Senior Management Accountant

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Communication and working relationships
  • The post holder will be required to meet regularly and liaise with Operational Managers, Associate Directors of Nursing and Professional Practice (ADNPPs), Ward Managers, Practice Managers and other senior budget holders on a routine basis or as required to advise on complex financial issues, identify possible corrective action on budgets in deficit and run rate increases, and will work with Finance Business Managers to provide analysis of multiple years/months run rates, and examine methods of maintaining a balanced financial position
  • The post holder will be required to provide financial support to the programmes on the production of Business Cases, requiring costing and income appraisal which will have multiple options and have Trust wide implications and impacts on other organisations within the Healthcare Community, ensuring all investments demonstrate a ROI (Return on Investment).
  • The post holder will be in regular contact with a range of stakeholders which may include, but not limited to;

Internal

External

Operational Managers, Practice Managers, ADNPPs, and other senior budget holders as required advise verbally and in writing to assist in the development and management of their areas of responsibility

Other NHS Organisations both locally to Torbay and nationally as required

NHP and EPR Programme colleagues advise verbally and in writing to assist in the continuing management of their areas of responsibility.

ICB and Regional office

Other Finance, Performance and Information staff

National New Hospitals Programme and Frontline Digitalisation Teams

Procurement Managers and staff

Other outside agencies including the external auditors

Other Trust staff to provide information

Other providers/suppliers as required

• Planning and organisation
  • The post holder will play a key role in the annual planning process and be responsible for the coordination of the re-costing of budgets and pay costing during the annual budget setting process. Agrees and sets budgets and savings plans with senior budget holders before the start of the financial year to contribute to the Trusts short and medium term financial strategy. Responsible for sending those budgets out to budget holders for review and then formal sign off. Updating the Agresso, and other financial systems to reflect planning adjustments where appropriate. Ensuring the database of senior budget holders is updated continually throughout the year ready for communications.
  • The post holder will play a key role in linking the Management Accounting Team with the Business Support Function, being the main feed-back for accounting changes, Programme knowledge, and service plans to enable an accurate monthly close down and forecast to be produced.
  • Undertake ad hoc tasks as necessary and provide cover within the section whilst enabling reporting deadlines to be met.

• Analytical and judgement
• The post holder will provide a comprehensive and high level senior finance support, including general financial advice and specific costing analysis, to the Finance Lead and Programme Directors. The role will involve highly complex analytical work to support the Finance Lead with national funding returns, Benchmarking, Business Cases, CIP (Cost Improvement Plans) and monthly I&E (Income and Expenditure) positions.
• The post holder will be required to gain an awareness of clinical processes and change within the Trust together with developing a detailed understanding of broader NHS framework and current national initiatives e.g. STP Sustainability and Transformation Plans across the Devon system.
• The post holder will be required to provide financial information to the Corporate Finance Team to support NHSI reporting analysis, strategic planning, agency analysis and forecasting.
• The post holder will be responsible for controlling and reporting the forecasted financial position for the programmes, for both internal and external stakeholders.

• Responsibility and accountability
  • The post holder will work autonomously to achieve agreed objectives using their own professional knowledge and experience within the professional regulatory and organisation framew This includes having a full awareness and operation of Trust and DHSC financial policies and procedures and accounting standards, following procedures when undertaking tasks and interpreting such standards and policies when necessary. The post holder will use their own professional knowledge and judgment to decide appropriate actions and responses, only referring to senior colleagues for any sensitive or ambiguous issues. They will use their knowledge and skills to advise other departments on policies that require financial authorisation, such as the VP (Vacancy Panel), to ensure the ECF (electronic control form) is fit for purpose for finance.

• Responsibility for patients and client care
  • The post hodler will have incidental contact with patients

• Policy and service responsibility
  • The post holder will propose and implement changes to working practices and procedures, policy or service changes which have an impact on own and other areas organisation wi For example any Trust documentation that comes through finance for formal review.
  • The post holder will be required to undertake service efficiency reviews and provide complex financial data using both financial and non-financial data and report on recommended actions, to the Business Support team. The post holder will deputise for the Finance Lead where necessary and assist in identifying inefficient, uneconomic and ineffective use of resources through the process of bench marking and cost analysis, thereby ensuring the most effective use of public sector funding.
  • The post holder will need to ensure that the financial implications of service change, benefits identification and cost pressures are fully costed and will be required to play a key role in assisting Senior Budget Holders in prioritising these initiatives in line with key local and national target

• Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources
  • Liaise with procurement and payments departments as appropriate around inappropriate discretionary spend, authorisation of new products for the catalogue, miscoding of supplies and services. Lead on the analysis of procurements codes and mapping into the general ledger and redesigning of internal management accounting reporting to ensure reports are fit for purpose, including mapping to occupational codes and Unit4 web reporting requirements of budget holders.

• Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management
  • The post holder will undertake all tasks relating to that of a line manager such as appraisals, sickness management, mandatory training reviews and other HR policies as required.

• Information technology and administrative duties
  • The post holder will be required to be able to use the general ledger budget system (currently Unit4) and associated reporting tools, such as Prevero, Excelerator and any others designed to a high standard, thereby ensuring that best accounting practices are followed and maximum information is available to the Trust. Including the Trusts Unit4 Web reporting tool used by Budget Holders and other Finance system feeder files.

• Responsibility for research and development
  • Support Internal Audit and External Audit with analysis and testing.

Person Specification

Essential

Essential

• Specialist, in depth understanding of accounting processes and procedures.
• Specialist knowledge over a range of areas and understanding of the principles of accountancy via qualification or practical experience. oGood organisation
• Good organisation skills and an ability to work under pressure to achieve tight deadlines while maintaining a high quality of work.
• Experience of working autonomously to apply specialist knowledge to the interpretation of Trust policy, DHSC policy, standards and targets as well as Accounting Standards and Codes of practice.

Desirable

• NHS management accounting experience
• Experience of supporting creation of business cases
• Ability to manage and re-prioritise a demanding workload as required

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

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Regent House

Regent Close

Torquay

TQ2 7AN

Employer's website

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