Finance Business Partner

Job responsibilities

Financial ManagementLead on the provision of financial advice and support to the Division/Department.Ensure that all financial opportunities are identified, quantified and communicated across the Trust.Develop and implement improved financial controls to ensure financial targets are met within the Division.Responsible for ensuring the provision of a divisional reporting pack to Divisional Boards and performance review meetings ensuring key financial issues are highlighted and clearly articulated.Interpret and understand in year complex financial data so as to identify trends and areas of concern.Work with senior managers within the Division to define their financial reporting requirements and work with other colleagues to deliver appropriate solutions to those requirements.Provide briefing papers for senior managers on specific issues.Lead monthly budget review meetings within the Division and follow up all actions arising from those reviews exercising judgement on relative priorities.Develop financial plans from complex data that may not be complete and requires interpretation and high level of analytical skills to translate into meaningful information.Undertake the financial appraisals required for business cases in line with Trust Standards and advise General Managers and Senior Managers accordingly.Provide expert financial advice in all redesign work streams within the Division.Assist in the production and management of service line reporting within the Division.Design and deliver appropriate financial management training to the Division.Cultivate a customer focused culture within the financial management team.Undertake regular customer satisfaction surveys among the budget holders within the Division, analyse the results, propose and deliver appropriate action.

Financial GovernancePlan, implement, monitor and review the development of financial systems used for financial management ensuring they deliver value for money, efficiency and quality.Ensure internal audit reports are responded to in a timely manner.Promote all matters of corporate governance (including development and improvement of arrangements) throughout the Trust.Ensure the Directorates policies, procedures and Trusts Standing Financial Instructions are strictly adhered to.Contribute to the development of systems, control processes and risk management that ensure full compliance with internal and external governance and best practice requirements relating to contracting, commissioning, financial projects and costing processes.

Policy & Service DevelopmentResponsible for developing and maintaining policies and procedures associated with Financial Management.Maintain a good knowledge of emerging policies from the Department of Health.Interpret national standards and guidance and prepare briefing notes as required.Research and identify relevant best practices. Assist in the implementation of best practice.

Information ManagementProvide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, including presenting information about service integration and dependencies involving a wide range of stakeholders in formal settings.Manage the archiving, storage and retrieval of financial information in line with statutory requirements and Trust policies.Provide ongoing enhancements to current management information and reporting to enhance decision making.Professional Leadership & Management ResponsibilitiesResponsible for prioritising own work and support the head of Financial Reporting, Analysis and Planning in managing that of members of staff designated to report to that post. This would include: contributing to appraisals; training and development; disciplinary matters; recruitment and selection decisions; personal and career development and workload allocations.To provide timely expert support, advice and leadership to business groups and departments on matters and proposals relating to financial management.Responsible for ensuring that all Trust Senior Managers with financial responsibilities are guided and supported at all times, when carrying out their financial responsibilities.Lead on education and learning where required, which equips managerial and clinical managers with the necessary knowledge to develop and deliver appropriate service plans.Work with the Associate Director of Finance to agree Personal Objectives, and a Personal Development Plan and keep up to date professionally through mandatory continuing professional development.Work with the Associate Director of Finance to develop the Finance departments effectiveness in contributing to outstanding standards and performance in the Trusts overall management.To be aware of, comment on and actively participate in changes on policies, procedures or service developments.To embrace and support line management and the department in making service improvements effective within the workplace.Support new or less experienced work colleagues to adapt to the workplace.

COMMUNICATIONS & RELATIONSHIPSThe post holder needs to exercise exceptional communication skills with a wide variety of people and organisations e.g. Trust Board, Senior Clinicians, Service Managers, Cost Centre Managers, Finance, , Public Health, Commissioning organisations.The contribution which both the contracting and performance management functions should make to the Trusts service development and financial strength require the post holder to have exceptional communication skills and to be able to present health related and financial data in such a way that it can be understood by an audience who would have difficulty in understanding technical jargon

OTHERThis is a very senior position with responsibility for both strategic and operational functions. The post holder operates with a considerable degree of autonomy and decision making capability within the strategic direction set by the Board e.g. in contractual negotiations.

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB/CIMA Qualified
• Evidence of Continued Professional Development

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience working in at a senior level in a large complex organisation including working with non-finance colleagues in clinical and corporate disciplinese
• Minimum of 3 years financial management experience including budgetary control, financial planning and forecasting in the NHS or an equivalent large and complex organisation
• Performance management experience
• Staff management experience at a senior level
• Successful track record of working in high performing multi-disciplinary teams delivering challenging targets and achieving results
• Substantial experience of working autonomously and independently
• Experience in interpreting national guidance and implementing locally
• Experience of assisting an organisation in delivering cost improvement programmes

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent IT skills including the use of complex spreadsheets, databases and financial planning tools
• Able to analyse highly complex issues involving material drawn from various sources, including financial and non-financial data
• Understanding of all Trust standing orders, standing financial instructions, scheme of delegation and financial procedures
• Outstanding communication skills with ability to communicate with staff at all levels in the organisation including verbal, written and via the use of high level presentation tools
• Ability to relate and work effectively with all levels of staff (finance and non-finance) and establish a network of contacts inside and outside the Trust
• Ability to manage own workload and make informed decisions and judgements on the basis of experience and such facts as are available, working tight and often changing deadlines
• Ability to challenge colleagues and senior staff to contribute to the setting of priorities
• Ability to draft concise reports and present clear verbal briefings on complex financial and non-financial data and issues
• Knowledge of statutory accounts procedures and guidelines
• Time management skills including the ability to balance divisional and finance priorities working within a matrix structure
• Detailed understanding of healthcare processes including clinical, HR, estates, R&D and key national healthcare issues

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Focused
• No problem working under pressure
• Organised
• Relationship builder and approachable
• Able to manage conflict in an open manner
• Sociable and outgoing

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).