Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Location: Northumberland and North Tyneside, North East England
Remuneration: £15,518 per annum
An opportunity to influence the future of healthcare across Northumberland and North Tyneside
Castle Peak Group is delighted to be supporting Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust with the appointment of a Non-Executive Director who will also Chair its Finance, Investment & Performance Committee.
This is an important Board level appointment, offering an experienced financial and commercial leader the opportunity to contribute to the strategic direction, financial sustainability and long term success of one of the North East’s largest healthcare organisations.
Providing hospital, community and specialist services to more than 550,000 people across Northumberland and North Tyneside, Northumbria Healthcare operates within a complex and evolving healthcare environment. With approximately two million patient interactions annually, a diverse portfolio of services and three wholly owned subsidiaries, the Trust requires strong governance, effective financial stewardship and sound strategic decision making.
We are seeking an accomplished, commercially astute and strategically minded individual who can bring independent judgement, financial expertise and constructive challenge to the Board.
Importantly, previous NHS experience is not essential. We are particularly interested in hearing from senior leaders who have developed their careers within commercial businesses, financial services, investment, professional services, consultancy or other complex organisations.
The opportunity
As a member of the Trust’s unitary Board, you will share collective responsibility for its strategic direction, organisational performance, governance and long term sustainability.
Alongside your wider responsibilities as a Non-Executive Director, you will Chair the Finance, Investment & Performance Committee, providing independent oversight and assurance across the Trust’s financial strategy, investment decisions, operational performance and effective use of resources.
You will work closely with the Chair, Chief Executive, Executive Directors and fellow Non-Executive Directors, bringing the independence, experience and judgement necessary to support informed decision making and hold the Executive team to account.
This is a role requiring more than financial technical expertise. It demands an individual who understands how financial performance, investment, organisational culture and strategic priorities connect to the delivery of safe, effective and high quality healthcare.
Key responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include:
- Strategic leadership: Contributing to the development and oversight of the Trust’s strategy, ensuring that priorities are financially sustainable, deliverable and aligned with the needs of patients and communities.
- Financial oversight: Chairing the Finance, Investment & Performance Committee, providing scrutiny of financial performance, financial planning, resource allocation and long term sustainability.
- Investment and commercial judgement: Evaluating significant investment proposals, business cases and commercial decisions, ensuring appropriate consideration of risk, return, affordability and organisational benefit.
- Performance and accountability: Holding Executive Directors to account for the delivery of agreed financial, operational and strategic objectives.
- Governance and assurance: Supporting effective corporate governance, risk management, internal controls and robust assurance arrangements.
- Constructive challenge: Bringing independent thought, sound judgement and appropriate challenge to Board discussions and decision making.
- Quality and patient outcomes: Ensuring that financial and operational decisions support the Trust’s commitment to safe, high quality and effective services.
- Partnership and collaboration: Supporting the Trust’s relationships with system partners, stakeholders and its Council of Governors.
You will also contribute to wider Board responsibilities, including organisational culture, workforce, transformation, service improvement and executive succession planning.
The person we are seeking
We are looking for an established senior leader with significant financial expertise, strong commercial awareness and the credibility to operate effectively at Board level.
A recognised professional accountancy qualification, or equivalent as set out in the person specification, is essential, alongside substantial experience of financial leadership, oversight and scrutiny.
Candidates are likely to have developed their experience in one or more of the following environments:
- Senior financial leadership, including Finance Director or Chief Financial Officer positions.
- Financial services, banking, investment or corporate finance.
- Commercial businesses and complex corporate organisations.
- Professional services, accountancy, audit or financial consultancy.
- Investment management, corporate development or strategic advisory.
- Large, regulated or complex public sector organisations.
We are particularly interested in individuals who can demonstrate:
- Significant and successful Board level or senior executive leadership experience.
- Strong financial literacy, commercial acumen and the ability to interpret complex financial and performance information.
- Experience of scrutinising investment decisions, financial strategy, risk and organisational performance.
- A sound understanding of corporate governance, assurance and accountability.
- The ability to challenge senior executives constructively while building positive and collaborative relationships.
- Strategic thinking and an appreciation of the wider organisational and external environment.
- Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Independence of judgement, integrity and a strong commitment to public service.
Previous experience as a Non-Executive Director or Committee Chair would be advantageous, as would experience of organisational transformation, business improvement or operating within highly regulated environments.
We welcome applications from individuals without a background in healthcare. The ability to transfer commercial and financial expertise into a complex public service environment is particularly important to this appointment.
Why this appointment matters
The NHS is operating within a period of considerable financial, operational and structural change. The need to balance financial sustainability, service quality, investment priorities and increasing demand has never been more important.
For Northumbria Healthcare, this appointment represents an opportunity to strengthen the breadth of financial and commercial expertise around its Board table.
The successful candidate will play an important role in ensuring that financial decisions are robust, investment is appropriately scrutinised and organisational performance is considered within the wider context of delivering better outcomes for patients and communities.
This is an opportunity to apply significant professional experience in an environment where sound governance, strategic judgement and financial leadership can make a meaningful difference.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is committed to building a Board that reflects the diversity of the communities it serves.
The Trust recognises that diversity of background, professional experience, thought and perspective strengthens governance, improves decision making and supports better organisational outcomes.
Applications are actively encouraged from individuals of all backgrounds, particularly those whose experiences and perspectives may be underrepresented within NHS Board leadership.
Castle Peak Group is committed to delivering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, ensuring that candidates are assessed fairly on their experience, capabilities and potential contribution.
How to apply
Closing Date: Friday 6th November 2026
Interview Date: Wednesday 9th December 2026
Castle Peak Group is managing this appointment on behalf of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
For an initial confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact James Carss, CEO, Castle Peak Group at james.carss@castlepeak-group.com
To apply, candidates should submit:
- An up-to-date CV.
- A covering letter outlining their suitability for the appointment, with reference to the role requirements and person specification.
Shortlisted candidates will be expected to complete a psychometric profiling exercise in advance of interview and deliver a short presentation as part of the interview process.
This is an opportunity to contribute to the leadership of a major NHS Foundation Trust, bringing independent financial expertise, commercial perspective and sound governance to decisions that affect the lives of more than half a million people.