Deputy director of finance

Band 8d · Head of finance · 710 job evaluation points

Deputy directors of finance lead the finance function day to day, deputise for the director of finance, and lead the organization's financial strategy and medium-term financial plan.

Responsibilities

Lead the medium-term financial plan and annual financial plan, linking them to strategy and workforce plans.
Lead the business case and investment approval process, including for major digital programs.
Advise the executive and board committees on financial performance, risk, and savings plans.
Represent the organization with funders and partners on financial matters.
Deputise for the director of finance, including at the board and audit committee.
Lead and develop the finance, payroll, and financial systems teams.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Financial planning and forecastingThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: lead the organization's medium-term financial plan align financial plans with strategy, workforce, and investment plans advise the board on financial sustainability and the choices needed to stay within funding set the planning assumptions and methods used across the organization
Business cases and investment appraisalThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organization's business case and investment appraisal standards advise investment boards on affordability, value for money, and risk make the case to funders for major investment programs review the portfolio of investments and recommend where to stop, change, or continue
Financial controls and auditThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: own the organization's financial rules and scheme of delegation report to the audit committee on financial control and audit actions lead the response to significant control failures or fraud build a culture where staff understand their duty to use public money properly
Public sector financeThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: represent the organization with funders and oversight bodies advise the board on regularity, propriety, and value for money shape funding agreements and financial regimes for the organization's services
Financial managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: influence or create complex budgets across an organisation, programme or product view manage the budget you are given and make it work
Financial management for digital, data and technologyUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	Senior leadership skill: the UK GDaD PCF defines it with one statement, not by level. You can: Examples of leadership using this skill: own, manage and optimise budgets across digital, data and technology secure appropriate investment to deliver organisational strategy and priorities negotiate investments in shared technologies across the organisation and across government prioritising competing demands for investment in people, infrastructure and innovation across digital, data and technology to maximise value identifying risk to critical services and influencing stakeholders to increase investment to ensure they are maintained balancing short-term tactical gains with longer-term strategies to ensure value now and in the future
Creating value for moneyUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: develop and own a business case and iterate it throughout the life cycle coach others on identifying benefits whilst balancing user and business needs communicate the delivery of incremental value build the case for an organisational approach to value through product strategy coach and empower teams to take a value for money approach
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: direct the stakeholder relationship strategy for your teams ensure stakeholder's objectives are set and support teams to meet them influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress
Leadership and guidanceUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on the strategy for the whole organisation, marrying business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution
People managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: lead managers and shape the culture of a large area design workforce plans and organizational change coach leaders and resolve complex people issues

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognized accountancy qualification, with extensive senior experience of leading finance functions.

Band 8d outline

Knowledge: Strategic knowledge across functions and the wider health and care system.
Autonomy: Shapes organization-wide strategy; deputises for a director.
Scope: A major function or several functions.
Leadership: Leads several functions or a large department.
Accountability: Major functions, large budgets, and organization-wide risks.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	6	Gives highly complex, highly contentious information where there are significant barriers to acceptance, using the highest level of communication skills.	60
Knowledge, training, and experience	8	Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period.	240
Analytical and judgmental skills	5	Judgments on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organizational skills	5	Forms long-term strategic plans, with uncertainty and effects across the organization.	60
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	5	Implements and develops a range of policies or services for a directorate.	45
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	5	Holds or sets budgets, or manages assets, for several services.	45
Responsibility for people	5	Line manages several departments, or manages training or a large part of HR across the organization.	45
Responsibility for information resources	6	Manages and develops information systems across the organization as the main duty.	46
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	2	Occasional exposure, or frequent indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	11
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8d: 675 to 720)			710