Job summary

This post is responsible for co-ordinating the trust's service line planning, strategic planning and annual planning processes, for contributing to development, and supporting the Royal Free's relationship with North Central London Integrated Care System and NHS England. This job is above all one in which developing effective working relationships with others from a variety of disciplines internally (clinical, financial, workforce, information management, performance) and externally (such as regulators and external advisers) is the key requirement.

Note :

This vacancy has been advertised in accordance with the new NHS pay rate which will take effect from autumn 2024. Please note if your employment starts before the 24 / 25 pay scales are implemented you will be paid under the 23 / 24 pay scales and any backpay will be adjusted accordingly. Further information can be found at

Main duties of the job

• Leading the annual planning process
• Supporting Financial Improvement Planning
• Supporting strategic planning

About us

This role leads the Planning team within the Transformation & Improvement Directorate that is part of the Royal Free London's Group corporate services. The Directorate covers a range of change teams from strategy and planning to transformation and improvement.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. ANNUAL PLANNING

To be responsible for the production of the trusts annual plan, ensuring that North Central London Integrated Care System and NHS England guidance is followed, including the management through the Trust governance process

To manage the relationship with the Finance and People teams as well as other Corporate Departments to develop the specific annual planning requirements

To work with the Health Units to develop the individual Health Unit plans as well as as the overarching organisational plan

To provide the market intelligence and analysis function at corporate and service line levels, such as Model Hospital, developing it further so as to support the planning requirements of the organisation and to support benchmarking.

To undertake the annual process of corporate objective setting in the context of the boards strategy and governing objectives.

To work with the communications department in expressing the boards plans for internal and external communications.

Working especially with clinical directors and their teams to lead on service line planning for clinical services (and for some other entities) as prioritised by the trust executive, ensuring excellent co-ordination with related service and development programmes.

To contribute to external relationships, especially with other providers in service line planning and with the health economy in long range planning, including solely representing the trust at those external meetings.

To identify the need for and manage external advisers, including agreeing according to the trusts rules and guidelines their contracts and fees.

To set and control the budget for the planning department, and to be responsible for financial performance against targets

Direct line management, including responsibility for sickness, disciplinary, recruitment etc.

2. STRATEGIC PLANNING

To support the development of the internal business case process

To support the management of the internal business case process, including the Business Case Advisory Panel

Person Specification

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential

Experience

Essential

Desirable

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

Personal Qualities & attributes

Essential