An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Director of Finance to join Essex ICB, leading the finance function alongside the Executive Director of Finance and Commercial. Covering all areas of finance, including costing, productivity, business partnering, and statutory accounts, the postholder will be a credible subject matter expert, able to deputise when required.
Acting as a business partner, they will work flexibly to deliver innovative approaches and support new models of care. The role oversees Planning and Productivity, Business Partnering, Financial Management, and Financial Services teams, working closely with the Director of Commercial and Director of Capital & Estates as part of the wider leadership team.
The successful candidate will provide both strategic and operational financial leadership across key organisational and system priorities, offering expert accounting knowledge and presenting financial information clearly to clinical and non-clinical colleagues.
The role requires autonomy and responsibility for supporting negotiation, agreement, and delivery of the ICB strategy, bringing partners together to deliver programmes and align resources.
The finance function is evolving to support Neighbourhood Health, embedding new payment models, focusing on outcomes-based commissioning, and driving value-based improvements.
Interviews will be held on 13 July 2026
Main duties of the job
CCABqualified post holder working with Deputy Directors across Finance and Commercial to support multidisciplinary teams, demonstrating strong leadership, cohesion and shared objectives.
Act as trusted deputy to the Executive Director of Finance and Commercial, representing the organisation internally and externally and leading in their absence. Contribute to priorities, partnerships, culture and strategy, offering insight and challenge beyond finance.
Build credibility with Board members, regulators, NHS partners and stakeholders, operating effectively in complex, collaborative systems. Develop strong relationships across NHS bodies, local government and partners to enable collective decisionmaking.
Translate NHS strategies, including the ICB strategy and 10Year Plan, into deliverable programmes that improve outcomes and sustainability, while maintaining robust financial control and governance.
Drive finance innovation through enhanced analytics, forecasting and reporting. Use complex data to inform strategy and communicate insights clearly, applying Population Health Management approaches to improve outcomes.
Lead complex programmes, business cases and transformation initiatives, ensuring effective planning, forecasting and financial processes, and strong relationships with Audit and Finance Committees and auditors.
Promote a sustainable, forwardlooking finance function and collaborative working across Finance, Estates and Contracting.
About us
NHS Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and funding of NHS services for around 1.9 million people across Essex. Our role as an ICB is to bring health and care services together, improve the health and wellbeing of our population and ensure equitable access to services and outcome for everyone. The organisations headquarters is Seax House, Chelmsford, and we operate a hybrid working model (2 office-based days) that includes working across Essex and from home. Essex ICB currently has offices in Brentwood, Harlow and Colchester, in addition to the Chelmsford HQ.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We know that different experiences, ideas and perspectives help create a stronger and more innovative organisation that delivers better outcomes for patients. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including people of all ages, disabilities, sex, gender identity or expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or personal circumstances. Our policies ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently throughout the recruitment process, including consideration of reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.
Please note that the organisation does not hold a sponsorship licence.
Job responsibilities
ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY
The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHS ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. The ICB oversees the commissioning of care for approximately 2 million people who live in Essex.
Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the evolving requirements of Integrated Care Boards in England, the Essex ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, reducing inequalities and supporting smarter, more sustainable resource allocation across the system.
The Director of Finance will be a key strategic leader within the Integrated Care Board and a trusted deputy to the Executive Director of Finance and Commercial.
This role goes beyond traditional financial stewardship. Alongside responsibility for high-quality financial reporting, statutory accounts, financial planning, governance and financial control, the postholder will play a central role in shaping organisational strategy, supporting system partnerships and enabling transformation across health and care.
Working as part of the wider senior leadership team across Finance, Estates and Contracting, the postholder will contribute to strategic decision-making across the organisation and wider system. The successful candidate will be expected to operate confidently in complex environments, build trusted relationships internally and externally, and help translate national policy and system ambition into practical delivery for the population of Essex.
The role requires an individual who combines strong technical credibility with strategic curiosity, political awareness, systems leadership and the ability to influence across organisational boundaries.
Leading across the whole span of finance, from strategic financial planning and productivity through to business partnering and statutory accounts delivery, the Director of Finance will provide visible leadership across the organisation and wider system. The postholder will be expected to support and deputise for the Executive Director of Finance and Commercial when required, representing the organisation internally and externally with credibility and professionalism.
As an organisational leader, the Director of Finance will contribute beyond professional boundaries, supporting collective leadership across Finance, Estates and Contracting and helping shape the future direction of the organisation.
The Director of Finance, Director of Commercial and Director of Estates will work collaboratively as an integrated senior leadership team, recognising the interdependencies between commissioning, commercial strategy, infrastructure, transformation and financial sustainability.
As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation, the postholder will support the Executive Director of Finance and Commercial and the Chief Executive in delivering the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-Year Plan:
* From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population-based approaches to commissioning.
* From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
* From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence-based improvement.
The postholder will work autonomously and will be responsible for helping shape and deliver the ICBs strategic objectives. This will include bringing partners together, influencing collective decision-making and supporting delivery across multiple complex programmes of work.
Success in this role will be demonstrated through the ability to combine operational excellence with strategic leadership; strengthening financial stewardship while helping the organisation and wider system navigate transformation, complexity and change.
Key Duties and Responsibilities can be found on the attached Job Description/Person Specification
Person Specification
Qualifications
* CCAB qualified accountant
* Educated to Masters level or equivalent senior leadership experience.
* Evidence of sustained continuing professional development.
Strategy and Analysis
* Understanding of Population Health Management approaches and strategic commissioning.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex information clearly for varied audiences.
* Experience contributing to organisational strategy beyond traditional finance responsibilities.
Governance and Assurance
* Previous experience of leading projects that require collective decision making and how to negotiate success in those situations
* A strong understanding of the role and importance of effective corporate governance, balancing the need to seek relevant board and executive support for decisions with the ability to work autonomously to drive delivery of decisions
People and Culture
* Experience developing and leading high-performing teams.
* Experience leading significant organisational change and transformation
* Experience building trusted relationships with regulators, providers and wider stakeholders.
Personal Attributes and Values
* High levels of integrity, professionalism and personal accountability.
* Strategic curiosity and a forward-thinking mindset.
* Ability to influence positively and constructively
Partnership and Communities
* Experience of working across organisational boundaries in the development and delivery of complex programmes
* Experience in working on programmes that require cross- organisational collaboration, and an understanding of the concept and aims of whole-system working
* Excellent influencing and negotiation skills, experience in successfully managing conflict, finding compromise and building consensus.
Experience
* Extensive senior leadership experience within a complex NHS or public sector environment
* Strong understanding of NHS financial frameworks, governance and statutory responsibilities
* Experience leading complex financial planning, reporting and recovery programmes.
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