Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Finance Team Leadership and Communication

To provide leadership and direction to the Financial Accounting, Capital Accounting, Treasury Management and Finance System functions, having responsibility for all staffing issues including recruitment, appraisals, training and development, professional development and discipline.  Advising, supporting and developing staff to ensure that they are proficient in undertaking their duties.

To plan, direct, organise and review the workload priorities of the Financial Accounting, Capital Accounting, Treasury Management and Finance System functions, ensuring that timetables are set, all necessary procedure notes are produced and circulated and required training given.

To provide leadership and direction to the “One NHS Finance” Accreditation Programme promoting and championing their use across the functions and wider directorate. 

To work with the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Financial Officer and other senior managers to ensure that the desired culture and ways of working are fostered throughout the department, in particular a culture of openness and involvement of staff.

To deal with complaints, FOI requests or other issues as required, ensuring a thorough investigation of events, a full and fair response, corrective action where appropriate and compliance with statutory or policy timescales.

Provides and receives highly complex, sensitive and contentious information where agreement or co-operation is required from senior internal and external stakeholders. Presents complex, sensitive or contentious information to large groups.

The post holder will be required to communicate highly complex and multifaceted information to teams with varying degrees of understanding so should be able to adapt their communication style to match their audience. There may also be times when the information and way forward are internally and externally sensitive and/or contentious so the post holder should demonstrate tact, diplomacy and the ability to defend their argument succinctly and confidently.

Annual Accounts and Annual Report

To lead, plan and manage the production of the Trust’s annual accounts and year end closedown, including devising and agreeing timetables to meet local, national and audit deadlines.

Lead responsibility for production and presentation of the Annual Financial Accounts for the Trust, complying with all statutory and NHS England guidance. Responsible for ensuring that the statements and accounts provide a true and fair view of the Trust’s financial position. 

Trust liaison lead with external auditors, managing the day to day process and responsible for the resolution of any technical issues as they arise. Completion of the accounts and related reports within statutory deadlines and to a high standard.

To be responsible for leading the production of the Trust’s Annual Accounts and the Summarisation Schedules (TACs), supporting schedules and working papers, ensuring that they are of high quality and provide a clear audit trail to ensure that the Trust receives an unqualified audit opinion on its accounts.

Monitoring the actions resultant from the process and recommending/advising on corrective actions to be taken and future improvements to the process where necessary

Producing technical updates and holding workshops for staff and leading and advising staff throughout the finance function and external to finance of their roles and responsibilities in the closedown process.

To work with and advise the Board secretariat and Communications Department on the requirements for the Trust’s Annual Report and its content in line with latest Department of Health & Social Care guidance and other statutory requirements.

To be responsible for the financial content of the Trust’s Annual Report and provide quality review of the draft annual report in conjunction with the Communications Department and Board Secretariat.

Financial Reporting and Accounting

To act as lead on Financial Reporting for the Trust, both internally and externally, managing, advising and developing financial reporting to meet the requirements of key stakeholders and remaining compliant with ever- changing national, international and local requirements and regulations

Ensure the provision of an effective, accurate, timely and responsive financial accounting service across the Trust, throughout the year. Design, develop and communicate appropriate standards and timetables for finance staff to follow through the year so that full and accurate accounts can be produced each month.

Lead responsibility for managing the team in the processing and production of the month-end ledger, processing of all ledger feeder systems, operation of ledger closedown procedures, and monitoring the completion of all accruals and prepayments.

Lead a team of staff providing financial and system control. Set objectives and targets, monitor performance and take appropriate action. Identify and provide, or arrange for, appropriate training and professional development. Challenge poor performance and address issues in a timely way.

Produce and present reports to the Trust’s Audit Committee on all matters relating to financial control and standards. Ensure there is a robust process in place to support the Counter Fraud, Internal Audit and External Audit functions of the Trust, ensuring that action is taken in response to audit reports and that agreed recommendations are implemented and ensure progress is reported regularly to the Audit Committee and the Executive Management Team. Be accountable for the 
effective management of the internal audit function on behalf of the Trust and ensure effective working relationships with, and performance management of, the Trust’s appointed internal auditors.

To provide advice, guidance and where appropriate, written procedures, to colleagues on all aspects of financial accounting, capital accounting and reporting and treasury management. Act as the Trust expert and advisor on technical accounting and regulatory matters, including acting as the chief technical accounting manager. This will involve ensuring that colleagues across the Trust, up to and including Board directors, are fully briefed on their roles and responsibilities in respect of such matters.

To ensure that the Trust’s financial reports are consistent with, IFRS, NHSE requirements and DHSC regulations. Proactively advising senior colleagues, including the Trust Board and senior managers across the Trust, of any major changes in, IFRS, DH regulations or NHSE requirements and their potential impact upon the Trust

Provide specialist VAT advice to Trust officers and liaises with external advisors and with HMRC where required. Ensures that the Trust accounts for VAT transactions correctly and that claims are made in an accurate and timely manner.

Ensure the accuracy and completeness of the Trust’s Balance sheet, including the funding and application of reserves and provisions. Be proactive in identifying ways of using items in the balance sheet to improve the financial standing of the Trust while ensuring adherence to the appropriate accounting procedures.

Ensure that decisions taken by the Charitable Funds Committee are based on sound and complete advice of financial propriety, in accordance with charities legislation and Charity Commission requirements. Ensuring the production of the Charitable funds annual accounts and annual report 
are produced in a timely manner and in line with Charity Commission guidance.

Ensure the production of the monthly Board Papers and internal accounts, Annual Accounts and other year-end returns, giving advice and instruction to finance staff on appropriate procedures and timetables. Ensure that an unqualified audit opinion is given on the accounts to the Board.

Financial Planning and Forecasting

Take lead responsibility for the development of the Trust’s medium term financial plan (MTFP) and in particular take the lead role for the development of financial forecasts for capital expenditure, cash and balance sheet and development of scenario models.

Ensure that the MTFP meets the standards required for approval by the Trust Board and other stakeholders by the required deadlines.

Ensure there is realistic planning around likely resources and an appropriate assessment of risk including detailed reviews of business cases. Using analytical skills to enable confident challenge leading to agreement there are prudent reserves for inflation, workload variations and other risks.

Provide appropriate levels of constructive challenge to plans and assumptions ensuring they are robust.

Responsible for ensuring that the Trust’s cash balances are managed effectively and that the Trust manages cash balances on a daily basis and prepares annual cash flow forecasts. Ensures surplus cash balances are invested as appropriate, temporary borrowing is sought as required and that the Trust’s External Finance Limit is met. 

To be responsible for the completion of all balance sheet, capital and cash aspects of the NHSE annual planning return and for providing quality review of the overall return prior to sign off and submission.

Please see Job Description for full duties

Right to Work in the UK This position is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already hold the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application, as the organisation is unable to support sponsorship for this post.