Head of Financial Management, Reporting and Transformation

Job description

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for;

Financial Business Planning and Assurance

1. Designing, developing, and coordinating the NHSBSAs annual financial business planning process, enabling the production of coherent, consolidated financial plans, working collaboratively with the NHSBSAs strategy and business planning leads to deliver the financial resources required for the overall organisation.

2. Liaising with NHSBSA Directors, Leadership Team and directorate management teams to understand their strategic aims and operational imperatives, to inform the production of business plans for Board approval.

3. Evaluating and producing of alternative scenarios and what-if analysis based on key risks and opportunities

4. Leading discussions with and influencing direction with third parties, including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE), on business planning requirements. Ensuring that business plans are submitted on time and in the appropriate format for external parties, as required.

5. Interpretation of policy initiatives, new services, or strategy, including from the DHSC and NHSE, identifying and advising on complex financial risks to establish deliverable financial plans to meet required goals/outputs but also financial standards and control needs.

6. Providing subject matter expertise and support to the NHSBSA Financial Transformation team to define and develop the NHSBSAs medium- and long-term financial strategy

Performance Monitoring and Departmental Financial Management

7. Responsible for the development and maintenance of the financial aspects of the NHSBSAs governance framework and performance management framework, and for monitoring (a) performance against agreed financial plans and (b) the effectiveness of financial controls. The framework includes both operational and corporate directorates, capital expenditure, major change projects, and income from bodies including DHSC, NHSE and pensions levy.

8. Regular reporting and advising on financial performance and controls compliance in line with the aforementioned frameworks and ALB Delegations to the Director of Finance, Leadership Team and NHSBSA Main Board, including the development and provision of supporting financial reporting information system(s).

This involves holding to account the budget holders for each directorate and change project/programme, agreeing plans of action to resolve significant variances and underperformance. This also includes assurance that risks and recommendations identified through external and internal audit, other third-party assurance, and Fraud Risk Assessments are acted upon and mitigated. This may frequently involve the post-holder in contentious and sensitive issues.

9. Overseeing the overall financial management across NHSBSA in its entirety. This involves building effective strategic internal customer relationships and leading a team of finance business partners who work closely with Directors and their teams to understand the operational plans, opportunities, issues and risks of each business area. It is the post-holders role to ensure that the organisations projects and operations comply with the standards set out in the Standing Financial Instructions, ALB Delegations, internal financial planning, management and reporting procedures and guidance, accounting and audit standards and deadlines and general accounting practice.

10. Where required, to liaise directly with NHSBSA directors/CEO to lead the resolution of major financial risks and issues which can at times be highly complex, contentious, and impactful across the entirety of the organisation. This will require the post-holder to facilitate productive dialogue, consider multiple perspectives, apply analytical and critical thinking skills, implement effective stakeholder engagement strategies, and find solutions that address the interests of all parties.

11. Provide subject matter expertise to Directors/Heads of Service to develop and deliver their operational plans.

Business Cases, Project Evaluation and Assurance

12. Implementing NHSBSAs business case approval process and documentation for all in-scope capital and revenue expenditure under the NHSBSAs corporate governance arrangements, and in line with HM Treasurys Green Book, Managing Public Money and Business Case Guidance

13. Providing expert advice and assistance in the preparation of complex business cases including defining and capturing financial benefits.

14. Provisions of financial leadership, guidance, and assurance over NHSBSA strategic transformation programmes.

15. Reviewing submitted business cases in terms of financial performance (NPV, payback, impact on cash/resource) and assess for risk. Producing reports for the NHSBSA Main Board giving an independent evaluation of the costs, benefits, risks and strategic fit.

16. Evaluating all projects both during the implementation phase and post-implementation. Reporting on performance against original plans to the NHSBSA Leadership team.

17. Reviewing all contracting-out documentation, including legal contracts, and plans to ensure that the contracting-out will deliver the benefits required at an acceptable level of risk. Working with senior staff both within the NHSBSA, its commercial team and third parties to maintain delivery. Identifying solutions where financial challenges arise from the provision of services through third parties.

18. Lead on financial approval of business cases through the relevant Assurance Groups across the NHSBSA

Financial Transformation and Value19. Lead the financial transformation portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and delivery of long-term financial sustainability for both NHSBSA and the NHS Pension Scheme.

20. Ensure development and implementation of costing, benchmarking and service value metrics, with processes embedded across core services and pension administration.

21. Drive innovation in financial service delivery, leveraging data, digital tools and best practice to improve efficiency and transparency.

Financial Reporting

22. Responsible for compliance with the annual financial reporting cycle and corresponding control environment.

23. Managing the closure of both the NHS Pension Scheme and the NHSBSA year-end accounts (and other statutory and non-statutory monitoring returns) ensuring compliance with professional accounting standards. This will include liaison with the National Audit Office (NAO) and the NHSBSA Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). To facilitate this, highly complex accounting treatments and other professional judgements are required on the application of international accounting standards to the NHSBSA. These judgements will impact on the financial performance of the NHSBSA.

24. Ensuring a framework for the accurate maintenance of relevant financial accounting records utilising the NHSBSAs corporate finance system is maintained. This will require a thorough understanding of both the statutory/DHSC requirements and those of senior managers, Directors and the Board.

25. Overseeing the financial accounting framework and Authoritys policies to facilitate and appropriate control environment across the NHSBSA.

26. Ensuring all technical accounting issues for the NHSBSA are agreed with the relevant stakeholder.

27. Providing advice on complex corporate issues demonstrating an in depth specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures, particularly in relation to the NHS.

Third Party Assurances

28. Collaborating with the Head of Commercial Services to identify, assess and manage third party / outsourcing risks.

29. Providing both internal and external stakeholders with financial assurance and transparency relating to the risks associated with NHSBSAs supply chains and the contracts that manage them.

30. Ensuring robust financial control procedures and reports are in place to meet the requirements of auditors, stakeholders and ISAE 3400 (The Examination of Prospective Financial Information) and ISAE 3402 (Assurance Reports on Controls at a Service Organisation)

Financial Sustainability

31. Sustaining NHSBSA as a going concern through effective business planning, efficiency, and benefits realisation. Implementing the governance necessary to identify and implement financial efficiencies necessary to maintain financial sustainability and value for money.

Strategic Relationship Management

32. Building, maintaining and strengthening effective working relationships with strategic partners, customers, and stakeholders to help sustain income and growth for the NHSBSA.

Other Duties

33. Such other duties as may be assigned by the Director of Finance and/or the Chief Executive.

34. Deputising for the Director of Finance where relevant.

Person Specification

Personal Qualities, Knowledge, and Skills

Essential

• Ability to deal with highly complex and contentious situations in developing plans for financial sustainability.
• Collaborative and insightful delivery working with and through partners. Provides financial services that are informed by users and where performance is measurable.
• An engaging leader who inspires by providing meaningful direction and advice, with the confidence to disagree without being disagreeable

Desirable

• NHS Finance background

Experience

Essential

• 1.Extensive experience at a senior level with a large organisation, to include experience of management accounting functions of a large organisation
• 2.Reporting at Board level
• 3.Working at strategic level
• 4.Production of business plans
• 5.Leading and managing people
• 6.Production of annual report and accounts
• 7.Benefits realisation activities
• 8.Pricing and costing services

Desirable

• 1.Public sector experience
• 2.Project management
• 3.Experience of planning and implementation of finance systems
• 4.Corporate finance role or multi-company consolidations
• 5.Major project evaluation

Qualifications

Essential

• 1.Degree or equivalent
• 2.Professional accountancy qualification - and significant post-qualified experience

Desirable

• 1.MBA

Relevant Professional Framework

Essential

• 1.Member of CCAB approved body

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).

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Business Services Authority

Address

Stella House

Goldcrest Way

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY

Employer's website

https://careers.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)