Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Financial Services team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire as a Financial Accountant. This role has a portfolio responsible for the key operational workflows of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, plus responsibilities in the production of the Trust's Annual Accounts and Annual Report.
Reporting into the Associate Director of Finance - Corporate Services, the successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with excellent technical, management and communication skills, joining a team working on a number of key strategic financial projects for the Trust. Knowledge of NHS Finance is desirable but not essential.
**Please be advised that interviews for this role are scheduled for 27th October 2023 *
Main duties of the job
The postholder will be a self starter with an improvement mindset, who leading with their two direct reports, the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable managers will ensure workflow processes and controls are of the highest standard. Monitoring and improving Key Performance Indicators together, the team will ensure key Trust metrics such as the 'Better Payment Practice Code' are achieved to the best level possible.
With a strong attention to detail and excellent technical reporting skills, the postholder will assist in the production of the Annual Accounts with income of approximately £900million, as well as monthly monitoring returns and other reporting requirements. Taking responsibility for the Agreement of Balances exercise for the Trust, the postholder will be organised and competent in managing workloads to achieve reporting deadlines.
About us
We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.
Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.
We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence designated organisation - please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)
By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.
The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Accounts Payable
- Monitor, review, and report upon the Trusts aged payables position. Analyse monthly payables to understand performance and create and implement development plans alongside the Accounts Payable manager to improve the prompt payment of suppliers and compliance against the better payment practice code. Meet with key stakeholders and suppliers to resolve issues.
- Liaise with external parties contracted to review the Trusts Accounts Payable data, processes including Review of Duplicates, Supplier Statement Reconciliations, NPASS (Non-Pay Analysis and Savings Service ) and NFI Annual Exercise (National Fraud Initiative).
- Oversee the Accounts Payable teams timely reconciliation of Supplier statements, ensuring the best use of technology is engaged and utilised.
- Work with the Accounts Payable Manager, Systems Accountant, Head of Procurement, wider finance team and other key stakeholders, to ensure the Trust has first-class purchase to pay systems. To assist in design and lead the systems testing within AP modules during finance system upgrades and other relevant interfaces such as procurement systems.
Accounts Receivable
- Monitor, review, and report upon the Trusts aged receivables position. Develop and implement targets and action plans to address overdue debt and optimise the Trusts cashflow, meeting with key stakeholders and customers to resolve issues. Meet with key stakeholders detailing performance and action plans to improve the prompt collection of debts.
- Prepare and present debt write-off reports to the Trusts Audit and Risk Committee providing analysis and commentary as necessary. Ensure the accurate general ledger posting and subsequent annual accounts reporting of the Trusts debt write offs.
- Monitor the performance of the Trusts debt collection agents and lead on the process for appointment of agents.
- Ensure that overdue debts are appropriately escalated and where necessary that appropriate legal action is instigated. This may require attendance at court as necessary in order to pursue unpaid debts.
- Work with the Accounts Receivable Manager, Systems Accountant, Head of Overseas Income, wider finance team and other key stakeholders, to ensure the Trust has first-class, effective Accounts Receivable systems. To assist in design and lead the systems testing within AR modules during finance system upgrades and other relevant interfaces such as income team systems.
Annual Accounts
- Support in the departments completion of the Trusts annual accounts and monthly monitoring returns (and associated working papers) in accordance with the manual for accounts and other guidance, to ensure that the Trust meets its statutory reporting requirements. Ensure the Annual Accounts and Report are completed in accordance with prescribed timescales, working alongside other senior management. This will involve taking direct responsibility for completing delegated parts of the accounts/monitoring returns.
- Lead responsibility for the completion of agreement of balance exercises for receivables and payables and the preparation and presentation of reports to stakeholders, achieving accurate reporting within agreed deadlines. Develop plans with Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable managers and other key stakeholders to ensure AOB exercise is as efficient as possible.
- Lead responsibility for the Trusts credit loss provision calculation and reporting.
- Support the Associate Director of Finance with the financial inputs required to be provided to Corporate Affairs to deliver the Trusts Annual Report.
- Liaise with the Trusts internal and external auditors during their audits, ensuring that all audit queries are resolved speedily to allow the completion of the audit in an efficient manner and within the prescribed timescales.
Staffing
- Ensure all staff under the management of this role and oneself, have an annual appraisal and complete mandatory training in line with the Trusts policies.
- Developing the skills and competencies of staff and self through training and development activities, ensuring progress towards individual personal development plans is maintained, reviewed and updated.
- Ensure Health and Wellbeing conversations are held with staff at regular intervals.
Other Duties
- It is expected that the postholder will participate in the rotation of duties with the two other Financial Accountants for the purposes of personal development and to ensure appropriate cross cover arrangements are in place.
- Deputise as necessary for the Associate Director of Finance - Corporate Services and Chief Financial Accountant across a range of duties as required.
- Maintaining the membership requirements of your professional accountancy body, by ensuring subscriptions are up to date, annual CPD requirements are met and keeping up to date with any changes in accounting standards.
- Participate in the Finance on-call rota to ensure the provision of an out-of-hours service for the general office functions.
- As part of our commitment to patients and delivery of a world class service for all we have created the UHCW Improvement (UHCWi) System in partnership with the Virginia Mason Institute in Seattle; this involves a structured approach to removing waste and putting the patient first using a lean management system and methodologies. Our culture and ways of working reflect and embed the practices and methodologies of UHCWi. You are expected, where identified, to attend and complete relevant training and development opportunities to support this. This may include Lean for Leaders, Advanced Lean Training, and the Human Factors Programme, amongst others. Full attendance and completion of identified courses is considered essential and a pre requisite for this post.
For further details of the role please see the attached job description.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Accounts Payable
- Monitor, review, and report upon the Trusts aged payables position. Analyse monthly payables to understand performance and create and implement development plans alongside the Accounts Payable manager to improve the prompt payment of suppliers and compliance against the better payment practice code. Meet with key stakeholders and suppliers to resolve issues.
- Liaise with external parties contracted to review the Trusts Accounts Payable data, processes including Review of Duplicates, Supplier Statement Reconciliations, NPASS (Non-Pay Analysis and Savings Service ) and NFI Annual Exercise (National Fraud Initiative).
- Oversee the Accounts Payable teams timely reconciliation of Supplier statements, ensuring the best use of technology is engaged and utilised.
- Work with the Accounts Payable Manager, Systems Accountant, Head of Procurement, wider finance team and other key stakeholders, to ensure the Trust has first-class purchase to pay systems. To assist in design and lead the systems testing within AP modules during finance system upgrades and other relevant interfaces such as procurement systems.
Accounts Receivable
- Monitor, review, and report upon the Trusts aged receivables position. Develop and implement targets and action plans to address overdue debt and optimise the Trusts cashflow, meeting with key stakeholders and customers to resolve issues. Meet with key stakeholders detailing performance and action plans to improve the prompt collection of debts.
- Prepare and present debt write-off reports to the Trusts Audit and Risk Committee providing analysis and commentary as necessary. Ensure the accurate general ledger posting and subsequent annual accounts reporting of the Trusts debt write offs.
- Monitor the performance of the Trusts debt collection agents and lead on the process for appointment of agents.
- Ensure that overdue debts are appropriately escalated and where necessary that appropriate legal action is instigated. This may require attendance at court as necessary in order to pursue unpaid debts.
- Work with the Accounts Receivable Manager, Systems Accountant, Head of Overseas Income, wider finance team and other key stakeholders, to ensure the Trust has first-class, effective Accounts Receivable systems. To assist in design and lead the systems testing within AR modules during finance system upgrades and other relevant interfaces such as income team systems.
Annual Accounts
- Support in the departments completion of the Trusts annual accounts and monthly monitoring returns (and associated working papers) in accordance with the manual for accounts and other guidance, to ensure that the Trust meets its statutory reporting requirements. Ensure the Annual Accounts and Report are completed in accordance with prescribed timescales, working alongside other senior management. This will involve taking direct responsibility for completing delegated parts of the accounts/monitoring returns.
- Lead responsibility for the completion of agreement of balance exercises for receivables and payables and the preparation and presentation of reports to stakeholders, achieving accurate reporting within agreed deadlines. Develop plans with Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable managers and other key stakeholders to ensure AOB exercise is as efficient as possible.
- Lead responsibility for the Trusts credit loss provision calculation and reporting.
- Support the Associate Director of Finance with the financial inputs required to be provided to Corporate Affairs to deliver the Trusts Annual Report.
- Liaise with the Trusts internal and external auditors during their audits, ensuring that all audit queries are resolved speedily to allow the completion of the audit in an efficient manner and within the prescribed timescales.
Staffing
- Ensure all staff under the management of this role and oneself, have an annual appraisal and complete mandatory training in line with the Trusts policies.
- Developing the skills and competencies of staff and self through training and development activities, ensuring progress towards individual personal development plans is maintained, reviewed and updated.
- Ensure Health and Wellbeing conversations are held with staff at regular intervals.
Other Duties
- It is expected that the postholder will participate in the rotation of duties with the two other Financial Accountants for the purposes of personal development and to ensure appropriate cross cover arrangements are in place.
- Deputise as necessary for the Associate Director of Finance - Corporate Services and Chief Financial Accountant across a range of duties as required.
- Maintaining the membership requirements of your professional accountancy body, by ensuring subscriptions are up to date, annual CPD requirements are met and keeping up to date with any changes in accounting standards.
- Participate in the Finance on-call rota to ensure the provision of an out-of-hours service for the general office functions.
- As part of our commitment to patients and delivery of a world class service for all we have created the UHCW Improvement (UHCWi) System in partnership with the Virginia Mason Institute in Seattle; this involves a structured approach to removing waste and putting the patient first using a lean management system and methodologies. Our culture and ways of working reflect and embed the practices and methodologies of UHCWi. You are expected, where identified, to attend and complete relevant training and development opportunities to support this. This may include Lean for Leaders, Advanced Lean Training, and the Human Factors Programme, amongst others. Full attendance and completion of identified courses is considered essential and a pre requisite for this post.
For further details of the role please see the attached job description.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Experience
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
Desirable
Skills & Abilities
Essential
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Desirable
Experience
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge
Essential
Desirable
Skills & Abilities
Essential
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Address
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire
Clifford Bridge Road
Coventry
CV2 2DX
Employer's website
https://www.jobsatuhcw.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)
