Senior Finance Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

While responsible to the Income Accountant the post holder works under minimum supervision, and is responsible for ensuring that a range of deadlines are met within the section.

This post requires a high level of initiative in dealing with queries from Managers, Clinicians, other staff within the Trust and Commissioners. Decisions on day to day operational issues can be made and in the case of complex issues, with reference to the Income Accountant.

It would be expected that a member of staff in this post would to a large extent manage and prioritise their own workload and that of support staff, to ensure predetermined deadlines are met in a timely manner.

This post requires excellent communication and working relationships within the Finance Department, the Trust and externally. In particular the post has to deal with a high volume of queries from the Commissioners.

It is expected that the post holder would communicate complex financial matters to non-financial staff such as Clinicians, Clinical Managers and administrators.

Assist in the provision of reference cost and financial flows information, undertaking complex costing and analytical work, and providing interpretation and review of outcomes.

The post holder is responsible for at least one other member of staff and there will be responsibility to train new staff in what is quite a technically demanding role.

The nature of the position requires that the post plays an important role in the financial reporting of the Trust. High levels of IT skills are essential to deal with the wide range of systems used within the department.

It is expected that the post holder would be actively pursuing a recognised professional qualification, or possess the equivalent experience.

The nature of the post requires a high level of VDU usage. In addition, the monthly reporting cycle requires a high level of input for approximately 2 weeks out of every month, this can be extremely demanding at times.

To take responsibility for the maintenance and development of spreadsheets, delegating routine tasks to the Assistant Accountant, and reporting issues to the Income Accountant.

To ensure income and activity is recorded accurately. To discuss routine and more complex queries with internal managers and external bodies where necessary.

To provide support and advice to the Assistant Accountant in dealing with queries. Financial information and reports are produced in a timely and accurate manner.

Queries are dealt with in a timely and professional manner

To take responsibility for analysing income and activity, identifying variances, investigating where necessary and providing high level reporting to the Income Accountant for review.

High quality information is provided to Income Accountants for review.

To oversee the completion & reconciliation of control accounts in conjunction with the assistant accountant on a monthly basis and maintain appropriate documentation on file.

All control accounts are fully reconciled and signed off in line with the agreed timetable for completion.

To ensure that budgets are reconciled on a monthly basis, and maintain appropriate documentation on file.

Budgets are fully reconciled and signed off in line with the agreed timetable for completion.

To develop a detailed understanding of the recharging of passthrough drugs and devices to the commissioners and the reporting of the income and reconciliation to expenditure.

To ensure that recharges are processed accurately in accordance with the monthly timetable, covering recharges within the Trust and recharges to external bodies.

To ensure that a thorough understanding of the basis of recharging is developed, to enable clear and appropriate advice and support to be given within the Trust and to external bodies.

To complete all necessary work in respect of recharging passthrough drugs and devices in line with the agreed timetable, to respond to all queries effectively

To raise ad hoc requests for invoices to be raised and to ensure the income is recorded in an accurate and timely manner. Invoices are raised within the agreed timetable

To provide high level support in the annual budget setting process. Developing an awareness of Directorates pressures and development needs and linking these to key targets and initiatives.

To develop an understanding of Payment by Results methodology and the associated code of conduct producing financial information relating to it. To make significant contributions to the process in support of the Income Accountant To produce the budget statements in Excel format from the General Ledger system on a monthly basis, ensuring that all data is reconciled and updated prior to being sent to the Head of Finance. Statements are produced to a high level of quality in terms of presentation, within agreed timescales.

Developing a thorough understanding of guidance provided by the Department of Health, and applying to relevant areas as required. Develop a thorough understanding of the mechanics involved in undertaking work, to develop an understanding of the guidance and be able to advise as necessary.

Contribute to the smooth and efficient functioning of the finance function by performing ad hoc duties as and when required especially to ensure the fulfilment of any statutory financial information requirements.

To be responsive and flexible when required. Assist the Income Accountant where necessary in the provision of information and costs relating to specialist contracts. Developing an understanding of the relevant service areas, and linking the commissioning arrangements with the process of setting and maintaining budgets.

Develop sufficient knowledge and be able to clearly link budgetary and commissioning arrangements. Take responsibility for calculating and monitoring income of projects, reporting to the Income Accountant

Develop sufficient knowledge and provide support when required. Support the training process when required, both in terms of finance and non-finance staff.

Favourable feedback where training is undertaken.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualifications required: Degree or equivalent
• Actively studying towards a recognized professional qualification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within an income and contracting environment
• Experience of working with financial ledger systems

Knowledge

Essential

• A good understanding of the NHS finance regime

Skills

Essential

• Possess a high degree of numeracy and accuracy and the ability to work with spreadsheets to provide high quality financial information
• Possess high level IT skills having successfully completed the ECDL or equivalent

Personal Attributes

Essential

• To be able to work as part of a team and work on their own and have the flexibility to undertake new tasks in accordance with the priorities of Income
• Ability to organize their own work and demonstrates initiative required to ensure that all tasks are completed
• Possess good communication skills in order to work effectively

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Aintree Hospital

Aintree House, Longmoor Lane

Fazakerley

L9 7AL

Employer's website

https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)