Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional:

1.      To act as Lead Finance specialist for a range research and innovation services

2.      To deputise for the Head of Finance on all aspects of the Division’s financial reporting including attendance of Divisional meetings as required.

3.      To develop and maintain an in-depth specialist knowledge of the Trust’s accounting processes and procedures and the system relating to budgetary control and business planning

4.      To have an expert understanding of national accounting standards and an awareness of NHS Finance Initiatives

5.      To develop a close understanding of the Directorate and to adopt a pro-active approach to problem solving and anticipating and evaluating financial risks.  Build strong working relations with business managers and clinicians in each SDU/Dept.

6.      To operate an effective budgetary control system for all relevant directorate budgets, to provide budget holders with accurate and reliable feed back on their financial performance to support the delivery of a balanced budget position at the end of each financial year.

7.      To analyse financial performance each month, investigating the underlying causes and highlighting key issues for discussion and action. To use variance analysis on the monthly financial statements to understand and explain the key variances.

8.      To ensure the accurate and timely reporting of financial performance to appropriate levels of management

9.      To regularly provide presentations to Financial Budget review meetings, Directorate Meetings, SDU meetings. Delivering formal, highly complex and perhaps highly sensitive financial and to large groups of stakeholders

10.   To ensure that management are aware of key issues and risks relating to the performance of the Directorate

11.   To ensure the General Ledger and the Budget Manager database reflect current establishments and are reconciled to financial budgets at current pay and price levels

12.   To review and approve the preparation of routine budgeting and financial journals, including accruals, invoice requests and other accounting transactions in accordance with Trust policy and procedures

13.   To ensure Directorate month end debtors and creditors control accounts are reconcile accurately

14.   To ensure that the budget holders distribution and authorised signatory list and cost centre lists for each Trust Directorate are accurately maintained

15.   To advise Managers and Budget holders on a range of complex and routine financial and governance issues, communicating the information in lay terms and providing guidance to inform management decisions

16.   To liaise with the Chief Contracts Manager and projects team to support the collection and collation of the Directorate information required for reference costing.

17.   To liaise with the Chief Contracts Manager and SLA team and support the calculation of Healthcare SLA  Tariffs and other charges for the respective Directorates and advise budget holders on all SLA Tariff issues

18.   To liaise with the Contracts Manager and projects team to support the collection and collation of the Directorate information required for reference costing

19.   To engage in negotiations with external organisations on finance issues affecting the Directorate.

20.   To liaise with the Financial Controller and provide support to ensure that the Capital Register accurately records details of all Directorate Capital Assets and advise budget holders on the revenue implications and funding requirements of capital acquisitions

21.   To provide financial support for the preparation of Directorate business cases

22.   To analyse and appraise business case options and evaluate the financial risks

23.   To prepare cost-benefit analyses to evaluate the performance of the options against both financial and non-financial objectives in business cases

24.   To evaluate the revenue consequences and capital implications of business cases

25.   To prepare adhoc costings on all Directorate developments and cost reduction programmes to support management decision making

26.   To plan the annual budget setting exercise for one or more directorate budgets

27.   To identify and agree with management budget setting objectives, processes and timetables to ensure delivery of balanced Directorate budgets

28.   To provide guidance to relevant managers on all budget setting objectives, issues and processes

29.   To collate and review budgeting information and prepare draft annual budgets for approval by Directorate management

30.   To ensure sign-off of agreed budgets by the relevant General Manager and appropriate dissemination of budget information to budget holders

31.   To ensure appropriate records of all budgetary changes are maintained

32.   To ensure that departmental storage and retrieval systems are maintained

Management:

33.   To manage own day to day workload and the work of junior staff to achieve agreed annual objectives working within broad professional policies without reference to the Chief Management Accountant

34.   To provide financial induction training for Budget Holders

35.   To provide induction training to junior Finance staff and supervise their day to day activities.

36.   To supervise junior finance staff, review performance against agreed criteria and standards, and develop the competence of staff to meet current and future demands.

37.   To ensure that Junior members of staff within the Management Accounts section are given appropriate training and assistance to be able to satisfactorily fulfil their professional training requirements.

38.   To provide personal mentoring to a number of junior staff across the finance department in relation to work, training and any personal issues affecting their performance at work.

39.   To promote appropriate external financial qualifications in line with the Finance Department’s training policy.

40.   To participate in the Directorate Finance Manager meetings

41.   To act as a member of the St George's Healthcare Senior Finance Forum.

42.   To assist with the development and maintenance of Management Accounting practices and procedures in response to changes in national accounting standards and Trust policy

43.   To contribute to the development of improved methods of accounting, budgeting and financial appraisal and optimise the use of financial systems across the Directorate

44.   To implement and participate as appropriate in the further developments associated with the current NHS reform programme.

45.   To assist in audits and the development of new management accounting systems for improved accuracy and efficiency

46.   To assist in the testing of new accounting developments.

47.   To assist in the development and maintenance of internal policies, practices and procedures as appropriate.