing date for applications is7th August 2026, with the selection and interview process scheduled for the week commencing31st August 2026.
Person Specification
Qualifications / Training Essential
Professionally qualified accountant e.g., CCAB, ACCA, CIPFA
Desirable
MBA or other relevant post graduate qualification
Experience Essential
Experience at board level as an Executive Director of Finance in a dynamic complex organization A strong understanding of the healthcare sector, gained through the NHS. Experience of major capital development programmes (particularly PFI or similar), with a track record of on time, on budget delivery Deonstrable track record of negotiating major contracts of a comparable scale and complexity to those handled by the Trust A proven track record of strong leadership at a senior level, both within the financial brief and more broadly as a corporate leader and Board member Improving a financial department, financial modelling and financial reporting Evidence of leading sizable cost improvement programmes and of supporting organisations through ongoing change and development programmes Experience of implementing or developing effective service line reporting models
Skills, aptitudes and knowledge Essential
Stature and professional accountability, able to represent the Trust externally to a wide range of audiences. Strong commercial and business acumen Ability to work with, and influence, a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to bring about change and service improvements. Ability to balance the need to think strategically and manage operationally. Innovative style of management, communicating vision and leading change through others Collaborative working styles with peers, sharing knowledge and being proactive in understanding current issues A focus on results and a passion for making a qualitative difference to service delivery A depth of knowledge of techniques for interpreting and presenting financial and non-financial management information Personal credibility to inspire and lead internally and to represent the Trust at a regional and national level Experience and track record of improvement methodologies (knowledge of the Virginia Mason methodology or similar would be an advantage)
Other Essential
Meets the requirement for fit and proper persons Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda. Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities. Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning Role model our Trust values every day
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
Address Lister Hospital
Coreys Mill Lane
Stevenage
SG1 4AB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)