Head of Finance Operations

Head of Finance Operations
National/Hybrid
£76,965 - £88,682 per annum + HCAS where applicable Job Summary

Are you looking to make a real impact in a life-changing, life-saving organisation through finance leadership? As Head of Finance Operations at NHSBT, you will be at the heart of a complex, mission-driven organisation, leading the financial operations that enable the safe, efficient flow of funds which support the delivery of blood, organs and tissues that save and improve lives every day.

This is a pivotal role overseeing NHSBT’s financial engine, ensuring the integrity, control and efficiency of high-value financial transactions. You will blend strategic oversight with deep systems and process expertise to shape robust, compliant and future-ready finance operations. Working closely with senior stakeholders across Finance, Commercial and Digital, you will drive continuous improvement, influence the design and implementation of new ERP solutions, and lead a skilled team to deliver trusted financial services that directly support NHSBT’s life‑saving mission.

Note:

This is a national role, requiring travel across England based on business needs. The role offers a hybrid working option. You will be assigned a base location, which could be one of the NHSBT main centres or blood centres. The exact location will be confirmed after the final interview and mutually agreed upon with the line manager during the verbal offer stage.

In this role as Head of Finance Operations, you will be responsible for ensuring strict control of the organisation’s bank account and receipting and payments processes.

Responsibilities include:

• Financial Transaction Leadership & Control:
  Own and ensure strict oversight of the organisation’s income (£650m) and expenditure (£300m), including cash management, receipting, payments, and the Purchase-to-Pay process, ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and compliance.
• Finance Systems & ERP Expertise – Serve as the operational subject matter expert for Oracle e‑Business Suite and all inward and outward‑bound financial transaction interfaces, including BACS and other bank payments and the implementation of a new ERP system, shaping business processes to support efficient financial transaction capture, reporting, and decision‑making.
• Governance & Compliance – Embed robust financial controls across transactional processes, ensuring adherence to Government Functional Standards, IFRS, HMRC regulations, audit recommendations, and finance systems best practice.
• Process Improvement & Stakeholder Collaboration – Partner with senior operational managers across Finance, Commercial, Digital (DDTS) and wider business to review, design, and continually improve end‑to‑end transactional processes, data quality, and reporting.
• Leadership & Reporting – Lead a team of 16 staff (including 4 direct reports), ensuring delivery of operational financial services and statutory outputs, including contributions to the Annual Report.

You will be required to travel and spend time away from base, which will involve working irregular hours and overnight stays when required, with prior notice.

• Knowledge and experience of transactional, operational and strategic financial management in a large multi‑disciplinary organisation.
• Significant line and team management experience.
• Significant experience of report writing, process documentation and business cases.
• Extensive experience of translating technical financial accounting requirements into transactional processes which can be used at scale and maintain financial controls, data integrity and audit trails, whilst maximising reporting and management information opportunities.
• Knowledge, understanding and practical experience of complex, cross‑discipline business process inter‑relationships, preferably across a manufacturing, warehousing and service supply chain.
• Knowledge of process improvement methodologies, business analysis techniques and related concepts, and demonstrable experience of delivering improvement.
• Extensive knowledge and experience of designing, implementing and managing best practice financial transaction…