Director of Finance and Commercial DevelopmentNHS

Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional Director of Finance & Commercial Development to join our senior leadership team. Building on 12 years of success, you will strengthen financial resilience, develop strategic partnerships and create sustainable opportunities to extend our reach.

As one of four senior leaders, you will provide strategic leadership across finance and commercial development. You will work closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees and EOLP Ambassadors, and lead a small team responsible for finance, contracts, communications and marketing.

This is more than a finance role. You will help shape EOLPs future while ensuring growth remains aligned with our mission and values. You will translate strategy into sustainable growth, stronger partnerships and sound organisational decisions, helping more people and communities provide confident care for those affected by palliative illness, end of life and bereavement.

We are seeking a commercially astute, values-driven leader who identifies opportunities, builds trusted relationships and turns strategy into measurable outcomes.

You will bring a professional accountancy qualification or equivalent senior-level expertise. You will have significant experience in financial leadership, planning, governance and organisational sustainability and a track record in business development, commercial growth and partnership working.

Please read the Job Description and Person Specification before applying.

Main duties of the job

The Director of Finance & Commercial Development provides strategic leadership for The End of Life Partnerships (EOLP) financial resilience, commercial strategy, and business planning, whilst sharing joint executive-level responsibility for governance and income generation. The postholder will combine commercial insight and entrepreneurial thinking with strong, values-led governance to assess, develop and deliver sustainable business opportunities.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees and Leadership Management Team (LMT), the postholder will provide expert financial, commercial and strategic advice to support informed decision-making, organisational performance and delivery of EOLP's mission and objectives.

The postholder will be expected to maintain appropriate professional competence and continuing professional development relevant to the financial and commercial accountabilities of the role.

Job description

Please refer to the full Job Description.

Strategic Leadership & Corporate Planning

• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of EOLP's finance and business strategy.
• Provide expert advice to the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees and LMT on financial, commercial and organisational matters.
• Ensure robust financial governance, compliance and effective stewardship of resources.
• Lead the development of the financial components of business cases, investment proposals, funding applications and growth opportunities.
• Support organisational decision-making through financial, performance and strategic analysis.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for innovation, service development and organisational growth.
• Support the delivery of the organisation's strategy and mission to improve end of life care through education, collaboration and innovation.

The postholder will work with a high degree of autonomy, operating within broad organisational objectives, governance frameworks and professional standards. They will be expected to interpret financial, organisational and strategic information, make recommendations to senior leaders and trustees, and exercise professional judgement in highly complex situations involving competing priorities, financial risk and organisational growth.

Finance, Governance & Performance

• Lead all aspects of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Ensure effective financial governance, risk management, internal controls and statutory compliance.
• Lead the preparation of statutory accounts, audit processes and regulatory returns, obtaining appropriate specialist or professional advice where required.
• Develop, implement and review financial, governance and organisational policies and procedures.
• Lead financial and commercial performance management, contributing financial, operational and impact insight to wider organisational reporting.
• Monitor organisational risks and provide assurance to the Audit and Assurance Committee, the Board and LMT regarding financial sustainability and business growth.
• Act as EOLP's senior expert on procurement and commercial governance, ensuring compliant, proportionateand value for money decision making.

Leadership & People Management

• Provide effective leadership and line management of designated staff and teams.
• Lead team recruitment, appraisal, supervision, performance management and professional development processes.
• Build organisational capability through team coaching, mentoring and workforce development.
• Foster a positive, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture.
• Support, develop and train managers in good financial stewardship
• Ensure staff are supported to deliver organisational objectives and maintain high standards of performance.

Commercial Strategy, Business Development & Partnerships

• Develop and take responsibility for the implementation of EOLP's commercial and business development strategy, aligned with its mission, strategic priorities and values, translating this into a prioritised growth, partnership and income pipeline with clear measures of success.
• Work with the CEO, LMT and Trustees to build and maintain a sustainable pipeline of income, contract and partnership opportunities, diversifying funding streams and converting viable opportunities into organisational value.
• Lead commercial appraisal and due diligence for business cases, bids, tenders, investment proposals and new service models, including financial modelling, benefits, value for money and return on investment.
• Co-lead, alongside the CEO and LMT, the negotiation, implementation and lifecycle management of contracts, grants, service level agreements, memoranda of understanding, licences, joint ventures and other partnership arrangements.
• Establish proportionate commercial governance, ensuring obligations, rights, intellectual property, approvals, documentation and contract changes are understood, recorded and managed in accordance with legal, regulatory and charity requirements.
• Identify, assess and report commercial, contractual, financial and reputational risks. Recommend mitigations and escalate material issues or disputes appropriately.
• Oversee strategic procurement and supplier management, ensuring compliant processes, effective competition where appropriate, value for money, service performance and continuity of supply.
• Monitor commercial performance against agreed income, margin, milestone, service and benefit measures, taking corrective action where delivery is off track.
• Work with the CEO and LMT to develop and maintain strategic relationships with commissioners, hospices, NHS organisations, education providers, charities, commercial partners and suppliers, representing EOLP locally, regionally and nationally.
• Maintain effective relationships with legal, audit and other professional advisers and obtain specialist advice where required.
• Promote commercial awareness and capability across EOLP, enabling managers to make sound, customer focused and values led commercial decisions.

Responsibility for Resources

Financial Resources

• Overall responsibility for financial planning, budget development, monitoring and reporting.
• Budget holder with delegated authority for organisational expenditure.
• Joint responsibility for ensuring effective stewardship of organisational resources and long-term financial sustainability.
• Accountability for commercial income, contract performance and the financial appraisal of business development opportunities.

Human Resources

• Support workforce development and succession planning.
• Develop staff capability and organisational effectiveness.

Information Resources

• Responsibility for the procurement, development, and effective use of financial, customer relationship management, pipeline, performance and management information systems.
• Produce and present complex financial and commercial information clearly to non specialist audiences and to support the CEO, LMT and Board with strategic decision making.
• Ensure accuracy, security and integrity of organisational information.
• Maintain accurate commercial and contractual records, including obligations, approvals, performance measures, risks and key review dates.

About us

At the End of Life Partnership, we believe everyone should experience compassionate and personalised end of life care and be able to spend their final days in a place where they feel safe, comfortable and at home. Our mission is to help make that happen. We do this by supporting professionals, working in partnership, and collaborating with communities to improve care.

We deliver award-winning, innovative and engaging education that builds the confidence and skills needed to care for people nearing the end of life, whether in a hospice, hospital, care home or their own home.

Working alongsidepartners, communities and people with lived experience, we co-produce learning, resources and opportunities that help people feel more informed, connected and able to have important conversations about ageing, death and dying.

We also bring organisations together, providing leadership, insight and collaboration to improve consistency and quality across health and care systems.

Together, this helps create a more confident workforce, and informed and empowered public and stronger, more connected services.