Director of Finance

**NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS**

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.

We are the leader in educational design, delivery and quality assurance and provide wide-ranging support to workforce development. We are the official provider of workforce statistics for NHS Scotland and support national workforce planning. We design and develop digital technologies supporting innovation and transformation.

Our purpose is to drive change and improve the quality of care experienced by citizens across Scotland by ensuring that we have the right staff, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. NES is integral to improving outcomes for people and in ensuring a skilled and capable workforce underpins the design and delivery of services.  As an organisation, we recognise the significant contribution we can make to improving population health, reducing inequalities and economic development.

The Opportunity:

The Director of Finance sits on the Board and reports the Chief Executive.  They are responsible for working with the Board, Chief Executive and senior staff within NES to contribute to the development and delivery of the NES Strategic Framework and operational plans and for developing and implementing financial strategies to support the delivery of these plans.  The Director of Finance is responsible for supporting the Chief Executive in their role as Accountable Officer and for providing the Board with financial and other business advice to enable the Board and the Chief Executive to properly discharge governance and their relevant accountabilities.

The responsibilities of the Finance and Procurement Directorate are shared across 4 teams: The Finance Shared Service Centre; Finance Business Partnering; Management Information and Systems; and Procurement.

Within the context of the NES Strategic Framework and the Standing Financial Instructions there is substantial scope for strategic and innovative thinking and action. The Director of Finance also has a unique role in supporting the Chief Executive in their role as Accountable officer and therefore must be able to take an entirely independent perspective when considering matters of financial probity, financial governance or value for money. The work of the Director of Finance is largely self-generated, with significant freedom to act, assign and prioritise activities within the parameters of the role.

We are looking fully qualified accountants and candidates who have:

• Evidence of continuing professional development, including management and leadership development experience
• Extensive post-qualification experience in financial planning and management in an organisation of considerable scale and complexity
• Significant leadership ability at senior/executive level in a multidisciplinary environment gained through experience over a significant number of years
• A track-record of bringing challenge to executive and board level thinking and effecting change as a consequence.
• A consistent track record of achieving continuous business improvement
• Experience of risk management systems
• Experience of procurement legislation, regulations and systems
• Demonstrable experience of leading and delivering transformational change
• Experience of dealing with a range of complex issues within a politically sensitive and multi stakeholder environment
• Experience of developing and delivering commercial financial strategies

You will bring a strong set of person centred, outcomes focused values and behaviours that complement NES organisational values.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate a strong intellect with the ability to grasp complex financial issues, combined with commercial acumen and a pragmatic approach to decision making. A commitment to and passion for education, training, digital and workforce development in support of improved outcomes for citizens in Scotland is highly desirable.

For further information on the organisation or on the opportunity itself, a full candidate brochure is available to download here.

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to Michael Dickson, Director at FWB Park Brown at michael@fwbparkbrown.com or call him on 0131 539 7087 for an initial confidential discussion.

We are considering candidates located throughout Scotland with a flexible base.

Closing date for applications is 13^th September 2021.