Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Finance Business Partnering and Reporting

·     Direct, lead and motivate all staff within the RD&I Finance Business Partner Team to assist in ensuring a high standard of   

professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of an improved culture of financial control across the organisation to ensure that the activities are fully aligned to the business of the Trust.

·       Develop financial plan and set budget for annual RD&I income and expenditure in collaboration with the lead RD&I Manager and RD&I Director.

·       Generate financial reports on all research activities, including project level identification and tracking of R&D costs, Service Support Costs and Excess treatment Costs.

·       Advise Chief Investigators / Principal Investigators on complex issues related to research funding, grant applications and to support funding applications to major RD&I funders, such as Medical research Council (MRC), European Social Research Council (ESRC)

·       Identify cost savings to departments resulting from RD&I activities and develop strategies for maintaining identified cost improvement RD&I initiatives.

·       Develop sound costing methodologies for identifying all service support implications and excess treatment costs associated with highly complex clinical trials protocols and other research studies, ensuring the RD&I budget is balanced to meet all costs for the duration of all new, ongoing and completing RD&I programs.

·       Work in partnership with Chief Investigators and wider research teams in the application for Excess Treatment Costs to Welsh Government (WG).

·       Act as the lead financial reviewer in the on-going Research Approval Process. This will involve receipt and analysis of highly complex research information that requires the analysis and interpretation of a range of options in order to ensure positive outcomes and organizational objectives.

·       Support the Deputy Head of Business Partnering in overseeing reporting, forecasting and contractual management for the RD&I service.

·       Provide financial support and advice for Business Cases that are required to be undertaken both internally and for external organisations.

·       Assist the Deputy Head of Finance Business Partnering in financial modelling and forecasting information to inform budget plans for Velindre Cancer Services.

·       Provide financial and system training both to Budget Holders and to those designated by Budget Holders, as required.

Financial Management and Control

·       Be responsible for ensuring all RD&I activities across the Trust are managed within the RD&I budget and do not impinge on other departments budgets.

·       Lead the management of RD&I finance agenda that requires the interpretation of a broad range of organisational and national policies, advising how these should be implemented.

·       Lead the development and implementation of robust RD&I financial reporting systems in accordance with Velindre University NHS Trust’s Standing Orders (SO’s) and Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs).

·       Oversee the production of directorate budget reports from the ledger whilst maintaining adherence to the Trust’s monthly reporting timetable. This will include investigation of complex variances from plan and advice on corrective action required.

·       Develop and implement a robust finance policy and procedure for RD&I that impact on multi health care professionals across the Trust, ensuring compliance with financial governance, research governance and WG Policy.

·       Undertake required maintenance to expenditure, income and budgets within the financial ledger. Review and reconcile control schedules detailing all RD&I budgets, ensuring good audit trails in accordance with Operational Financial Control Procedures.

·       Support the Deputy Head of Business Partnering with the development and modernisation of all aspects of financial management and budgetary control, including its operation and influence throughout the Trusts financial systems.

·       Lead a team that will maintain and improve financial control across the organisation. This will include mentoring, resource planning, standard setting, performance management, team and individual development.

Contracting and Financial Analysis

·       Negotiate, draft and recommend agreements with external organisations, including price, balancing financial and academic interests with acceptable financial and legal risks to the Trust.

·       Analyse and interpret complex contract terms and conditions, advising on their impact and associated risk and liability to staff at all levels.

·       Work closely with research staff, ensuring that project proposals do not prejudice later negotiations stages relating to price, intellectual property or other contractual matters.

·       Preparing and keeping under review standard contracts and associated legal documents for all aspects of research and development activities, including commercialization.

·       Evaluate and negotiate ownership of and access to intellectual property and developing appropriate exploitation strategies.

·       Prepare and keep under review standard contracts and associated legal documents for all aspects of research and development activities, including commercialization.

·       Assess potential conflicts of interest between the objectives of the researcher in undertaking the contracted activity, the policies/regulations of the trust and the business/financial objectives of the external organization.

Communication

·       Present highly complex budgetary information to all members of the Team, with designated Budget Holders and colleagues from Trust departments.

·       Communicate high level reports and discuss solutions to complex situations which is likely to involve negotiation / persuasion on contentious financial issues, whilst also dealing with highly sensitive information.

·       Regularly liaise with major pharmaceutical companies and other external agencies to negotiate and agree appropriate budgets for commercial clinical trials, ensuring agreed payment for clinical trial activity is actively reimbursed to all relevant departments, via timely invoices to sponsor company.

·       Attends and proactively participates in Finance meetings at all levels of the organisation as required, providing budgetary and financial information and support as appropriate (for example, monthly budget meetings).

·       Deputises for the Deputy Head of Business Partnering in their absence at the Senior Management Team meetings, Finance & Workforce Meetings & Senior Finance Forums and present financial reports, as necessary.

Other General Duties & Responsibilities

·       Ensure that the filing and retention/storage of work-related records is undertaken regularly and in an organized and clearly identifiable manner, having regard to the requirements of the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.

·       Maintain awareness of relevant legislation. Government initiatives and regional NHS/Industry interactions commensurate with the responsibility of the job.

·       Ensure the Trust’s aims and objectives are clearly communicated to all staff.

·       Plan and prioritises own work; ensure effective support to all areas and delivery of key objectives.

·       Ensure all staff are motivated to deliver high quality services to agreed objectives and are fully engaged in proactive personal development in order to reach their potential.

·       Carry out any other work deemed appropriate as directed by the Deputy Head of Finance Business Partnering.

·       The post holder has a personal common law duty of confidentiality to service users (even after they have left the Trust) for all records created, maintained, used or handled as part of their work within the Trust.

·       This job description is intended as a general guidance to the duties and responsibilities of the post and is therefore not exhaustive. It will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and in consultation with the post holder.

We are also interviewing for a similar role in our Corporate Services team.

If you wish to apply for both roles then please state that within the supporting information section of your application.  Those who state this within their applications, if meeting the shortlisting criteria for both, will attend one interview but be considered for both.

Should you wish to find out more about the role or have any queries, please contact Amie Garwood – Pask (Deputy Head of Finance Business Partnering) [email protected].