Senior Management Accountant | Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Knowsley

An opportunity has arisen for the role of Senior Management Accountant, acting as the Financial Management lead for one of the Trust’s clinical divisions and playing a key role in managing and reporting its financial position. The post holder will provide expert financial advice to operational colleagues and lead staff in providing an effective financial management and reporting service. The successful candidate will be a fully qualified CCAB or CIMA qualified accountant with significant financial management experience in a large organisation. They will have experience of managing and developing staff and will have demonstrated the ability to build effective working relationships and deliver timely and accurate financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert financial advice and oversight of financial management across the division.
• Influence investment decisions and priorities for the division, including providing financial input into business cases and informing management decisions.
• Support operational teams with addressing budget variances and delivering efficiency targets.
• Lead the month-end process for the area of responsibility, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.
• Co-ordinate the budget setting and forecasting processes.
• Manage and develop Management Accountants and other support staff.
• Advise the Assistant Director of Operations, Directorate leads and Clinical Leads on financial issues of all aspects of service provision of the Care Group/Corporate Function.
• Contribute to the accuracy of corporate financial reporting, including statutory returns, final accounts and Reference Costs submission.
• Ensure financial policies are adhered to, value-for-money is secured and financial stability is achieved.
• Provide training to non-finance managers and clinicians as required, ensuring Corporate Governance is adhered to.
• Co-ordinate the annual budget setting process, ensuring budgets reflect service pressures and funding constraints.
• Prepare financial reports for the division, ensuring consistency with corporate reporting to Finance Committee and Trust Board.
• Use technology and information systems effectively to ensure accurate interpretation and use of financial data.
• Monitor financial performance, identify and report variances and agree corrective action where necessary.
• Maintain the Trust’s General Reserves, ensuring correct distribution and communication of forecast slippages or shortages.
• Utilise information streams (SLR, PLICS, IPR, SLAM, PCB, Qlikview) as levers for change.
• Assist the Head of Financial Management with the completion of the Trust’s financial plan and monitoring throughout the year.
• Support service units in developing, assessing and implementing cost improvement plans (CIP) and ensure ownership by budget holders.
• Promote a positive culture of engagement with operational services on cost improvement.
• Provide full costing of schemes and liaise with Quality leads to ensure schemes are reviewed as part of Trust policy.
• Promote greater financial management and financial control amongst the divisional management team.
• Maintain the integrity of the financial ledger and other systems to ensure audit compliance.
• Prepare Final Accounts working papers in accordance with procedures and timescales.
• Ensure all communication is professional, competent and followed up in writing.
• Maintain Professional Registration and adhere to the relevant Code of Practice of the professional body.
• Update financial management reporting timetables and ensure synchronization with statutory, external and internal reporting schedules.
• Document working procedure notes for routine and non-routine reporting duties; update them regularly.
• Maintain both paper-based and electronic filing systems.
• Ensure staff appraisals, personal development plans and continuous professional development are completed.
• Recruit and select staff for the Management Accounts team effectively.
• Deputise for the Head of Financial Management or Assistant Director of Finance when required.
• Implement new ways of working to improve finance teams, cascading changes where relevant.
• Contribute to the Trust’s internal and external audit processes.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified CCAB or CIMA accountant.
• Significant financial management experience in a large organisation.
• Experience in managing and developing staff.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships and deliver accurate financial reporting.
• Strong understanding of health-care financial policies and procedures.

Professional & Administrative Responsibilities

• Maintain Professional Registration and adhere to the relevant Code of Practice of the professional body.
• Update financial management reporting timetables, ensuring synchronization with statutory, external and internal reporting schedules.
• Document, update and maintain working procedure notes for routine and non-routine reporting duties.
• Maintain paper-based and electronic filing systems.

Teaching & Training Responsibilities

• Provide training to non-financial managers on budgetary control and financial management, including effective use of information systems and reports.
• Support staff appraisals, personal development plans and continuous professional development.
• Act as a mentor for junior staff undertaking accountancy training.
• Assist students with professional competencies required by the relevant accountancy body.
• Participate in annual performance reviews to identify personal development needs.

Line Management and Supervisory Responsibilities

• Directly manage and develop the Management Accountant and other support staff, conducting one-to-ones, appraisals and health & safety monitoring.
• Ensure staff recruitment and selection procedures are applied effectively.
• Deputise for the Head of Financial Management or Assistant Director of Finance when necessary.

Financial and Research Responsibilities

• Continuously improve financial processes, implementing new ways of working and cascading changes to other finance teams.
• Contribute to the Trust’s internal and external audit processes.

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