Directorate Management Accountant in Bedford

The Finance Team has over 50 members of staff working in Financial Accounts, Management Accounts and Contracting across the Bedford and Luton Site. It is a great place to work where we support learning and development of our staff. We have an excellent track record of supporting, developing and promoting our staff internally. Level 2 accredited One NHS Finance employer, working towards Level 3. ACCA Approved Employer Programme. CIMA Premier Partner. AAT Employer Scheme.

Responsibilities

• Produce timely and accurate financial statements for Directorates on a monthly basis.
• Support budget holders in managing their financial position so the Trust can achieve its financial targets, providing complex and sensitive information and requiring negotiation and persuasion skills.
• Support negotiations with NHS and external organisations over cost/service issues.
• Report Directorates financial position to the Finance Manager (FM) to allow aggregation of the Trust’s financial position on a timely monthly basis.
• Assist in the Directorate’s procurement strategy to minimise costs incurred.
• Analyse complex financial trends involving many streams of data and forecast financial expenditure, using own initiative to make appropriate assumptions.
• Assist senior financial managers & clinicians with financial decision making and risk mitigation through in‑depth analysis of activity/income.
• Prepare annual Directorate budgets for service planning, supporting budget holders through the budget setting process.
• Monitor & control budgetary changes throughout the year for relevant Directorates and propose changes to the control procedures which impact other team members’ areas.
• Provide ad‑hoc support to FM, Director of Finance & other team members in planning projects that impact across the department and the organisation.
• Co‑ordinate the work of other staff members in the section, allocating and checking the work for junior staff members and delivering appropriate training to new/junior staff members.
• Review activity and income on a monthly basis, ensuring activity is recorded and reflected on SLR.
• Costing for business cases, including activity, income and expenditure.

Qualifications

Essential criteria – Qualifications

• Graduate Part CCAB or Studying

Desirable criteria – Qualifications

• CCAB

Essential criteria – IT skills

• Knowledge of Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• General ledger system experience

Essential criteria – Relevant experience from JD

• Month end experience
• Variance analysis
• Dealing with budget holder queries
• Management accounts experience – 3+ years NHS Experience

Essential criteria – Communication skills

• Written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to explain financial information to non‑finance professionals

Desirable criteria – Communication skills

• Negotiation skills

Essential criteria – Other skills

• Time management
• Prioritising both predictable and unpredictable workloads
• Ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines
• Concentration and high work quality under pressure

Desirable criteria – Other skills

• Able to work as part of a team

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post.

Legal and Eligibility Requirements

Applicants will be required to submit Disclosure and Barring Service checks due to access to vulnerable people as part of their normal duties.