Job summary
This is an opportunity to join the finance team of the London Ambulance Service Trust (LAS), one of the largest and busiest ambulance services in the world.
The role of Head of Capital Accounts sits at the heart of the finance team, working with colleagues, outsourced providers, and the wider Trust to plan and deliver the Trust's capital plans and control the Trust's asset registers.
Main duties of the job
As the leader of the Capital Accounting team, responsibility for:
- The performance of the Capital Accounting team and provide senior managers and Directors strategic advice on highly complex lease and capital business issues
- Provide senior support to business area Directors in developing and monitoring progress on highly complex business cases
- Lead the development and delivery of the financial strategy and associated plans of the Trust relating to Capital and Lease Accounting, including the capital and lease forecast and plans
- Be the Trust's centre of capital and lease accounting excellence and the go to point for capital and lease accounting.
- Co-ordinating internally and externally the production of the capital and lease sections of Trust's annual accounts and their audit.
- Develop and deliver the month end capital close down process
- Preparing and providing highly complex financial analysis and commentary
About us
London Ambulance Service serves one of the worlds most dynamic and diverse cities and is the busiest ambulance service in the UK. We handle over 1.9 million emergency calls from across the capital every year as well as delivering a 24 hour NHS 111 Integrated Urgent Care Service in South East and North East London that we estimate will respond to around 1.4million urgent care calls by the end of the year.
We employ over 9,000 people who work or volunteer, across London to respond to the health needs of over 8 million people who live, work and travel in the capital.
We work closely with our NHS partners and are commissioned by 32 clinical commissioning groups spread across 5 STPs and NHS England for our specialist services.
As the only pan-London NHS provider we have a unique opportunity to play a leading role in integrating access to emergency and urgent care right across London.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Capital AccountingTo ensure that all relevant information is collated and to draft the capital and lease sections of the annual financial statements for Chief Financial Officer review within deadlines.Report on and discuss contentious and highly complex lease and capital Trust-wide issues with Trust Board Officers and senior managers, such as the delivery of performance against capital targets and recommend and implement strategies to recover and maintain performance.Provide strategic advice on highly complex business issues in relation to the development of business areas to assist their managers to achieve lasting benefits for the organisation.Provide senior level support to business area Directors in developing and monitoring progress on highly complex business cases and project planning and approval documentation to ensure costs and benefits are fully understood, and decisions on new initiatives are taken with full knowledge of the financial implications. The postholder will present complex information and undertake powerful presentations at business meetings.Review, develop and continually improve reporting packs for forecasting and planning, CIP, projects and business change initiatives provided to the board.Provide direction and influence business area Directors to cost effectively and deliver Trust strategic objectives.
In Year ReportingTo manage the monthly capital and lease reporting and forecasting process through the production and distribution of finance system generated reports.Ensure that all lease and capital nominal ledger accounts are properly reconciled including the FAR and Lease Register to GL - on a monthly basis.To ensure that the capital and lease Annual and Longer term Plans, Forecasts and NHS England Monitoring Returns and internal reports are completed by the due dates.To act as a Trust reference point on capital and lease matters, building and maintaining own knowledge and expertise, interpret advice and promote best practice within the Trust.
Systems and Procedures DevelopmentTo ensure that audit recommendations are complied with and to use them to improve controls in other accounting areas.To lead on improving the effectiveness and utilisation of the lease and capital asset register, and all accounting systems in relevant areas.To effect a system of continuous process review and improvement.To ensure that financial procedures are fully documented and developed in accordance with the current Accounting Standards.Responsible for the development of financial policies and procedures.
Organisational IssuesAwareness of the Trusts agreed vision, values and broad organisational goals.To contribute towards the development of the Trust wide financial strategy and input into the development of all trust wide policies with a financial impact.
People and Managerial FunctionsTo manage a team of 2 WTEs including the application of Sickness and Absence reporting, Disciplinary and other Personnel Policies of the Directorate and Trust and to lend support in the pursuit of their Personal Development Plan and voluntary appraisal.Financial and Physical ResourcesResponsible for maintaining robust financial processes and controls to ensure efficient and effective maintenance and management of the Trusts capital and lease assets and maintaining the integrity of Trusts assets register and non-current assetsContribute towards the development of Financial Strategies to deliver capital targets. This requires the post holder to provide expert advice on how to identify opportunities and deliver change and improve services within the allocated cash and capital resource availability. This will include development of 3 year capital plan for inclusion in the Trusts Business Plan.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Capital AccountingTo ensure that all relevant information is collated and to draft the capital and lease sections of the annual financial statements for Chief Financial Officer review within deadlines.Report on and discuss contentious and highly complex lease and capital Trust-wide issues with Trust Board Officers and senior managers, such as the delivery of performance against capital targets and recommend and implement strategies to recover and maintain performance.Provide strategic advice on highly complex business issues in relation to the development of business areas to assist their managers to achieve lasting benefits for the organisation.Provide senior level support to business area Directors in developing and monitoring progress on highly complex business cases and project planning and approval documentation to ensure costs and benefits are fully understood, and decisions on new initiatives are taken with full knowledge of the financial implications. The postholder will present complex information and undertake powerful presentations at business meetings.Review, develop and continually improve reporting packs for forecasting and planning, CIP, projects and business change initiatives provided to the board.Provide direction and influence business area Directors to cost effectively and deliver Trust strategic objectives.
In Year ReportingTo manage the monthly capital and lease reporting and forecasting process through the production and distribution of finance system generated reports.Ensure that all lease and capital nominal ledger accounts are properly reconciled including the FAR and Lease Register to GL - on a monthly basis.To ensure that the capital and lease Annual and Longer term Plans, Forecasts and NHS England Monitoring Returns and internal reports are completed by the due dates.To act as a Trust reference point on capital and lease matters, building and maintaining own knowledge and expertise, interpret advice and promote best practice within the Trust.
Systems and Procedures DevelopmentTo ensure that audit recommendations are complied with and to use them to improve controls in other accounting areas.To lead on improving the effectiveness and utilisation of the lease and capital asset register, and all accounting systems in relevant areas.To effect a system of continuous process review and improvement.To ensure that financial procedures are fully documented and developed in accordance with the current Accounting Standards.Responsible for the development of financial policies and procedures.
Organisational IssuesAwareness of the Trusts agreed vision, values and broad organisational goals.To contribute towards the development of the Trust wide financial strategy and input into the development of all trust wide policies with a financial impact.
People and Managerial FunctionsTo manage a team of 2 WTEs including the application of Sickness and Absence reporting, Disciplinary and other Personnel Policies of the Directorate and Trust and to lend support in the pursuit of their Personal Development Plan and voluntary appraisal.Financial and Physical ResourcesResponsible for maintaining robust financial processes and controls to ensure efficient and effective maintenance and management of the Trusts capital and lease assets and maintaining the integrity of Trusts assets register and non-current assetsContribute towards the development of Financial Strategies to deliver capital targets. This requires the post holder to provide expert advice on how to identify opportunities and deliver change and improve services within the allocated cash and capital resource availability. This will include development of 3 year capital plan for inclusion in the Trusts Business Plan.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- CCAB recognised accountancy qualification
- Master's degree or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Capital and Lease Accounting
- Experience of monthly reporting cycles and population of month end reports
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to use databases, analyse highly complex data, diagnose problems, identify solutions and undertake business case benefits analysis
- Logical thinker with sound analytical skills, able to deal with large volumes of complex data and perform highly complex analysis of financial data
- Ability make judgements/decisions in complex situations and use professional judgement to ensure the best outcome for the Trus
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- CCAB recognised accountancy qualification
- Master's degree or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Capital and Lease Accounting
- Experience of monthly reporting cycles and population of month end reports
Knowledge
Essential
- Ability to use databases, analyse highly complex data, diagnose problems, identify solutions and undertake business case benefits analysis
- Logical thinker with sound analytical skills, able to deal with large volumes of complex data and perform highly complex analysis of financial data
- Ability make judgements/decisions in complex situations and use professional judgement to ensure the best outcome for the Trus
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
