Director of Operational Finance

Job responsibilities

Communication and working relationships

• Be able to communicate highly sensitive, complex and contentious information
• Work with internal colleagues and external stakeholders to ensure a high degree of correlation between SUS and SLAM systems, ensuring accurate data recording and the proper and timely submission of activity data
• Support the CFO in the development of a data quality strategy

Planning and organisation

• Advise the CFO on the formulation of financial strategy and continuously monitor it against performance
• Ensure there is realistic planning around likely resources and an appropriate assessment of risk including detailed reviews of business cases.
• Coordinate the preparation of the Trusts Annual Financial Plan and Revenue Budget and Capital Investment Programme
• Manage the highly complex task of ensuring capacity and workforce plans are triangulated into the revenue budgets of the Trust and that NHSEs detailed requirements as outlined in planning guidance are fully complied with
• Communicate planning information and assumptions to the Executive Directors and senior managers and, where necessary, make challenging recommendations in order to meet the Trusts financial targets.
• Maintain a sound system of working capital management and cashflow forecasting, identifying and reporting risks with a focus on solutions

Policy and service responsibility

• Develop a high-quality patient level costing function and service line reporting, ensuring that costing information is made available to operational managers and clinicians in a user-friendly way, and ensure they are engaged in its interpretation, development and use for planning and managing services and improving use of resources alongside model hospital and GIRFT data
• Ensure the maintenance of internal financial control and demonstrate an expert working knowledge of IFRS and emerging policy changes and ensure that senior staff are up to date with such, while providing specialist technical support to other finance staff
• Demonstrate an up-to-date knowledge of UK taxation relating to Health Organisations and be expected to provide technical support to directors, senior managers and finance staff on taxation issues as they affect employees of the Trust and on VAT
• Ensure that robust policies and procedures are in place for the effective stewardship of the Trusts assets and management of the Trusts Capital Investment Programme within the Trusts delegated limits
• Set and maintain effective credit control policies and ensure debtor levels and turnover do not exceed agreed limits
• Advise the CFO on procurement matters

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• Review and analyse highly complex business cases and recommend a course of action to the Trust Leadership Team. The review and analysis will include reference to VFM issues, Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions
• Ensure a high level of consistency and correlation between financial reporting and other data sources, including activity, performance and workforce
• Exercise your expert & professional judgement in the interpretation of the financial information and give advice to the Chief Finance Officer and Board committees based on that judgement
• Act as budget holder for the finance directorate including authorisation of expenditure and monitoring of budgets
• Ensure there are sufficient resources to finance the Capital Investment Programme, identify innovative sources of funding and, where necessary, apply for loan funding from the Department of Health, subject to the approval of the Trust Board
• Oversee the operation of bank accounts and the management of cash and investments (if relevant)

Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management

• Operate as a visible member of the Trusts senior leadership team, establishing a collaborative working network and contributing to the delivery of corporate strategy and organisational objectives
• Provide advice and support to the CFO and to all those carrying management responsibilities within the Trust. Ensure technical information is explained in a style appropriate for the user
• Deputise for the CFO and represent the Trust as required to all levels including national bodies
• Contribute to the business planning activities of the Trust and to the implementation of new initiatives
• Through your senior team and via delivery of hands-on training, provide support to all those with budgetary responsibility, to ensure that they can effectively exercise control
• Development and training of staff to facilitate the best possible care within available resources, embedding a culture of continuous improvement
• You should ensure that a programme of training and support for budget managers and clinicians in in place, to enable them to deliver their budgetary responsibilities

Information technology and administrative duties

• Prepare reports to the Board and Trusts managers to an agreed timetable on all key financial performance indicators, e.g. income and expenditure, activity, financial duties, balance sheet, capital, charitable funds, working capital and cash flow. Best professional practice should be used in presenting this information, making it clear, concise and action-oriented, supported by a suite of lead indicators to give confidence in financial forecasts
• Develop Trust financial monitoring and reporting systems. Through leadership of the procurement directorate, ensure the timely and effective roll-out of digital stock management systems (Genesis) and ensure that these are embedded within day-to-day financial and operational working practices
• Review and maintain SFIs and internal financial control procedures to ensure these operate as designed and provide appropriate levels of assurance on accuracy, completeness, timeliness and counter-fraud measures. In conjunction with Internal Audit, conduct reviews to ensure that the financial control environment is operating effectively
• Ensure that strategic financial risks and opportunities are identified and properly validated and responded to
• Ensure the CFO, CEO and Trust Leadership Team receive reports on the budgetary performance of the organisation. Such reports should give actual expenditure compared to income and also compared with budget to date and a forecast for the year based on budget managers projections. Express your judgement and interpretation of the figures providing advice to senior management on action being taken to resolve issues and whether any further action is needed

Responsibility and accountability

• Ensure that good financial discipline is embedded in budget holders ways of working
• Ensure statutory accounts and accounting returns are properly produced from accounting records in accordance with DH Government Accounting Manual and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in accordance with published timescales
• Work with the Trusts external auditors and to ensure clean audit opinions and the timely implementation of any audit recommendations
• Take responsibility for the provision of a strong financial accounting function to support the provision of accurate and timely financial information. Ensure financial accounting and financial services (Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Treasury) strongly support the provision of complete and accurate information
• Take responsibility for income and the income team across the Trust, including the responsibility for the development, implementation and maintenance of financial aspects of the Trusts income strategy and reporting, including ICB/specialised commissioning income, Research and Development and Education and Training
• Agree commissioning contracts and participate in the evaluation and preparation of bids for new tenders in line with the Trusts strategic objectives
• Be a leading member of the Trusts Capital Investment Group and be responsible for the preparation and delivery of the Trusts Capital Investment Programme and for ensuring that the plan reflects the level and type of investment needed in order to meet the Trusts strategic and operational objectives and balance clinical priorities and risks against service improvement / development
• Take responsibility for ensuring there is sufficient cash to meet the needs of the Trust whilst achieving, insofar as possible, Public Sector Payment Policy requirements
• Ensure adequate arrangements are in place to monitor value for money and track the achievement of procurement savings
• Participate in the Trusts negotiation of contracts and act as the liaison with the Trusts lawyers on such matters
• Ensure that standards of reporting, financial control and auditing apply to Charitable Funds as to the main functions of the organisation. These need to be applied in an effective and efficient manner in order to maximise the benefits to patients of the donations received
• Exercise a duty of care on behalf of the Trustees to ensure any expenditure falls within the terms of the trust deed and that the requirements of the law, of the Charity Commission and the HM Revenue and Customs are met

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Degree Level
• Expert Specialist knowledge of financial accounting procedures including current legislation and NHS accounting policies
• Professional CCAB or equivalent accountancy qualification
• Evidence of recent CPD including specialist training and experience relating to national accounting standards

Desirable

• Local Government finance experience
• Educated to Master's level

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence and demonstrable success of leading and facilitating significant change programmes within finance
• Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, information, and diverse interest groups
• Significant post qualification experience in a complex organisation
• Networking, being able to work within and outside the Trust with credibility in the STP and beyond
• Experience of liaising with internal and external auditors
• Previous experience of staff training and development and performance management
• Awareness - up to date with NHS and social care policy, national directives and all Governance aspects but with a specific emphasis on NHS finance
• Significant and demonstrable previous experience or demonstrable capability and capacity for leading and managing staff

Desirable

• Detailed understanding of integrated care and in particular the continuing healthcare and adult social care regimes
• Significant post qualification experience in an NHS organisation of comparable complexity
• Experience of the NHS planning process and Payment by Results
• Knowledge of Charity Finance
• Experience of working in a financial turnaround situation
• Experience of restructuring and outsourcing corporate support services

Specific Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal
• Track record of effectively communicating highly complex and sensitive information to large groups
• Ability to challenge and effectively manage and deal with highly contentious situations and issues
• Highly developed influencing skills - with senior health care professionals across the health and care community and externally
• Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective an innovative ways of working and partnerships
• Ability to interpret highly complex information e.g. business cases and take decisions regarding allocation of resources and risk
• Mentoring skills
• Proven ability to prioritise workload in a dynamic work environment and instruct and direct others which deliver positive outcomes
• Advocacy skills
• High level of work organisation, self motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude
• Proven ability to make significant contributions to long term organisational strategy

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).