Costing Accountant

Job responsibilities

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Finance (Operations), the post holder will:

• Play a leading role in the production and analysis of costing data which will involve working with a range of stakeholders to gain a shared understanding of clinical practice and agree, implement and monitor actions. The purpose of these is to improve value for patients and their families
• Take lead responsibility for the operation and continuous development and improvement of the Trusts Patient Level Information and Costing System (PLICS);
• Have up to date and expert knowledge of NHS Costing Standards;
• Play a lead role in working with stakeholders in the Trust to improve data quality within PLICS as well as promoting wider use and understanding of costing at patient level; and
• Provide support for the ongoing development of the PLICS system to enhance the system as a decision-making tool and provide insightful information to enable it to become a widely adopted system throughout the organisation.
• The post holder will ensure the Trusts costing system is fully compliant with Costing Standards and will work closely with Senior Clinicians, Senior Managers and the Finance Team to identify the cost drivers are attributed to the different elements of patient care to ensure the Trust is working efficiently, effectively and economically in the provision of patient care and providing value for money to the wider NHS economy

Please refer to the job description for further details

Experience

Essential

• At least three years' experience of working in the specialist area of cost accounting, in a large organisation.
• Experience of the provision of a SLR and Costing Service in a large complex environment.
• Use of Costing Software for the production of quarterly and annual Costing Models.
• Use of SLR Output and Dashboards to interpret, report and advise on the SLR Financial position.
• Experience of using SLR output for more detailed Service Reviews and Analysis.
• Experience in reviewing in conjunction with Finance and Service colleagues the assumptions and methodologies behind costing with a view to consistent improvement in the quality of Costing information.
• Experience in the production of National Costing Returns e.g. National Cost Collection.
• Experience of being a source of Costing technical expertise and utilising that expertise in forging working relations with connected parties e.g. Software Suppliers and IT.
• Experience of using costing expertise to provide SLR / Costing Training to stakeholders e.g. Finance Managers.

Desirable

• Experience of managing, motivating and developing staff.
• Experience of Managing or Supervising Staff.
• How the NHS works - the NHS Financial Regime.

Skills

Essential

• Through significant Costing or Financial Management experience, demonstrate excellent Financial Analysis and Interpretation skills including an ability to identify issues, variations, reasoning from underlying data and report / present this analysis back to end users.
• Demonstrate excellent communication skills, and be able to communicate both verbally and in writing complex, technical, sensitive or contentious financial information, to Finance Managers, Services Managers and Clinicians for a variety of purposes including Service analysis and review, sourcing information and development of costing methodologies.
• Advanced IT literacy with experience of using a Patient Level Costing System, a good command of Microsoft Office and advanced spreadsheet skills.
• Expert analytical and reasoning skills supported by attention to detail and the ability manage and manipulate vast quantities of data.
• Excellent Reporting skills, with the ability to design well-presented and accurate reports tailored to the end user and the granular depth of information requested.
• Able to ensure target dates are adhered to through organisation of own workload.
• Majority of role requires prolonged usage of computer systems manipulating and reconciling large volumes of data requiring high levels of concentration.

Desirable

• Highly developed technical information skills including SQL and Access databases.

Personal and people development

Essential

• Be able to manage time effectively, prioritise and deliver to agreed deadlines
• Enthusiasm, determination, motivated and positive 'can do' attitude.
• Be prepared to constructively question and challenge the performance of team members, and other stakeholders.
• Confident approach, hardworking, committed, and reliable.
• Open, honest and fair.
• Treat colleagues with dignity and respect.
• Frequent requirement for concentration when inputting data, checking and reconciling information, making calculations and when answering queries from staff, managers and clinicians.
• Often required to switch tasks at short notice.
• Frequent requirement for prolonged concentration when analysing complex data and preparing reports.

Communication

Essential

• Ability to explain complex financial terminology to both finance and non-finance colleagues.
• The ability to interpret complex numerical data and present information to non-finance professionals.
• Clear and accurate written and verbal communication skills.

Specific requirements

Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject (e.g. accountancy or financial discipline) or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Professional CCAB Accountant qualification finalist.
• Up-to-date knowledge and experience of the National Costing Standards and Guidance and the NHSE/I Costing Transformation Programme.

Desirable

• Finance experience in an NHS organization.

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).