Head of Costing

Oxford, Oxfordshire
NHS
Overview

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Head of Costing. Closing date: 24 September 2025.

Are you a skilled financial professional with a passion for costing and reporting? Do you have experience in a large organisation, preferably within the NHS, and are looking to make a significant impact? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

The OUH are looking to recruit an experienced Costing Accountant to lead the Costing Team. If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding role, apply now and become a vital part of our finance team. Together, we can continue to make a difference in the healthcare sector!

Main duties

Main Purpose of the post:

1. To lead and manage the work of the costing team in meeting the challenge of the NHS England (NHSE) ‘Future of Costing’ requirements, the Lord Carter Review (Model Hospital and GIRFT), and all other costing developments as they evolve/are introduced.
2. To lead the embedding of the monthly Service Line Reporting (SLR) and internal trading.
3. To lead and manage the preparation of timely and accurate statutory and non-statutory returns for both internal and external stakeholders.
4. To oversee the annual National Cost Collection and Education & Training returns to national deadlines.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals – the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view OUH At a Glance by OUHospitals – Issuu

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

Job responsibilities

1. To proactively take the technical lead in developing and implementing the Trusts response to the NHSE Future of Costing developments, the Lord Carter Review, and all other costing developments, as they evolve/are introduced.
2. To proactively lead the development and embedding of monthly SLR and internal trading in the organisation to support the Trusts on-going strategic agenda. Having embedded SLR and internal trading to ensure that remains fit for purpose on an on-going basis through continuous development and refinement by working closely with both senior finance and senior non-finance staff.
3. To lead the development of the Patient Level Costing model (PLICS) as a source of detailed financial information that is one of the key tools to underpin the future strategic direction of the Trust.
4. To lead the participation and analysis of cost benchmarking data for the Trust to identify areas of potential savings that will help to underpin the Trusts CIP programme utilising all available tools, including but not limited to the NHSE PLICs Portal, and National Cost Collection cost index.
5. To be an expert resource within the Trust for all issues pertaining to NHS Costing guidance.
6. Read and absorb complex technical guidance relating to all NHS Costing Guidance. Utilise expert knowledge to evaluate the guidance, making independent judgements, often with no precedent, on the interpretation and application of national guidance and the subsequent impact on the Trust.
7. Have a thorough understanding of the current and future direction of NHS Costing policy. Ensure implementation of new guidance as and when it is released, and keep the head of Finance Contracts, Costing & Income and other key players informed of any changes that will impact on financial and operational performance.
8. Provide audience appropriate briefings on the guidance to directors, clinical and divisional staff, contracting and finance colleagues.
9. Provide expert costing guidance and support to the clinical divisions.
10. To oversee the delivery of the annual National Cost Collection return and the Education & Training return when required by NHSE.
11. To represent the Finance Directorate on the Trusts Data Quality Group to drive improvements in the recording of patient data in the trusts EPR and other electronic systems.
12. To carry out staff recruitment, appraisals and set objectives for staff within the Costing team, playing a key role in helping to identify the training and developmental needs of staff within the team, and how these can be satisfied.
13. To present financial training sessions for individuals and groups of finance and non-finance staff to embed the costing agenda within the organisation.
14. To work cooperatively and collaboratively with senior staff across the organisation.

Person specification Qualifications

• Fully Qualified Accountant (CCAB or other equivalent)

Experience / Skills

• Over ten years’ experience working in a finance department of a large organisation, preferably within the NHS.
• Expert knowledge of the guidance that underpins NHS costing, national cost collection costs and education & training costs.
• Expert knowledge of the NHSE ‘Future of Costing’ Programme, including an understanding of the impact of the introduction of the NHS Federated Data Platform
• Expert knowledge of the HFMA Costing Standards.
• Advanced computer literacy skills, including QlikView, PowerBI and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present complex information to non-financial managers
• SQL script writing & Oracle financials use
• Working knowledge of NHSPS tariff

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum / pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working

Reference number

321-CORP B8b-PUB

Job locations

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust