Senior Management Accountant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The primary purpose of the Senior Management Accountant is to provide management and financial information and support to their assigned Directorates and ensure that their financial requirements are understood and delivered by themself and/or by other members of the financial management team.

The Senior Management Accountant is responsible for the delivery of all aspects of operational financial management within a Directorate area, providing advice, information, analysis and interpretation to Directors and budget holders to underpin effective decision making and meaningful performance management . They will be accountable for delivery of finance reporting for the Directorate, maintaining financial controls to support governance and providing financial support to budget setting, cost improvement and productivity schemes.

The main purposes of the role are

Ensuring the effective provision of a comprehensive management accounting service.

To prepare annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, including supporting scenarios and Commentary

To coordinate and produce accurate and timely in month forecasting.

To investigate and challenge variances against budget and forecast, providing analysis and commentary where appropriate.

Undertake regular meetings with budget holders (without supervision) to review accounts and support their understanding of the financial position

Key Responsibilities:

1) Finance & Business Planning

Produce summary financial plans for services ensuring they reflect their strategic objectives.

Identify financial risks and produce a downside financial plan and help to identify mitigations.

To lead the annual and periodic detailed budget setting processes in conjunction with budget holders and the senior management team, endeavouring to ensure that resultant targets (both financial and non-financial) are realistic and are fully understood by budget holders. To ensure that budgets are congruent with Trust targets and activity plans.

To provide financial input, where required into the preparation of Directorate or Trust wide business cases, working with both financial and operational managers.

2) Reporting

Produce accurate and timely monthly finance reports to ensure the veracity of information and highlight and substantiate key issues meeting the monthly reporting deadlines.

Monitor the performance of those budgets and analyse key variances timely, proposing remedial action as required.

To produce accurate financial forecasts. The forecasts plans should highlight potential opportunities and risks.

Assist/complete financial returns and questionnaires as required.

3) Productivity & Efficiency

Assist the Directorate with planning and reporting of the Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) for the Directorate.

To further develop cost awareness, identifying and quantifying key cost drivers and being able to model the implications of changes in activity on these.

4) Engagement

Promote a modern and collaborative approach to engaging clinicians in financial management.

To work positively and professionally with other members of the Finance Department to ensure that the financial requirements of the Directorates are understood and delivered.

Work with the whole finance team to deliver standardisation of all areas of process and development.

5) Other

To act at all times as a representative for the Finance Directorate ensuring that the professional reputation of the Directorate is upheld.

Ad-hoc duties as required - there will be a number of non-routine tasks to be undertaken on an ad-hoc basis in order to assist the Finance Business Partners or Deputy Director of Finance.

Personal Specification:

Each requirement will either be identified through the candidates application form (A) or interview (I). Candidates should not be hired unless they have ALL essential requirements. Areas that can be developed through L&D can be deemed desirable.

Essential Requirements

A/I

Desirable Requirements

A/I

CCAB finalist or equivalent experience

A

CCAB Qualified

A

Understanding of the key

operational and financial challenges facing the NHS

I

Mental Health NHS Trusts in

particular

I

Minimum of 3 years experience working in a large organisation providing management accounts support.

I

In an NHS setting.

Able to analyse, compare and interpret

highly complex financial and performance

data using skills, knowledge and

judgement

I

Proficient in Microsoft office packages

including Excel and the ability to

manipulate and interrogate large

databases / datasets

A

Able to assess workload and manage

resources to meet overlapping targets and objectives.

I

Excellent communication skills (written

and verbal) and ability to express highly

complex, sensitive or contentious issues

clearly, including strong abilities in being

able to influence, persuade and negotiate

at senior management level.

I

Excellent presentation and negotiation

skills

I

Experience of investigation and analysis

into financial issues including evidence of

detailed and precise report writing skills

A

Able to work autonomously with the skills

to make complex decisions independently

I

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB finalist or equivalent experience

Desirable

• CCAB qualified

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 3 years experience working in a large organsiation providing management accounts support
• Experience of investigation, analysis and interpretation of large amounts of financial data

Desirable

• 3 years management accountant experience in an NHS setting

Skills

Essential

• indepth working knowledge and experience of systems, excel, budgeting systems, financial ledger systems, reporting software
• able to assess workload and manage resources to meet overlapping targets and objectives
• excellent communication skills, written and verbal

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Jeanette Wallace House

1 Edridge Road

Croydon

CR0 1FE

Employer's website

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