Senior Divisional Finance Manager

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The post holder will be responsible for supporting the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in providing a comprehensive financial management and business support service to the Division.

The Senior Divisional Finance Manager will be expected to deputise for the Divisional Business Advisor as and when required. This will therefore require knowledge of all services within the Division.

The post holder will be responsible on a day to day basis for the management of the Divisional Management Accounts team providing financial planning, reporting, training and business support to the Division. The Senior Divisional Finance Manager will be responsible for recruitment, training, development, performance and disciplinary issues of the staff accountable to them.

Key Duties:

Financial Planning and Reporting

Produce accurate, timely and appropriate monthly financial and performance management information for the Directorates, including the monthly management accounts within Trust agreed timescales supporting the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in providing financial support to the Division. Quality assures accruals, prepayments and adjustments to be reflected in the monthly management accounts and maintains a clear audit trail by means of adherence to financial procedures.

Ensure that reports are of the highest quality by actively contributing to the quality assurances process and producing key validations and reconcilliations.

Lead, Co-ordinate and manages the process of annual financial planning and budget setting for Directorates and the Division working within an agreed corporate framework advising on short, medium and long term strategic, financial and business planning issues.

Work closely alongside the Directorate and Divisional Managers/Clinical Service Leads/Senior Nurses in the annual financial planning process for the group, including identifying, co-ordinating and quantifying Service Developments, Cost Pressures, Cost Improvement Programmes (Cash Releasing Efficiency Savings) and Capital Bids to support the annual objectives.

Support the development of the annual business plan for the Directorate and Division, including the setting of objectives to achieve key performance targets and facilitate the delivery of national targets.

Lead the annual budget setting process for all Directorates, within the Division for which they are responsible, in line with the Trusts timetable. Prepare a budget booklet giving a detailed breakdown of the calculation of each budget. Obtain the signed agreement of each individual budget holder within the Group to the proposed budget. Ensure that the combined budget reconciles to the control total set as part of the annual financial planning process

Identifies and supports the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in monitoring and reporting upon potential financial risks and risk minimisation strategies

Monitor and produce forecast expenditure trends/budgetary performance on a monthly basis, identifying and explaining variances & service issues for managers & advising them appropriately.

Develops and maintains systems to monitor and update Division and Service Line financial plans and advise on corrective action where necessary.

Provide information on a monthly basis to contribute to corporate financial reports.

Present highly complex financial information to the Directorate and Divisional Management Teams, other Senior Managers and Senior Clinicians at a range of forums including regular Directorate and Divisional Board meetings as well as one-to-one meetings with individual budget holders.

Supports the production of the statutory annual accounts including the provision of information and carrying out various end-of-year tasks.

Identifies and supports the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) and Directorate and Divisional Managers in the identification of efficiency savings and provides a monthly schedule of progress against agreed targets.

Maintain an awareness of activity and contract performance against targets and provide proactive advice on managing variances from target.

Provision of Financial Advice and Training

Provide formal and informal training, advice and guidance to a wide variety of staff on Standing Financial Instructions and finance and business management issues in order to improve financial awareness, performance, cost effectiveness and efficiency, revenue generation and to maximise the use of assets.

Advocate compliance of Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs) and ensure followed with the Division. Where breaches are discovered, ensure appropriate action is taken in compliance with Trust policies.

Provide Business Management and Decision Support

Provide and support the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in undertaking robust financial evaluation of proposed service changes / developments

Assists in the development and production of business cases and tender responses, generating options for investment, appraisal of the options and identification of project resources.

With the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) ensure all changes in services or developments are identified and that the resource implications are quantified and accounted for.

Contribute to the development on service line reporting in the Division and wider Trust

With Budget Holders, negotiate Service Level Agreements with a range of external organisations and ensure income is recovered.

Develop and maintain benchmarking and costing apportionments / information to support the business in ensuring best practice and optimal utilisation of resources including the production of Reference Costs for relevant service lines within the Division.

Monitor and analyse non-financial performance indicators (e.g. length of stay, theatre utilisation) to identify areas where the use of resources can be improved. Work with operations managers and clinicians to identify productivity issues and demonstrate the impact of these on financial performance.

Introduce, adapt and improve financial and information systems within the Directorates, Division and the wider Trust to assist budget managers and budget holders in decision making and planning

Be an active Member of Multidisciplinary Teams

Prepare and present highly complex accurate financial information to inform a variety of decision-making forums, including formal reports and presentations to meetings linking and interpreting financial, activity and performance management information.

Work to develop strong relationships with clinicians and managers to develop a culture of shared responsibility for financial issues.

Staff Management

Be responsible for leading, managing and motivating the Divisional management Accounts team on a day to day basis, communicating clearly and openly, creating a sense of trust and encouraging two-way discussion/dialogue.

Monitors the work completed by team members ensuring it is completed to time and quality requirements and ensure members of the team are regularly appraised.

Be responsible for the personal development of the Divisional Management Accounts Team completing appraisals and identifying the training needs of the team members and ensuring PDPs are in place.

Be responsible for recruitment, implementation of HR policies and dealing with performance issues,

Active Member of the Finance Directorate

Participate in finance staff training & development activities

Represent the Finance Directorate contributing to and participating in Trust wide projects and groups to provide a range of financial and business management support

Identifies and takes responsibility for own development and helps to develop others.

Contributes to improvement activities across the directorate.

The range of duties outlined above is not exhaustive and are subject to modification in light of changing service needs. In addition to the above the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.

General Duties:

The Senior Divisional Finance Manager will act as the lead financial specialist for Directorates within the Division supporting the Divisional Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in providing robust financial planning, reporting and a performance management service to the Division. To provide expert financial advice and training to a range of managers and clinicians within the Division

To lead and support the Business Advisor (Clinical Division) in providing business management support to enhance decision making with the Division

To be an active member of multi-disciplinary teams contributing to the management of the Directorates and Division.

Manage a team of staff ensuring regular appraisal and development opportunities

To be an active member of the Finance Directorate contributing to its development

Other Job Requirements

Essential

• Reliable, punctual, proactive partnering approach.
• Knowledge and understanding of equal opportunities.
• Able to travel between sites.
• Hybrid way of working between home and on site (minimum 2 days on site).
• Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment
• As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role. Here you can declare if you wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme and this response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel.

Desirable

• HFMA member

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• please demonstrate by giving examples:
• Comprehensive IT skills including the use of Financial Systems / Ledgers. Experience with Microsoft Office products including frequently designing and creating complex spreadsheets, reports and databases to convert technical data into user friendly information.
• Ability to influence and negotiate with a wide range of individuals.
• Highly numerate and analytical including the ability to make sound judgements and confident decisions on highly complex issues to minimise financial risk.
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills including the ability to summarise complex financial issues into concise financial reports and business cases and explain highly complex finance issues to non-financial staff and communicate sensitive or contentious information in order to influence decision making.
• Strong inter-personal skills including the ability to establish and maintain positive working and partnering relationships with colleagues at all levels from within the organisation and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work autonomously with the skills to make decisions independently and to recognise where decisions should be made at a higher level.
• Proven ability to use own initiative, prioritise work to meet tight deadlines, delegate appropriately and apply problem solving skills.
• Ability to lead and motivate a team.
• Ability to see the wider issues associated with a particular situation.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision both independently or as a member of a team to achieve organisational goals.
• Ability to make judgements on financial risks in a calm and consistent manner, sometimes under stressful circumstances.
• Ability to work accurately under pressure in order to meet tight deadlines.
• Good understanding of operational, national and strategic issues and how organisational pressures affect broader resource utilisation.
• Good working knowledge of and proven interest in the NHS.
• Up to date, detailed knowledge of Financial Management Accounting including International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Desirable

• Specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures.
• Knowledge of acute hospital environment.

Qualifications

Essential

• Minimum 5 O Levels/GCSEs or equivalent (including Maths and English) and one of the following:- A levels or Degree or equivalent.
• CCAB or CIMA qualification.
• Committed to Continuing Professional Development.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Explain or give examples as to how you fulfil the following:
• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development in accordance with the requirement of the professional bodies.
• Able to work under pressure and to plan and prioritise workload and that of others effectively.
• Professional reputation for integrity.
• Flexible and supportive work colleague committed to developing staff.

Desirable

• Commercially Astute.

Experience

Essential

• To demonstrate experience on the following:
• Extensive relevant management accounting experience including post qualification experience. Experience in the financial elements of business planning, the preparation of business cases and investment appraisal techniques.
• Experience of leading, managing and developing a team.

Desirable

• Significant Experience at a senior level in Financial Management in the Finance sector including substantial post qualification experience.

Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment

Essential

• As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role. Here you can declare if you wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme and this response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).