Job responsibilities
Reporting to
the Head of Income & Contracts, the post holder will lead on key elements
of the Trusts income and contracting strategy, taking responsibility for
financially material and highly complex aspects of contract negotiations with
commissioners and SLA partners. They will ensure robust mechanisms are in place
to identify, assess, and manage both financial risk and opportunity across a
range of contracts.
The post holder
will provide expert and detailed technical knowledge of the NHS Payment System.
They will analyse and interpret large volumes of complex data, making informed
judgements and recommendations that support the Trusts financial objectives. They
will communicate these insights clearly and persuasively to both finance and
non-finance professionals, ensuring that complex, sensitive, and contentious
information is conveyed appropriately to a range of stakeholders.
The post holder
will operate with a high degree of autonomy, guided by interpretation and
detailed understanding of organisational and national policy, and will be
expected to demonstrate advanced analytical, judgement, and communication
skills in all aspects of their work.
The role will
involve working collaboratively with operational colleagues and service leads
to optimise contract specifications, minimise liabilities, and maximise income
and quality. The post holder will champion robust contract monitoring and
governance, developing guidance for clinicians and service leads. They will
liaise with Business Intelligence and Costing teams to ensure data quality and
accurate financial modelling, reporting and forecasting, and will monitor
national policy changes while actively networking with NHS colleagues to
develop and share best practice.
Contract Management & Negotiation
Work collaboratively with the Head of Income & Contracts, alongside
operational and financial colleagues at varying levels, to lead the drafting,
negotiation, and management of service level agreements and NHS contracts with
external parties.
While the contractual terms themselves may vary in complexity, the
financial modelling and regulatory frameworks underpinning these agreements are
often highly intricate and involve substantial monetary values. The postholder
will be expected to negotiate with senior stakeholdersboth internal and
externalto ensure agreements align with national policy and Trust priorities,
and to manage these through appropriate governance and contract recording
processes, whilst safeguarding the strategic and financial interests of the
Trust.
Maintain a comprehensive awareness of national, regional and local
health economy guidance and priorities with respect to performance issues and
objectives.
Provide expert technical interpretation of the highly complex NHS
payment system and contracting guidance to identify areas of risk and
opportunity within the Trusts current income position, ensuring the Trust is
positioned to respond effectively to current and emerging requirements.
Use advanced analytical tools to interpret complex financial and
activity data, assessing current income position and proposed contract offers to commissioners.
Identify trends, variances, and gaps to make informed recommendations that
mitigate risk and maximise income opportunities, ensuring all proposals align
with nationally-prescribed parameters.
Provide senior finance, operational, and clinical colleagues with
expert, solution-focused advice on achieving contractual incentives and
avoiding penalties. Ensure recommendations support improved patient safety,
service quality, and third-party performance, while maximising value through
effective contract management.
Deliver income and contract briefingswritten, verbal, or via
presentationsto financial, operational, and clinical teams to support
awareness and decision making. Clearly communicate complex and overlapping
contract and payment system principles, including associated risks and
financial impacts, to non-financial and executive audiences
Collaborate with service leads to champion strong contract governance
and monitoring - essential for securing Trust income, enhancing service
delivery, and optimising performance. Design and deliver targeted guidance and
training for clinicians and operational colleagues, equipping them with the
knowledge to effectively oversee, execute, and enforce contractual duties and
remedies
Provide expert business advice to senior management on the potential
risks and rewards in the contracts being negotiated and associated financial
and non-financial implications.
Navigate large volumes of highly complex data across a range of key
contracting issues and provide appropriate recommendations, recognising that
precedent may not exist in relation to evolving national guidance, and that
interpretating of guidance may differ amongst internal and external stakeholders.
Identify and understand the Trust policies that apply to a contract,
advise operational colleagues how they apply to the running of that contract
and make recommendations accordingly.
Ensure data quality concerns raised by Commissioners are addressed by
the Trust and help to identify and disseminate best practice in data quality
across the team and the organisation.
Liaise with the Business Intelligence team to ensure the Trust is
recording activity in line with National Payment System guidance and that the
financial implications of current and forecast activity trends are understood.
Investigate and advise on highly complex and sensitive issues relating
to contract performance and provide strategic financial and business planning
advice in this area.
Strategic / Financial Planning
Play a key role in delivering the requirements of the annual planning
and contracting cycles, contributing to the formulation of medium and long-term
financial strategy and associated plans with regard to income and contracting.
Prepare and review operational plans to deliver income targets, adapting
proactively to changes in guidance, contracts, and commissioning intentions.
Ensure the Trusts income and contracting assumptions are robust,
aligned with the Trust strategic objectives, and reflective of current and
long-term NHS guidance.
Deliver recommendations to senior leadership where the Trust income and
contracting assumptions and wider Trust / National objectives may not be
aligned, sensitively navigating differing or contentious opinions where
applicable.
Provide financial expertise and support for the implementation of
complex changes in service models, including the redesign of patient pathways,
ensuring alignment with evolving regional and national guidance and Trust strategy.
Collaborate with clinical and operational teams to assess the financial
impact of service model changes and advise on optimal approaches.
Provide Senior support and guidance in the production of business
cases. Develop system and modelling
tools for use in advising operational managers and clinicians.
Present risk and financial analysis to support business decision making
in business cases where no precedent or incomplete information exists. To be able to think indepently, understand
the decisions needed and then present advice and recommendations on complex
healthcare issues.
Policy Development & Implementation
Develop, document, and implement policies within the finance department
and for divisions, ensuring compliance with Trust and NHSE standards.
Lead the development of procedures, system documentation and controls within
the commissioning function, and provide appropriate system development
environments, standards and controls.
Additional Duties
Maintain awareness of best practice and developments in relevant areas.
To ensure that the Trusts standing financial instructions and codes of
procedures are adhered to at all times.
To utilise at a sufficiently advanced level all the relevant software
required to successfully undertake this role, including Microsoft Office, with
particular excellence in excel and ability to work with Big Data. Experience in
SQL and Business Intelligence reporting would be an advantage.
To assist generally in the financial management of the Trust.
Provide functional leadership to staff involved in income and
contracting activities, setting direction, allocating work, and ensuring
delivery of objectives, even though these staff may not report directly from a
line management perspective.
Contribute to the training and development of colleagues within the
Income & Contracting team and the wider department, particularly those in
earlier career stages or working at lower bands, by sharing expertise, offering
guidance on financial and contractual matters, and supporting skills growth
through informal mentoring and knowledge transfer.
To take a lead role in the completion of routine and ad hoc returns
which are required internally and externally, by the commissioners, NHS
Improvement / England and the Department of Health.
To represent the Head of Income & Contracts in various internal and
external meetings as and when required.
Any other duties as required.
