Job responsibilities
Finance Systems and ledger maintenance
The Systems and Reporting Lead will be responsible for keeping up to date with system opportunities and networking with the wider NHS in order to ensure that the Trust is utilising the latest technology and optimising the resources and outputs from the department.
They are responsible for ensuring the General Ledger and associated financial systems are designed and developed in order to improve the level of service (quality, relevance, accuracy and timeliness of information) and increase efficiency to allow Financial Management to better support operational managers.
The post holder must ensure that all finance systems are effectively maintained and developed, through the efficient management, formulation and implementation of coherent system policies. They will maintain clear and understandable documentation regarding system design, set-up, configuration and access and to ensure that this is maintained and up to date on an ongoing basis.
They have overall responsibility for ledger maintenance and the finance master data spreadsheet, ensuring that Senior Management are able to review and analyse the full financial position on the premise that all coding and mapping is fully understood and correctly accounted for.
They will provide the first point of contact for all financial system users with technical and system problems.
They will deliver financial systems training to both finance and non-finance Managers across the Trust at all levels of seniority, ensuring it is fit for purpose and addresses the needs of the organisation.
The post-holder will periodically review departmental processes and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency from technology.
They will develop the departments intranet site, providing useful and easy to access information for service users, ensuring that all information is regularly reviewed and updated. They will liaise with financial management to understand feedback from service users to continuously improve the site to ensure that departmental reputation is improved and maintained.
They will be the department contact for our system provider, making sure that they are kept up to date with developments and working with the provider to ensure that we are utilising the system to its full potential.
Trust Financial Reporting
The Systems and Reporting Lead will be required to keep abreast of national and local policy developments. They will be required to interpret NHSE guidance on a monthly basis in order for the department to complete monthly statutory returns accurately and to deadline. The NHSE return is complex and requires input from a number of finance staff. The post-holder will be responsible for setting internal deadlines and reviewing all of the information entered to ensure that the correct financial position is conveyed in the return. They will arrange for review by the Senior Finance Team and present the current month return to that team, advising of any exceptional items and ensuring that the team are prepared and fully briefed of the key messages in the return. Excellent communication skills in presenting complex accounting issues will be required in order to gain approval from the Senior Finance Team to allow submission of the return to national monthly deadlines.
The Systems and Reporting Lead is responsible for the production of all internal reporting requirements to the Board and other Committees and Groups. They are responsible for developing and improving these reports and ensuring that the position of the Group is accurately and clearly conveyed via a professional and high standard reporting suite.
The post holder will be responsible for creating and circulating the departments annual reporting timetable, ensuring external deadlines are achievable and they will monitor compliance to this timetable.
They will have overall responsibility for completion of the NHSE final accounts return to deadline, ensuring that all information is accurate and that appropriate approval from section heads and the Senior Finance Team is provided in order to submit by deadline.
The post holder will be responsible for producing specific reports and working papers to satisfy both internal and external audit requests, ensuring that the intergrity and reputation of the Trust is upheld.
Business Planning and forecasting
The Systems and Reporting Lead is responsible for the production of the Trusts business planning return to external deadlines. The return is complex and requires input from a number of finance staff. The post-holder will work closely with the Head of Financial Management and the Income and Costing Lead to ensure that the return is accurate and correctly conveys the Trust position. They will be responsible for setting internal deadlines and reviewing all of the information entered to ensure that the correct financial position is conveyed in the return. They will arrange for review by the Senior Finance Team and present the return to that team, advising of any exceptional items and ensuring that the team are prepared and fully briefed of the key messages in the return. Excellent communication skills in presenting complex accounting issues will be required in order to gain approval from the Senior Finance Team to allow submission of the return to national deadline .
The post-holder will also be responsible for collating, reviewing and producing the monthly forecasting template for the Head of Financial Management to deadline to support year end planning and inform Senior Management of any risks in the financial position for the year.
Financial Governance
The Systems and Reporting Lead is responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of the authorised signatory list and users provided with approval access in our procurement application. They will ensure that these approvers are in line with Trust standing financial instructions in terms of areas and levels of approval, to support financial control and governance.
The post holder is also responsible for ensuring that finance user access to the ledger system is appropriate and provides sufficient segregation of duties to support financial control and governance.
They will have overall responsibility for ensuring the accuracy and timely input of the monthly payroll feeder file to allow Financial Management adequate time to review and complete the monthly closedown processes and procedures.
Other
The post holder will oversee the staff management of the systems admin support role. They will monitor and develop the post-holder through regular assessments and appraisals. Identifying any training needs and providing appropriate support to ensure a high quality service is provided to the Trust and deadlines are met. The post-holder is responsible for appraisal, discipline, training, delegation/line manament of the individual.
They will demonstrate commitment to IWL principles and flexible working patterns, to meet the needs of the service and staff.
They will tackle discrimination and harassment, and promote equality and diversity in the workplace.
They will reduce sickness absence; work place accidents; and promote zero tolerance on violence against staff.
They will take responsibility for personal development and education and the development of a Personal Development Plan.
- Control of Infection
Be aware of, and comply with, all Trust infection prevention and control policies, to include hand hygiene, personal hygiene, environmental and food hygiene. To undertake annual training/updates in infection prevention and control.
- Communication and Working Relationships
- Reports directly to the Head of Financial Services.
- Requirement to communicate with
- Internal finance team at all levels
- External organisations specifically NHSI and NEP
- Internal and External Auditors and Counter Fraud services;
- Service users accros the organisation at all levels
- The Trusts system providers
- Other Trusts and Foundation Trusts
- The most challenging part of the job
Developing technical expertise and providing advice at all levels of the organisation and externally, as the Trust Lead in systems and reporting.
Interpreting complex accountancy guidance to tight timescales and communicating this complex guidance to the Senior Finance team and other finance colleagues.
Continuous improvement of finance departmental processes and procedures, ensuring that technology is utilised in the most efficient and effective way.
Ability to work on own initiative and manage conflicting deadlines.
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
This post is deemed to require a Disclosure Check Standard Level with the DBS. Further information on the Disclosure Service is available from www.disclosure.gov.uk
This job description is intended as a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post and should not be regarded as a complete list of those required to be fulfilled under the written statement of the main terms and conditions of employment.
The contents may be amended from time to time subject to developing service needs although such amendment would occur following appropriate consultation with the post holder.
