Strategic Finance Manager

Job responsibilities

Financial Control1. To ensure that all elements of work undertaken or reviewed within the department adheres at all times to the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions, Financial Procedures and all other corporate and financial governance.2. To ensure that the Trust makes the best use of its resources and provides value for money.3. To support the development key financial reporting systems to ensure the Trust can operate effectively in a competitive environment.4. To undertake thorough financial risk analysis and reporting on the outcome of that analysis regularly to the Director and Deputy Director of Finance, alerting them to risks that may prevent the Trust from meeting its statutory duties and compliance framework.5. To lead on the development of effective identification, implementation, control and reporting of Cost Improvement Programmes across the Trust, undertaking thorough risk analysis and reporting on the outcome regularly to the Executive Team and Finance & Performance Committee, alerting them to risks that may prevent the Trust from meeting its statutory annual cost saving programme.6. To support the development the departments financial reporting processes in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements of NHS Improvement, and the Trusts Commissioners as well as meeting the requirements of in-house stakeholders, including senior managers and budget managers, taking into account any future amendments to these agreements.7. To provide information as necessary to external bodies, including commissioners, NHS Improvement, ensuring compliance with any national returns required of the Trust, such as NHS Improvement Annual Plan, and any new returns until they become embedded within the financial management or financial services team as business as usual.8. To provide complex financial modelling scenarios for the five-year financial plan that takes account of investment opportunities, developments, efficiencies, risk assessment and mitigation, sensitivity analysis and cash management requirements and to review these with the Deputy Director of Finance on an annual basis.9. To ensure that financial plans are consistent with service development plans and multi-disciplinary organisation-wide planning of patient care and supporting services, and are consistent with other key strategic intentions, including cost improvement programmes, estates strategy and service development plans.10. Ensure financial representation and presence on working and strategy groups dealing with financial aspects of relevant initiatives.

Financial Planning11. Together with the Head of Corporate Finance, the post holder will be responsible for reviewing the financial modelling outputs of the strategic planning team participating in multi-disciplinary project groups; co-ordinating their own responsibilities (complex financial modelling) with those of others to ensure group targets and deadlines are achieved.12. To provide the financial modelling input into the Trusts business planning processes, including the development of the five-year financial plan, the NHS Improvement Annual Plan and business case development.13. To be the finance representative at meetings when the financial business case of tenders and bids are presented to Commissioners, Transformation Programme Board, the Finance and Performance Committee, the Investment Committee or the Trust Board of Directors, as appropriate.14. To ensure that the financial modelling takes account of investment opportunities, developments, efficiencies, risk assessment and mitigation, sensitivity analysis and cash management requirements and to review these with the Head of Financial Strategy on a regular basis.15. To be the lead finance expert and to be responsible for complex financial modelling on all tenders and bids the Trust considers, ensuring all financial implications are taken into account and that value for money is achieved.16. To provide the Head of Commercial Services with the complex financial analysis to support the negotiations for Trust Contracts with Commissioners, Local Authorities and other external bodies, and internally with the business development team, senior managers, ensuring these are accurately costed. To be responsible for reviewing the financial elements of any contracts with external bodies for new business, tenders or bids, ensuring there are no elements which have not been considered within the financial analysis.

Financial Accounting17. Support the delivery of the Trusts statutory annual accounts in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as interpreted for the NHS by the Department of Healths Manual for Accounts.18. Ensuring that monthly and annual accounts are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as interpreted for the NHS by the Department of Health and Social Cares Manual for Accounts.19. To lead the reporting of service level profitability through the Trusts Service Line and Patient Level reporting systems.20. To lead the analysis for national costing returns, such as Reference Cost submissions, including liaising with Performance Managers.

General21. To interpret the financial implications of national NHS policy for the Trust.22. Using experience to provide financial advice to all stakeholders in the organisation to enhance the performance of the Trust.23. Ensuring that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard.24. To provide financial training and budget management to budget managers where required, monitoring how well this education has been absorbed when reviewing budget statements.25. Arranging and taking part in training sessions for budget managers.

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional registration of one of the following professional accountancy qualifications: ACA, ACCA, CIPFA, CIMA
• Track record of continuous professional & management development.

Desirable

• Project management qualification.

Knowledge

Essential

• Expert management accounting knowledge and skills
• Design and deliver presentations covering complex material using language understandable to non-technical staff
• Proficient with MS Office and other software
• Confident MS Excel advanced user
• Strong interpersonal skills with finance professional credibility

Desirable

• Practical understanding of wider NHS financial environment

Experience

Essential

• Experience of accounting within a complex environment
• Experience of working, communicating and negotiating successfully with non-financial colleagues at a senior level.
• Experience of writing reports to present complex information for a range of audiences including Board members

Desirable

• Experience of NHS costing

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

Essential

• Expert management accounting knowledge and skills
• Design and deliver presentations covering complex material using language understandable to non- technical staff, clinicians and other users
• Proficient with MS Office & range of software packages relating to financial management
• Confident MS Excel user to advanced level.
• Able to deliver to deadlines under time pressure, and self-manage a range of priorities and objectives

Desirable

• Practical understanding of wider NHS financial environment, including commissioners, other provider sectors, and regulators.

Communication

Essential

• Strong interpersonal skills with finance professional credibility.
• Communicate effectively (verbal and written) with a range of clinical and non-clinical staff, including Executives.

Personal and People Development

Essential

• Ability to build positive relationships and gain commitment from others

Personal Attributes / Behaviours (linked to the Trust's Behaviour Framework)

Essential

• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults.
• Self-starter" capable of generating & delivering innovative solutions.

Other

Essential

• High level of mental effort required, including a requirement for concentration, responding to unpredictable work patterns, interruptions and the need to meet deadlines
• Ability to make own travel arrangements.

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).