Please note:

This is a fixed term contract role with an initial contract end date of 31 March 2025 (extension anticipated).

The salary for this role is subject to review and may change. We anticipate the salary will be confirmed prior to agreeing the start date for the successful applicant, at the very latest.

Are you an experienced strategic finance and business professional looking to make a real impact in health and care research management? Do you enjoy working on a varied portfolio with a dedicated team?

This is a great time to join NIHR as we look to expand many of our activities and deliver an excellent experience for those developing their health and care research careers.

We are seeking a highly motivated and adaptable individual to lead Finance and Business Support for the NIHR Academy. This is a key position within the NIHR Coordinating Centre, providing leadership to the team managing financial and business processes. You will also contribute to strategic decision making across the organisation. This role would suit a dynamic individual who enjoys working across several areas and with different stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

As the Assistant Director for Finance and Business Support, you will be responsible for strategic financial processes and planning. This is a national role, supporting and leading cross-NIHR projects and initiatives relevant to the finance and business support portfolio.

You will oversee Business Support including Organisational Development, HR and Recruitment, Corporate Governance, Contract Management, and Contracting and Procurement processes. This will involve developing, implementing and developing business plans and key performance indicators. You will lead a team of talented individuals to develop, facilitate and implement these functions, so strong leadership and the ability to work as part of a team is essential.

About us

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has a mission to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR plays a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best researchers and complements the additional NIHR investment in world-class research facilities and a skilled research workforce.

This role is hosted by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and delivers the work of the NIHR, leading on policy, strategy and delivery in respect of academic training in England and working closely with other NIHR centres and the Science Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Financial and Business Support Management Expertise and Leadership

The post holder will lead a team responsible for the delivery of the financial management, business support and organisational development functions and will:

• Take lead responsibility for the financial management processes supporting the effective delivery of NIHR Academy research training programmes, associated contracts for support services and budget management for the running costs of the NIHR Academy Executive.
• Provide advice to the Academy Executive Board and other groups as required on financial and business support implications of strategic decisions and new policies.
• Lead the development, delivery and improvement of business support processes, procedures and services to ensure continued effectiveness in delivering the activities of the NIHR Academy Executive.
• Take lead responsibility for effective delivery of business support services and corporate governance in line with DHSC requirements, including coordination of annual planning and reporting, equality, diversity and inclusion policy, continuous improvement, development and maintenance of a business continuity and disaster recovery plan and corporate risk register.
• Take lead responsibility for contracting and procurement processes and facilities and office management.
• Oversee recruitment processes and provide HR policy advice for the NIHR Academy Executive.
• Take lead responsibility for translating national strategy as it relates to the NIHR Academy and devising and managing implementation plans on a national scale, including supporting the delivery of NIHRs Strategy, Best Research for Best Health.
• Ensure delivery of their portfolio is in line with NIHR Academy standard operating procedures (SOPs) and DHSC requirements.
• Ensure the NIHR Academy Executive meets its key performance indicators (KPIs) and delivers an annual programme of work in line with business plans.
• Take a leading role on organisation wide initiatives of national strategic importance to NIHR, working with colleagues and other senior leaders from different NIHR locations.
• Support analysis and evaluation of their portfolio of work and oversee the implementation of changes agreed as a result of evaluation.

Member of the NIHR Academy Executive Board

The post holder will be a member of the NIHR Academy Executive Board and will be expected to:

• Deputise for the Chief Executive Officer, Director of Strategic Operations and Director of NIHR Programmes at national meetings, as required.
• Implement and manage change, devising and communicating new policies where necessary
• Play a key role in cross NIHR and national strategic initiatives and projects, taking on a lead role where necessary.oversee the implementation and delivery of new initiatives and projects as they arise
• Contribute to the overall leadership of the NIHR Academy Executive including playing a key role in setting organisational culture, structure and governance.

Communication and Engagement

The post holder will:

• Lead and support the development of reports and papers for strategic and policy meetings and publications.
• Liaise with other national programmes, wider NIHR, Department of Health and Social Care staff, other key funders of health and social care research and the academic community as necessary.
• Deliver presentations to national stakeholder groups and relevant conferences.
• Take lead responsibility in the development of briefings requested from various sources including DHSC, NIHR Centres Executive Board, other government departments, other stakeholders and partners and ministers offices (including Parliamentary Questions, and Select Committees).
• Act as a representative for NIHR Academy and NIHR more widely at national meetings, workshops and conferences, often having to defend NIHRs position in a public setting.

Provision of leadership to the Finance and Business Support team

The post holder will lead the team responsible for the delivery, evaluation and improvement of finance and business support for the NIHR Academy. This will involve:

• Providing leadership, advice and support to the team in maintaining and developing current and new streams of work. taking responsibility for planning highly complex workloads with a broad range of activities, some that are on-going and some which require formulation and adjustment of plans or strategies. The workloads can be highly evolutionary needing to adapt plans in a rapidly changing environment.
• Taking responsibility for planning highly complex workloads with a broad range of activities, some that are on-going and some which require formulation and adjustment of plans or strategies. The workloads can be highly evolutionary needing to adapt plans in a rapidly changing environment.
• Developing and oversee team goals and objectives in order to deliver against key milestones and KPIs.
• Creating and maintaining a culture of inclusivity.
• Ensuring delivery of activities and projects in line with business plans and KPIs.
• Ensuring effective team contribution to NIHR Academy wide initiatives such as continuous improvement work, and culture and values.
• Providing leadership on a team and individual basis including the direct supervision of staff, objective setting, appraisals, recruitment and appropriate personal and career development plans.
• Ensuring staff are aware of and adhere to NIHR Academy SOPs and DHSC requirements.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• First degree (undergraduate)
• Higher degree or postgraduate management qualification or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Business Management qualification
• Qualified Accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CIPFA)

Experience

Essential

• Experience managing a team including direct responsibility for line-management
• Experience of strategic finance, contract management and business support activities at a senior level
• Experience in the development of improved business processes and change management
• Significant experience of senior management
• Experience of project management
• An understanding of public sector health research and its management
• An understanding of the Governments strategy or health and care research and its implementation

Desirable

• Experience working in a public sector organisation
• Experience leading staff and organisational development activities
• An understanding of health and care research capacity development

Skills & Behaviours

Essential

• Effective and inclusive leadership at a senior level
• Leading by example
• Thinking strategically
• Giving purpose and direction which includes involving people in deciding what needs to be done
• Getting the best from others
• Identifying opportunities and approaches to achieve goals and improve results
• Excellent communications skills and confidence in delivering presentations
• High level interpersonal skills including ability to lead and manage change
• Standard keyboard skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

NIHR Academy Executive

21 Queen Street

Leeds

West Yorkshire

LS1 2TW

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

C9298-MDI-0082