Job summary
Are
you passionate about health and care research? The NIHR is looking for two
Senior Finance and Contracting Managers with experience of finance and
contract management in the public sector and / or working in a research
environment to join our teams providing financial management (monitoring
budgets, business planning processes) for NIHR programme funding.
The
NIHR enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that
improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.
Successful
applicants will be flexible, proactive, responsible, have great communication
skills, and be able to work as part of a team to ensure delivery of the
relevant portfolio of work.
This
position offers a great opportunity to work as part of an enthusiastic and
skilled multidisciplinary team to provide excellent finance and contract
management support to colleagues across the NIHR Academy, playing a pivotal
role in attracting, training and supporting the best health and care
researchers to tackle the complex challenges of the future.
This
is a great time to join NIHR as we look to expand many of our activities and
deliver an excellent experience for those developing their health and care
research careers.
Please
note that a hybrid-working arrangement is in place where successful
candidates can work a large percentage of their time from home. There are
also other flexible working arrangements available on request.
Main duties of the job
Successful
candidates will be responsible for the provision of financial management and
high-quality analytical review across all NIHR Academy Programmes (Domestic
and Global).
They
will support the Assistant Director Finance and Business Support (AD FBS)
in delivering financial and contract management for the NIHR Academy Service
Level Agreement and the NIHR Academy research programmes; identifying key
issues from financial and other business information to ensure effective
financial management in line with general finance best practice and the
requirements of DHSC/NHSE; and be involved in other diverse areas of work as
required to deliver the NIHR Academy organisational business requirements.
The
post holder will work with colleagues from the NIHR, the Department of Health
and Social Care and other stakeholders to ensure proactive and effective
delivery of NIHR finance and contract management. They will:
- provide
evidence and analysis to support the development of financial strategic plans
and help decision making,
- provide
visible leadership across NIHR on matters related to finance and contract
management,
- support
a culture of positive collaboration and engagement and
- drive
continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring best practice and meeting the
requirements of DHSC for assurance and audits.
We
encourage individuals who are considering applying to contact the office and
have a conversation with the hiring manager.
About us
Expected Shortlisting
Date:
07/03/2025
Planned Interview
Date:
21/03/2025
The
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has a mission to
improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. The NIHR plays
a pivotal role in attracting, training and supporting the best researchers
and complements the additional NIHR investment in world-class research
facilities and a skilled research workforce.
This
role is hosted by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) and delivers the
work of the NIHR, leading on policy, strategy and delivery in respect of
academic training in England and working closely with other NIHR centres and
the Science Research and Evidence (SRE) Directorate at the Department of
Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Leeds
Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk'
members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts
are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove
adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the
shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this
process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any
questions.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The
post holder will be line managed by Assistant Director - FBS however, there
is a requirement to work flexibly across the organisation as the portfolio of
programmes and schemes are likely to vary over time. The balance of duties
undertaken by the post holder will vary according to annual cycles, but will
include the following:
- Taking
a lead role alongside the other Senior Finance Managers in ensuring the
information systems are in place to track and monitor NIHR Academy awards
finances.
- Taking
a lead role alongside the other Senior Finance Managers in the Annual Finance
review of specific functions (award areas) and the reporting of year on year
trend analysis
- Leading
the preparation of the quarterly finance report to DHSC on specific functions
(awards)
- Provide
financial expertise to the Senior Programme Managers and other senior
managers responsible for analysing funding recommendations for new
competitions,
- Leading
the finance team on setting up new award contracts and supporting the review
of finance requests within new contracts
- Leading
finance contract monitoring, including payment profiling, maintaining
schedules and forecasting.
- Supporting
with the costing of business cases
- Supporting
with the due diligence and assurance activities for all NIHR Academy Global
Health Research contracts in partnership with Senior Programme Managers
- Ensuring
effective financial management in line with ODA requirements e.g. desk top
audits and risk assessments
- Maintaining
detailed financial reports of normal adjustments to ensure the underlying
trend analysis and year on year comparisons can be clearly reported to senior
management
- Ensuring
the integrity of the relevant finance systems and reporting issues.
- Implementing
Standard Operating Processes and work instructions within finance which may
impact policy proposals across NIHR Academy and NIHR coordinating centres.
- Ad-hoc
support to finance management and any other reasonable tasks required including deputising for the Assistant
Director FBS alongside the other Senior Finance Managers when required
Communication
- Effectively
line manage and support NIHR Academy colleagues
- Collaborate
effectively with NIHR Academy award programme leads working as a business
partner when contracting, monitoring, reporting and forecasting for specific
awards.
- Effectively
communicating the outcomes of annual finance reviews to award holders and
hosts organisations
- Communicating
and working with a range of people nationally and internationally at all
levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR Academy Executive,
in line with DHSC policies
- Developing
and maintaining strong and positive working relationships within Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs), NHS Trusts and other health-related
organisations
- Contributing
to briefings requested from Ministers offices and other government
departments on award expenditure.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The
post holder will be line managed by Assistant Director - FBS however, there
is a requirement to work flexibly across the organisation as the portfolio of
programmes and schemes are likely to vary over time. The balance of duties
undertaken by the post holder will vary according to annual cycles, but will
include the following:
- Taking
a lead role alongside the other Senior Finance Managers in ensuring the
information systems are in place to track and monitor NIHR Academy awards
finances.
- Taking
a lead role alongside the other Senior Finance Managers in the Annual Finance
review of specific functions (award areas) and the reporting of year on year
trend analysis
- Leading
the preparation of the quarterly finance report to DHSC on specific functions
(awards)
- Provide
financial expertise to the Senior Programme Managers and other senior
managers responsible for analysing funding recommendations for new
competitions,
- Leading
the finance team on setting up new award contracts and supporting the review
of finance requests within new contracts
- Leading
finance contract monitoring, including payment profiling, maintaining
schedules and forecasting.
- Supporting
with the costing of business cases
- Supporting
with the due diligence and assurance activities for all NIHR Academy Global
Health Research contracts in partnership with Senior Programme Managers
- Ensuring
effective financial management in line with ODA requirements e.g. desk top
audits and risk assessments
- Maintaining
detailed financial reports of normal adjustments to ensure the underlying
trend analysis and year on year comparisons can be clearly reported to senior
management
- Ensuring
the integrity of the relevant finance systems and reporting issues.
- Implementing
Standard Operating Processes and work instructions within finance which may
impact policy proposals across NIHR Academy and NIHR coordinating centres.
- Ad-hoc
support to finance management and any other reasonable tasks required including deputising for the Assistant
Director FBS alongside the other Senior Finance Managers when required
Communication
- Effectively
line manage and support NIHR Academy colleagues
- Collaborate
effectively with NIHR Academy award programme leads working as a business
partner when contracting, monitoring, reporting and forecasting for specific
awards.
- Effectively
communicating the outcomes of annual finance reviews to award holders and
hosts organisations
- Communicating
and working with a range of people nationally and internationally at all
levels of seniority both internal and external to the NIHR Academy Executive,
in line with DHSC policies
- Developing
and maintaining strong and positive working relationships within Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs), NHS Trusts and other health-related
organisations
- Contributing
to briefings requested from Ministers offices and other government
departments on award expenditure.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Equivalent knowledge and experience to Professional Accountancy Qualifications plus knowledge, experience and expertise in a finance management role
- Experience of monitoring budgets, business planning processes and forecasting
- Experience of month end, quarterly and annual reporting
- Experience managing and leading a team
- Significant knowledge and experience of financial management, contract management and project management
- An understanding of public sector health research and its management
- An interest in health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries
- Knowledge and experience of accounting and financial policies and procedures, which impact in other areas of the NIHR Academy or external stakeholders
Desirable
- Detailed Knowledge of NHS, DHSC or Research Finance Management and understanding of the public sector and health research capacity development
- In-depth specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, financial aspects of NHS legislation and NHS finance policies
- Demonstrable experience in a healthcare environment
- Experience of working within a finance department on grant management
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level qualification
- CCAB qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
Skills & Behaviours
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team build and maintain good working relationships
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
- Ability to organise own workload effectively, working to multiple prioritised tasks, targets and deadlines
- Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues and stakeholders
- Positive attitude to change
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
- Excellent time management, task management and organisational abilities with evidenced examples of working with conflicting deadlines
- Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do
- Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
- Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness
- Evidence of Continued Professional Development
- Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships
- An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust
Desirable
- Experience of accounting systems and processes
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures
Other Criteria
Essential
- Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to present financial information finance and non-finance managers offering advice when required
- Ability to analyse, interpret and present highly complex issues where material may be incomplete, conflicting and / or drawn from multiple sources, making judgements on financial decisions and risk
- Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
- Able to produce highly detailed reports for senior management and key stakeholders
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to a broad range of senior stakeholders as required
- Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills and ability to work with an attention to detail
- Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft/ Google/ word processing, databases and advanced Excel skills
- Ability to negotiate and influence
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Equivalent knowledge and experience to Professional Accountancy Qualifications plus knowledge, experience and expertise in a finance management role
- Experience of monitoring budgets, business planning processes and forecasting
- Experience of month end, quarterly and annual reporting
- Experience managing and leading a team
- Significant knowledge and experience of financial management, contract management and project management
- An understanding of public sector health research and its management
- An interest in health research and a willingness to work across discipline boundaries
- Knowledge and experience of accounting and financial policies and procedures, which impact in other areas of the NIHR Academy or external stakeholders
Desirable
- Detailed Knowledge of NHS, DHSC or Research Finance Management and understanding of the public sector and health research capacity development
- In-depth specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, financial aspects of NHS legislation and NHS finance policies
- Demonstrable experience in a healthcare environment
- Experience of working within a finance department on grant management
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level qualification
- CCAB qualification or equivalent knowledge and experience
Skills & Behaviours
Essential
- Ability to work as part of a team build and maintain good working relationships
- Ability to tackle complex problems, identify solutions and implement them
- Ability to organise own workload effectively, working to multiple prioritised tasks, targets and deadlines
- Effective liaison skills with the ability to deal tactfully with colleagues and stakeholders
- Positive attitude to change
- Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change
- Excellent time management, task management and organisational abilities with evidenced examples of working with conflicting deadlines
- Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do
- Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
- Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness
- Evidence of Continued Professional Development
- Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships
- An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust
Desirable
- Experience of accounting systems and processes
- Experience of setting up and implementing internal processes and procedures
Other Criteria
Essential
- Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to present financial information finance and non-finance managers offering advice when required
- Ability to analyse, interpret and present highly complex issues where material may be incomplete, conflicting and / or drawn from multiple sources, making judgements on financial decisions and risk
- Assimilate information quickly, and apply knowledge quickly and effectively to new problems
- Able to produce highly detailed reports for senior management and key stakeholders
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to a broad range of senior stakeholders as required
- Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills and ability to work with an attention to detail
- Knowledge of Financial Systems e.g. monitoring budget management, processing invoices and procurement
- Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft/ Google/ word processing, databases and advanced Excel skills
- Ability to negotiate and influence
