Deputy Head of Finance

Job responsibilities

The Deputy Head of Finance will:

• Be responsible for the coordination and delivery of Division wide work to given deadlines. Examples of such work could include:

- Month end Management Accounts

- Financial Planning

- Budget setting

- Division wide reporting

- Yearend accounts

• Deputise for the Head of Finance at senior Trust management meetings such as Finance & Performance Group (FPG), Waste Reduction oversight groups, Divisional Management Team (DMT) meetings. This will involve presenting highly complex information, which may also be sensitive or contentious.
• Support the Head of Finance on ad hoc division wide, or specific project work. This may include analysing complex problems and making judgements on financial options where data may be incomplete and there is no precedent set.
• Provide a full financial management service for a designated area, which will include monthly reporting & forecasting, financial planning, financial assessment of business cases, development and monitoring of Waste reduction programme schemes and the provision of business advice.
• Support operational managers in developing and monitoring recovery plans for areas of financial performance deviating from plan.
• Introduce, adapt and improve financial systems and processes for use by others to ensure the requirements of all accounting policies and standards are adhered to and audit requirements are met.
• Be responsible for developing policy and procedures within financial management, impacting on the whole organisation; and for interpreting and implementing national finance guidance and policy.
• Routinely assess the level of risk within the Divisions financial position, highlighting areas of risk and identifying required action to the Head of Finance.
• Ensure budget virements are appropriately authorised, recorded and transacted.
• Provide day to day management of a team of staff including recruitment, appraisal, discipline and training.
• Work with counterparts in Finance supporting other Divisions to ensure consistent and efficient working practices are established and best practice is implemented across the whole of financial management.
• Raise the profile of Service Line Reporting, Patient Level Costing, Benchmarking etc across the Division.
• Maintain the professional standards of the department by ensuring any information provided is of a high standard and tailored to suit the needs of the recipient and also ensuring contact with all staff within the Trust is undertaken in a professional, courteous and respectful manner.

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB or CIMA qualified accountant with substantial post qualification experience.
• Evidence of Personal Development including demonstrated compliance with accountancy bodies CPD

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience within a financial management environment
• Experience of working within the NHS financial regime
• Experience of managing and developing a team of staff including setting objectives, carrying out staff appraisals, identifying training needs, mentoring and coaching staff.
• Experience of keeping staff motivated in a rapidly changing environment.
• Able to prioritise significant workloads and resource them in response to changing demands and requirements
• Demonstrate experience in reviewing systems and processes and implementing changes to increase productivity and effectiveness and reducing non value adding activities
• Experience and expertise in the use of computerised financial systems such as General Ledger and Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Experience of performance management including Trust disciplinary policies (or equivalent).
• Experience of being creative and innovative, proposing changes to working practices and procedures, as well as implementing agreed policies

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Strong sense of quality and able to lead by example
• A confident, pleasant approach, willing to develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, system users, and other managers
• Commitment and enthusiasm, with a keen desire to attain high standards
• Self-motivated and a proactive approach to problem solving.
• Ability to engage with, and influence, non-finance staff.
• Flexible, adaptable and a positive team player.
• High level of personal and professional integrity.
• Able to work under pressure to deliver to strict deadlines.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• In depth specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, financial aspects of NHS legislation and policy.
• Planning and organisation skills, including the ability to plan & co-ordinate the work of multiple work streams over a 12 month period, both personally and for a team.
• Ability to plan & organise a range of complex activities requiring the formulation of a plan and the subsequent adjust of any plan to meet requirements
• Advanced analytical and judgement skills:
• Ability to interpret guidance and identify options available
• Ability to identify innovative and effective solutions taking account of the latest best practice and other guidance to the ensure the best outcome for the Trust
• Ability to make judgements on financial decisions where there is no precedent and where other leading opinions may conflict.
• Highly developed communication skills, including advance written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to present a range of highly complex technical information clearly and concisely
• Ability to set out conclusions and recommendations clearly and concisely
• Ability to influence all levels of staff; both finance and non-finance staff.
• Advanced keyboard skills, advanced Spreadsheet skills including financial modelling, databases, word processing & financial systems
• Ability to work independently, interpreting available guidelines
• Ability to plan & manage own time / workload and that of others and balance conflicting unpredictable demands.

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.

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).

UK Registration

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