Chief Management Accountant

Band 8C | £70,641- £80,554 per annum*

*Inclusive of London weighting

Job Purpose

As a key member of the Finance management team, take responsibility for:

Responsible for the operational management and development of the Financial Management Team. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the post will work closely with the wider senior finance and senior management teams and play a pivotal role in the leadership of the finance function.

Ensuring that business partnering is totally embedded in the team's culture as well as ensuring the team are technically excellent. have a can do attitude, can solve complex problems and challenges as well as work seamlessly with their managers taking joint ownership and personal responsibility for delivering results

Lead annual Budget Setting working closely with the Head of Business Planning and Head of Performance and Analytics to ensure the wider business objectives of the Trust are modelled and fully reflected accurately in the annual financial plan

Responsible for production of timely and accurate monthly financial management including forecasting information for Trust Board and Budget Holders and work with the Trust's Programme Management Office (ePMO) in the development and monitoring of Cost Improvement Plans.

Working with the Finance Business Partners this post will use high level technical, analytical presentational, interpersonal and negotiating skills to develop effective working relationships with a range of internal and external senior managers across the organisation, wider NHS and local government.

To deputise for the Financial Controller

Key Result Areas & Performance Indicators

Production of high quality, accurate monthly financial management reporting including forecasts within 7 workings.

Lead the development of effective business partnering across the organisation, supporting budget holders to deliver strategic objectives within available resources.

Production of annual financial plan for the organisation, working closely with the Head of Business planning and budget holders including triangulation of financial, resourcing, fleet and demand information.

Effectively identify, assess and support management of financial risks facing the organisation.

Working with the Chief Financial Accountant and wider Trust stakeholder to ensure accurate and timely production of Trusts statutory annual accounts and annual report.

Key Relationships

Chief Finance Officer

Financial Controller

Finance Business Partners

Directors and budget holders

internal and external Auditors

Local counter fraud specialist

NHS Improvement

HMRC, Commissioners

ELFT Shared Services, ELFT operational team, ELFT contract management team

Trust bankers

Insurance brokers

Senior staff in other NHS organisations

Professional advisors

Estate valuers

Financial Accounting (5 staff including 2 trainees)

All Finance staff

Key Responsibilities

Main tasks and responsibilties

To lead and manage the Financial Management team providing a wide range of financial information, analyses and business partnering support to the entire Trust as well as to the senior finance team.

To produce and manage the long term financial plan modelling for the Trust ensuring that income, expenditure, working capital and capital are at appropriate levels taking into account affordability and liquidity requirements such that the Trust operates within the expected tolerances.

To manage the internal financial management reporting service for the Trust ensuring that this is developed to meet the varying needs of Boards, Committees as well as budget holders.

To lead the finance department's responsibilities in respect of the CIP programme including identifying savings opportunities and ensuring a robust system is in place to measure the savings to be delivered and to monitor the ongoing delivery. To ensure mechanisms are in place to ensure the CIP delivery feeds to the trust bottom line and to highlight for the senior management team the level of financial recovery required, on an ongoing basis, for slippage or other costs increasing beyond planned levels.

Financial planning

To lead and manage the Financial Management team providing a wide range of financial and non-financial information, analyses and business partnering support to the entire Trust as well as to the senior finance team.

To manage the internal financial management reporting service for the Trust ensuring that this is developed to meet the varying needs of Boards, committees as well as budget holders. This role requires high level technical, analytical, presentation and negotiation skills including highly developed communication skills required to present complex, often contentious and sensitive information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including regulators, senior managers and executives as well as the wider non-financial colleaques.

To develop and maintain the reporting structures such that the management information required by the Trust can be extracted and used in a consistent manner for control, reporting and decision making.

To manage the external reporting required by the Trust in respect of financial management income, expenditure and cost improvement programmes (CIP).

To lead and manage the ongoing development of financial reporting tools for the Trust.

To work with the Head of Contracts, Commissioning and Income to support the development of the service line reporting tool, ensuring that it delivers information that enables the Trust to make informed decisions about the costs, income and contribution/profit of its services as well as informing future investment developments.

To lead the finance department's responsibilities in respect of the CIP programme development and implementation ensuring a robust system is in place to measure the savings to be delivered and to monitor the ongoing delivery. To ensure mechanisms are in place to ensure the CIP delivery feeds to the trust bottom line and to highlight for the senior management team the level of financial recovery required, on an ongoing basis, for slippage or other costs increasing beyond planned levels.

To coordinate, manage and develop highly complex forecasting tools and to interpret the information in a simplified format that ensures that all risks and opportunities are flagged to Executive, Board and Senior external stakeholders (including regulators) and to work on developing financial solutions with the senior management team as well as with units and departments.

To ensure all processes operate optimally and to develop solutions and improvements on an ongoing basis, providing advice to budget holders and Directors on the Interpretation and application of financial policies, procedures and accounting standards. This will require the post holder to effectively manage effective communication to ensure the rational for often complex interpretation is clearly communicated to ensure conflict is avoided.

Financial Planning, Monitoring and Risk Analysis

To produce, manage and maintain the long term (5 Years) financial plan modelling, working closely with budget holders across the Trust and ensuring that income, expenditure, working capital and capital are at appropriate levels taking into account affordability and liquidity requirements such that the Trust operates within the expected tolerances.

To manage and control the operational aspects of budget setting ensuring that the processes and rules, that exist, to ensure appropriate funding levels are adhered to, working with budget holders to identify, scope and communicate savings opportunities, assess demand forecasts and ensure Trust contracting, resourcing, performance and fleet requirements are all aligned and understood across the organisation.

To undertake any financial modelling for the organisation as required, working with non- financial managers to interpret and develop credible business cases for service developments and transformation.

To develop the short, medium and long term plans on a rolling basis. To develop mechanisms that forward look to identify and communicate risk (often highly complex issues) to the Trust in delivering its financial projections or liquidity requirements.

To work with the Financial Controller to develop financial recovery/liquidity recovery plans where necessary.

To ensure that all contingency plans remain valid and up to date and to work with the Financial Controller to further develop and refine options to mitigate risk.

To ensure all business case developments for both revenue and capital fit with the financial plans for the Trust and as such are affordable.

To assess all financial risks from revenue/capital investments and from ongoing operations. To provide regular assessments to the Financial Controller.

To manage reserves and contingencies in collaboration with the Financial Controller.

To ensure intelligence is in place to identify at the earliest point planned deviation from income and expenditure and to produce reports for the Financial Controller.

People and Managerial Functions

To build, lead, motivate and develop the Financial Management team including ensuring there is effective recruitment and selection of staff in line with Trust policies and the Manager's Code of Conduct. Responsible for managing Grievance, Disciplinary, attendance and other employee relations cases including redeployment and redundancy situation.

To ensure that all staff are appraised annually, have clear objectives which link to department and Trust objectives, and ensure all staff have appropriate departmental inductions. To ensure training and development needs are identified in line with organisational needs. Ensure all their staff have an annual PDP and undertake the relevant statutory mandatory training and appraisals

To ensure performance issues are dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner and follow the Trust's Disciplinary or Managing Performance Procedures where formal action is necessary.

To develop professional standards within the Financial Management team and actively seek and encourage feedback from users of financial services to enable continuous improvements plans to be implemented.

To observe and comply with the Trust's policies and procedures for Health and Safety ensuring the environment in which you and your staff work is safe, clean and tidy.

To comply with standard infection control precautions to prevent or minimise the spread of micro-organisms and communicable diseases to patients, staff and surrounding community.

To observe and continually promote equal opportunities in compliance with the Trust's policies on Equality and Diversity and Dignity at Work.

To ensure that all financial procedures comply with the 'Standing Financial Instructions', and raise awareness of the SFIs across the Trust.

To create a culture which ensures the benefits to patients are maximised through careful, economical and appropriate use of NHS resources including equipment, property, money and time.

As a member of the Finance Department management team, take collective responsibility for decisions made.

Research and Development Responsibilities

To lead on finance staff development ensuring that the department has appropriate training policies and practices in place. Regularly reviews policies and procedures and recommends and/or implements improvements to them.

To lead development and implementation of financial policies, procedures and processes to ensure they are compliant with current accounting practice and be responsible for the interpretation and application of appropriate accounting and forecasting techniques both within the finance department and across the wider organisation.

To lead the continuous improvement and effectiveness of accounting systems to support the changing needs of the Trust.

To demonstrate a commitment to Continuing Professional Development.

Financial and Physical Resources

Responsible for professional advice to Directors (Executive and Non-Executive), budget holder to set budgets. This budgetary responsibility relates to a total budget of £404m covering all Trust areas of revenue income and expenditure and £20.8m of annual capital expenditure.

Support the development of Financial Strategies to deliver service development and cost improvements. This requires the post holder to provide expert advice on how to identify opportunities and deliver change and improve services within the allocated budget and resource availability.

Support the delivery of operational performance targets.

Information Resources

Responsible for the integrity and quality of financial information which is recorded and reported on a variety of systems across the Trust and to the Trust Executive, Board and Regulators.

The post holder will be responsible for the development and design of information and reporting systems to meet the needs on individual customers and the business as a whole.

The post holder will undertake data analysis, reporting and integration of data before designing and developing options and solutions with stakeholders.

The role will require the post holder to use Excel, Access, the general ledger, financial forecasting system. In addition analysis, interpretation and reporting of Directorate specific information systems and external data and bench marking.

Other

To deputise for the Financial Controller as required.

To ensure Trust procedures and rules including SFls are complied with across the organisation.

To lead in the development of financial management procedures, processes and governance including SFls.

To work on any project work as required.

Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Financial Control

Responsible for the management of the contract with ELFT outsourced service for Finance and Accounting to ensure they are meeting their KPls and working in line with contractual terms. Ensure that the Trust takes a proactive role in the management of ELFT at all levels including representing the Trust at national forums, monthly meetings with ELFT account managers and ensuring effective regular conference calls are in place to manage day to day performance by ELFT often dealing with highly contentious or sensitive subject matter.

Responsible for ensuring key financial controls are in place for all processes with a financial impact in the Trust. This will include ensuring that all staff within finance and budget holders are properly trained and understand their role in relation to ELFT. Working closely with the Chief Financial Accountant, Head of Procurement and HR Business Partner to ensure the Trust is operating in line with ELFT best practice processes. This will include ensuring that all staff within finance and budget holders are properly trained and are using standardised processes on ELFT systems.

Responsible for the management of the cash position to ensure the Trust has sufficient funds to meet its financial obligations within Treasury limits.

Responsible for managing the Trust debt position, ensuring that all invoices for Trust income are raised promptly and cash is collected. Ensure that all debtors are being proactively managed and queries resolved. This often involves dealing with potentially emotive or contentious issues such as staff repayments etc.

Management of the payment of suppliers in line with standard terms and cash management requirements often dealing with contentious or hostile approaches from credit controllers or suppliers who have not been paid.

To ensure that all staff in the Financial Accounts team have clear performance standards/objectives and, through regular review, ensure that they are meeting them.

Ensure that the Trust has appropriate banking arrangements in place.

Setting up and management of complex loan financing arrangements, if required, and ensuring that the Trust is complying with the terms of existing loans.

Mental Effort

This role requires frequent, intense and prolonged concentration. The role has daily requirement for concentration for more than half the shift analysing and reviewing highly complex financial and non-financial data and other highly complex information. The post involves attending Board and Executive meetings that require prolonged periods of intense concentration. There is a high level of unpredictability in that post holders will be interrupted and will need to move between activities to meet stakeholder needs and requests.

Person Specification

Key

Essential (E), Desirable (D), Application (A), Interview (I), Test (T)

Qualifications, Accreditations, Education

CCAB recognised accountancy qualification (E, A)

Significant post qualification experience in a senior accounting role gained ideally in a large audit firm and in a senior financial account in a role. (E, A)

An MBA or equivalent experience of managing part of the Finance function in a large service delivery organisation (E, A)

Undertaken a variety of additional short courses to develop specialist knowledge (E, A, I)

Significant experience and knowledge gained through working in specialist areas within organisations and from exposure to differing business models (E, A, I)

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (E, A, I)

Experience

Experience of delivering a customer focused service to ensure that the finance department matches the operational needs of the Trust. (E, A, I, T)

Considerable experience of using computer based financial systems in a complex environment. Able to contribute to the ongoing development of financial systems and processes. (E, A, I, T)

Experience of negotiating and agreeing deadliness and standards and quality of work with other departments (E, A, I, T)

Experience in managing the introduction of new reporting systems (E, A, I, T)

Experience of identifying change needs and successfully implementing change management (E, A, I, T)

Evidence of extensive budget setting experience in a complex organisation with competing priorities (E, A, I, T)

Experience of developing reporting systems and processes (E, A, I, T)

Significant experience of managing, motivating and developing a team. Experience of setting objectives, carrying out staff appraisals, identifying training needs , mentoring and coaching staff. Experience of performance management including managing poor performance and sickness matters. (E, A, I, T)

Experience of working at a strategic level, able to recognise direction and implications of policy (E, A, I, T)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Specialist in technical accounting issues, the post holder must be able to demonstrate sound technical accounting knowledge. This must include the application of knowledge from IFRS (E, A, I, T)

Able to demonstrate sound analytical skills with the ability to deal effectively with large quantities of complex data, both financial and non-financial and producing clear and understandable recommendations from it. (E, A, I, T)

Sound understanding of Service Line Reporting in the NHS and experience of its application (E, A, I, T)

Specialist knowledge of Management Accounting (E, A, I, T)

Specialist knowledge of Business Planning and Forecasting (E, A, I, T)

Expert knowledge of Financial Accounting principles (E, A, I, T)

Good knowledge of the Trust, its aims, targets to be delivered, structures and activities (E, A, I, T)

Able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the NHS as a whole, its strategic direction and implications of policy. (E, A, I, T)

Able to predict or calculate the resources and/or time needed for an activity using knowledge and experience and aware of the need to make realistic predictions and contingency plans. (E, A, I, T)

Able to make effective contributions to the decision making process within the Finance team and more widely for the Trust. (E, A, I, T)

Able to contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust and to approach issues with a broad view. (E, A, I, T)

Considerable experience of using computer based financial systems in a complex environment. Able to contribute to the ongoing development of financial systems and processes (E, A, I, T)

Highly developed IT skills (E, A, I, T)

Able to plan and co-ordinate the work of the financial accounts team and of other teams in / outside of Finance to meet the month end and year-end timetables. Experience of negotiating and agreeing deadliness and standards and quality of work with other departments. (E, A, I, T)

Highly developed level of communication and interpersonal skills that enable highly complex technical issues to be explained in clear and concise terms. (E, A, I, T)

Able to adapt readily and respond constructively to change and to work effectively in a variety of situations with groups or individuals (E, A, I, T)

Able to persuade others at all levels, including Executive Directors and clinicians, of a particular course of action or viewpoint, whilst respecting their point of view. (E, A, I, T)

Able to establish a course of action for self and others to ensure that objectives are achieved (E, A, I, T)

Contributes to effective team working within the Finance Department and other senior teams in the Trust. (E, A, I, T)

Regularly reviews policies and procedures and recommend and/or implements improvements to them. (E, A, I, T)

Promotes the Finance Department within the organisation. (E, A, I, T)

Able to manage and motivate staff, focus on key issues and is committed to the organisation and personal self development (E, A, I, T)

Maintains realistic and acceptable performance when under pressure (E, A, I, T)

Smart and professional appearance (E, A, I, T)

Able and willing to travel between the Trust sites. (E, A, I, T)

Able to exercise judgement express opinion and present recommendations impartially. (E, A, I, T)

Readily makes decisions and takes action based upon logical assumptions which reflect factual information. (E, A, I, T)

Applies a range of styles and approaches to situations to ensure good achievement or maximum effectiveness (E, A, I, T)

Other Requirements

Positive attitude towards learning and development (E, A, I)

Ability to maintain concentration for long and frequent periods (E, A, I)

Ability to work on a computer with a monitor for extended periods (E, A, I)

Ability to work flexibly and travel frequently between Trust sites (E, A)

An understanding of and demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities and the importance of valuing diversity (E, A, I)

Low level of absence due to sickness (E, A, I, T)

Advanced keyboard skills and use of various software to produce reports and enable the production of powerful visual presentations and info graphics to share highly complex information (E, A, I, T)

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