Management Accountant - Finance Systems

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

To line manage, support, develop and performance manage the systems team to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient systems service across the Trust.

Responsible for the maintenance of the Trusts finance and procurement systems currently Agresso (Unit4 Business World) and, working with the Senior Management Accountant and other stakeholders, identifying developments to the system, gaining project approval and leading, implementing and embedding the developments.

Proactively and systematically review finance systems, processes and procedures to identify developments to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the finance function. In consultation with the finance team, develop an annual workplan to undertake development work across the finance function.

The post-holder is responsible for the co-ordination and delivery of finance training across the finance team, budget holders and other stakeholders as required for successful running and development of the Trusts finance systems mechanisms.

Ensures financial information is processed in accordance with procedures, investigates highly complex enquiries, providing assistance and advice as required, and contributes to corporate reporting, and providing strategic business planning advice.

To work together with Operational Managers and Senior Management Accountants across the Trust to ensure supply of financial information meets the needs of Directorates and is accurate, timely and relevant.

To review financial systems, processes and procedures across the finance team and implement agreed recommendations to continuously improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of the systems.

To line manage and performance manage staff in the systems team.

Duties and Responsibilities

To provide and manage the day to day running of the systems team having specific responsibility for providing systems support to services across the Trust, ensuring robust controls are in place to provide a good standard, accurate, timely and relevant financial information.

Line management of the systems team including a Band 5 Assistant Accountant, and other support as required, and to ensure members of staff are equipped with the skills needed to undertake their roles, developmental opportunities identified, adequate levels of support provided and all staff motivated to deliver of an effective and efficient system support service across the Trust.

Responsible for the allocation of work within the systems team, ensuring efficiencies maximised by the automation of systems where appropriate, generic tasks are identified and efficiently managed and resources are allocated effectively and efficiently. Alongside this, ensure robust controls and checks are in place to ensure timescales are met and work produced is of a satisfactory standard.

Ensure the systems team has processes and procedures in place to support all processes across the trust in all aspects of supplying information required. This will include meeting budget managers on a periodic basis, discussing budget position, variance analysis, analysis of pay and non-pay, evaluating a range of options, supporting business cases, directorate performance reporting etc. This will involve providing and receiving complex and contentious information, some of which may be sensitive.

Report on a regular basis to the Senior Management Accountant to ensure they are fully aware of processes, procedures and systems within the operations management accounts team in relation to the systems team, timescales of reporting and final sign off of system requirements.

Understand complex, sensitive financial, clinical and operational issues in order to contribute to and influence the management and strategic direction of the Trust.

To ensure systems information is provided to Operational Managers across the Trust to ensure supply of financial information meets the needs of Directorates, is accurate, relevant and within the timescales set, identifying areas of significance and advising them appropriately.

To prepares and complete statutory, NHS accounts and returns, ensuring work is completed in line with financial timescales and legal requirements, interpreting these where necessary.

To ensure annual and year to date budgets are accurately recorded in the General Ledger and that appropriate controls over changes to budgets are in place.

To proactively review, support development and improve financial procedures, systems and processes to continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of the support service, in conjunction with the National NHS Manual of Accounts and Standing Financial Instructions/Standing Financial Orders. This may require working with other staff, both internal and external (ie IM&T) to seek solutions for improvement. To support this, to produce an annual workplan of efficiency plans with the involvement of staff at all levels which will be monitored throughout each year.

To support the Devon Partnership Trust in forecasting its future financial position and develop its annual business plans ensuring any capital requirements are separately identified.

To support the production of business cases for new projects in conjunction with the senior managers of the Trust, generating options for investment, appraisal of the options and identification of project resources. This will involve both supporting of business cases and the allocation of resource from within the operations management accounts team to ensure business cases are adequately supported and deadlines are met.

To develop financial and benchmarking information to identify where potential benefits can be realised and make appropriate recommendations.

To provide training courses to non-financial managers to enable greater understanding of financial issues.

To represent the Directorate Management Team(s), Management Accountant(s), Assistant Director(s), and Deputy Director of Finance as required.

Deputise for the Senior Management Accountant(s) or Head of Management Accounts as and when required.

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB/CIMA Qualified (or equivalent) / 5 years as an Accountant

Desirable

• Educated to degree level
• Prince2 Training

Analytical & Judgement Skills

Essential

• Ability to negotiate contracts/influence decisions that have a financial impact

Experience

Essential

• Experience of line and performance management of staff

Desirable

• Experience of working for at least three years in an accountancy role including at least two years in a staff management role.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting

Knowledge

Essential

• Full understanding of the principles of accounting
• Specialist knowledge of, and ability to apply and advise others of professional accounting standards
• Detailed knowledge of computerised accounting systems and advanced knowledge of Excel or similar

Desirable

• Knowledge of and ability to apply and advise others of Trust/NHS financial and other regulations and procedures

Planning & Organising Skills

Essential

• Good organisational skills and a logical approach to problem solving

Desirable

• Project management skills to deliver system, process and procedural improvements

Communication Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong management and leadership skills
• Enthusiastic and good motivator
• Proactive and can do attitude towards the continuous development of systems, processes and procedures
• Excellent presentation skills both verbal and written
• Ability to transfer knowledge to non-financial managers
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Skills partnership working within and across organisations
• Ability to communicate with and relate to a wide range of people throughout the organisation

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).