Job Description

• Provide leadership to the finance function, supporting the team to delivery key agreed objectives, including opportunities for fair career progression.
• Maintain the highest professional standards and work in collaboration with the Finance Leadership team to ensure all qualified accountants maintain their CPD requirements.
• Undertake and ensure effective line management of staff such that each member of staff has an effective appraisal and a development and training plan consistent with Finance Directorate and Trust objectives and making best use of development opportunities made available by the Trust.
• Ensure staff make effective use of Trust-wide HR systems to maintain personal records and facilitate the automation of routine central tasks.
• Act as professional link with the Department of Health, NHSI, Commissioners and other relevant bodies.
• Ensure finance policies reflect national, regional and local priorities and are directly linked to Trust objectives and organizational performance.
• Act as lead officer coordinating the production of the Trust’s annual accounts and associated returns, ensuring all audit requirements are met and all current accounting treatments are followed.
• Act as lead officer coordinating the production of the Trust’s charitable accounts and associated returns, ensuring all audit requirements are met and all current accounting treatments are followed.
• To prepare reports and attend as and when required, for Trust Board and sub-committees. In addition to attend / chair committees and working groups as required.
• Ensure the accurate and timely provision of monthly financial reporting data across the Trust and to appropriate external bodies i.e. ICB and NHSE. Ensure that routine reporting is relevant and focused on customer needs.
• Work with the Associate Director of Finance – Financial Management, Planning and Reporting to ensure that the Trust implements, understands and identifies conclusions from an accurate and transparent Service Line Reporting framework in the development and use of service line reporting.
• To provide the first point of contact within the Finance function by offering expert knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, legislation, NHS financial policy and the financial impact of NHS policy.
• Act as the lead officer for the management of the payroll contract, liaising with the payroll provider and the HR team to support the accurate and timely payment of Trust staff.
• Work with payroll and HR to review and improve processes.
• Ensure that Finance department staff and resources are routinely accessible to budget holders and key Executive and operational staff to ensure that financial advice and guidance is available.
• To prepare policies and procedures for the Finance Department, to ensure that internal controls are in place for the recording and control of all Trust assets.
• To prepare policies and procedures for the Trust, specifically in respect of Corporate Governance. To implement Trust and national policies and practices within the department.
• To be an authorized cheque signatory for Trust current bank account and signatory for manual payments, alongside the Executive Directors. To be an authorized signatory for requisitions and supplier invoices.
• Design, maintain and continuously improve financial processes that meet internal control requirements, so that the Trust moves progressively to best in class in terms of quality and value for money.
• To ensure that the Trust’s financial systems operate effectively, new opportunities are reviewed and adopted subject to cost constraints and national and local shared financial service initiatives.
• Ensure that arrangements for the routine, accurate and timely arrangements are in place for the payment of both Trust staff and those companies and organizations providing agreed goods and services to the Trust, in line with statutory requirements. Ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for the timely recovery of income and monies due to the Trust.
• Work within the Trust’s standing orders and standing financial instructions and the overall corporate governance framework. Management of budgets within financial policies and procedures.
• To undertake the production, analysis, interpretation and comparison of the financial aspects of problems, service developments, service reconfiguration and business cases. This will include advising the Trust Board in respect of resource allocation and risk management.
• Supporting strategic developments, including business cases development and financial modelling, in conjunction with Executive Directors and Divisional Directors of Operations.
• Lead the development of a centralized business case financial modelling suite and centralized support to Divisions for high quality business case development.
• To lead on the production of the Trust’s annual capital programme, receiving capital bids and preparing information for agreement / approval by the Trust Board and ICB. To also lead on external bids for capital funding.
• Participate in the corporate management of the Trust, including the formulation of the Trust’s strategic direction, annual business and financial plan and the cost improvement plan.
• To support the Director of Finance and Performance and the PFI team in the financial aspects of the hospital redevelopment, to include attendance at meetings with the team, advisors and external bodies, preparation and interpretation of complex financial information.
• Attendance at Board and Board Committee meetings as required by the Chief Finance Officer. Presentation of relevant reports and papers.
• Agree and review personal development objectives annually with the Operational Director of Finance.
• Undertake continuing professional development as agreed with Operational Director of Finance.
• Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious, or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move forward.
• Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.
• Ensure that any escalation of care concerns or safeguarding escalations are made robustly through the appropriate channel. Undertake audits and where appropriate cooperate with the corporate nursing team to maintain Trust standards of care.
• Securing an appropriate infrastructure – finance systems, office systems and workspace to support Financial Planning activity, ensuring the optimum utilization of all resources available
• Delivery of the Trust’s finance strategy and business objectives, with emphasis on achieving improvements in the finance function and new ways of working across different corporate functions
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with members of the Executive Team.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities