Finance Manager - Financial Accounts in Bolton

Full time 37.5 hour per week. Permanent post.

Manages, organises and supports staff effectively through work planning, 1:1 meetings and appraisals, including performance and productivity monitoring and undertakes sample checking to comply with service standards and audits.

To take a leading role in systems redesign across financial accounts. This will include the use of new technologies, systems and workflow techniques.

To provide a comprehensive financial accounting and support service to the Trust, providing a full range of advice, information and analysis as required.

To support the Financial Accountant in the formulation and co-ordination of balance sheet and cash flow forecasting whilst adhering to corporate standards and timetables.

Main duties of the job:

• To take active steps to encourage, support and promote a culture of development, improving and learning, ensuring that effective personal development and appraisal systems are used as part of the Directorate's training plan to enable continuous improvement in performance standards, training and development of Financial Accounts staff.
• To support senior finance staff in the completion of the Trust's capital reporting requirements.
• To support Capital and Divisional Managers with maintaining capital budgetary control, including the provision of training and development and resolving issues.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the Trust's capital asset register and capital charging systems in accordance with the DOH Group Accounting Manual. To update, maintain, organise, gather and analyse information to monitor capital spend and ensure the financial reporting systems reconcile monthly.
• Responsible for supplying capital information (acquisitions, disposals, transfers, valuations) for the completion of the Trust's accounts and to advise on the financial implications of disposing and purchasing assets.
• To manage the timely submission of the Charitable Fund annual accounts and related returns to the Charity Commission, external auditors and the Charitable Fund Committee together with the provision of all financial information required for the Charity's Annual report.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for managing the recruitment, supervision, training and continuous development of staff including the direct line management for the Financial Accounts team.
• To take active steps to encourage, support and promote a culture of development, improving and learning, ensuring that effective personal development and appraisal systems are used as part of the Directorate's training plan to enable continuous improvement in performance standards, training and development of Financial Accounts staff.
• To support senior finance staff in the completion of the Trust's capital reporting requirements.
• To support Capital and Divisional Managers with maintaining capital budgetary control, including the provision of training and development and resolving issues.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the Trust's capital asset register and capital charging systems in accordance with the DOH Group Accounting Manual. To update, maintain, organise, gather and analyse information to monitor capital spend and ensure the financial reporting systems reconcile monthly.
• Responsible for supplying capital information (acquisitions, disposals, transfers, valuations) for the completion of the Trust's accounts and to advise on the financial implications of disposing and purchasing assets.
• Responsible for the Trust's Charitable Funds reporting requirements in line with current legislation and Trust guidance.
• To manage the Charitable Fund balances and investments to ensure compliance with the Charity Commission, Charities Act 2011 and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).
• To manage the timely submission of the Charitable Fund annual accounts and related returns to the Charity Commission, external auditors and the Charitable Fund Committee together with the provision of all financial information required for the Charity's Annual report.
• To manage the annual audit of the Charitable Fund accounts, liaising with auditors to ensure relevant working papers of the highest quality are always readily available to ensure the Charity does not receive anything other than minor issues in relation to the external audit report.
• To contribute to the development of the balance sheet and cashflow plans for the Trust.
• To ensure the annual budgeted balance sheet is entered onto the finance ledger correctly and promptly each year and to keep a track of any in year changes.
• To take a lead on co-ordinating the completion of the monthly financial reporting, ensuring accuracy and completeness in accordance with strict reporting deadlines and information requirements.
• Oversee the work schedules of the Financial Accounts team providing support and direction where necessary.
• To assist the Financial Accountant with achieving a detailed understanding of the drivers behind all significant variances to the balance sheet and cash flow forecasts.
• To ensure all control accounts are prepared and reviewed promptly and ensure that all reconciliations are complete and countersigned.
• To play a lead role in the production of the Trust's annual financial accounts in accordance with relevant guidelines and legislation; by maintenance of adequate accounting records throughout the year and completion of annual duties as appropriate.
• Member of the Charity Operational Committee.
• Preparation of all necessary papers for the Charitable Fund Committee.
• To act as the VAT specialist and to manage the completion of the VAT return ensuring HMRC deadlines are met. To work with the Trust's VAT advisers to ensure that the Trust maximises its VAT recovery on a timely basis.
• To lead in ensuring relevant staff are trained and updated following VAT reviews and VAT legislation changes and to circulate new information regarding legislation changes to relevant staff.
• To review the cashbooks daily and produce cash flow forecasts as required.
• Create and maintain information for the Trust intranet relating to the Trust policy, guidance and procedures for the department.
• To provide financial accounts advice and guidance, as appropriate, to a range of non-financial staff.
• To prepare and communicate complex financial information to finance and non-finance professionals, both internal and external to the organisation.
• To actively engage with, listen to and seek views of senior colleagues to facilitate understanding and provide assistance in financial matters as appropriate.
• Contribute to performance improvement, taking a lead for specific areas where agreed.
• To manage own workload with minimal supervision and ensure adherence to deadlines set for the department and team. To deliver against objectives, achieving quality outcomes, prioritising own workload and working to tight deadlines.
• To produce and maintain procedure notes for the department ensuring that staff are trained in the use of accounting systems, Trust/statutory procedures, and local procedures.
• Mentoring of Finance Apprenticeships.
• To deputise for the Financial Accountant.

Person specification:

Qualifications

• Essential criteria: Registered Qualified Accountant with active membership of CCAB or CIMA. Evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Desirable criteria: Supervisory or management qualification. Postgraduate diploma level in a relevant discipline.

Experience

• Essential criteria: Significant financial accounting experience including experience of a range of accounting areas and financial systems. Ability to analyse and interpret complex financial data and present it clearly. Excellent IT skills, particularly advanced Excel.
• Desirable criteria: NHS Financial Experience.

Knowledge

• Essential criteria: Comprehensive knowledge of UK accounting standards (UK GAAP) and their application in financial reporting. Thorough understanding of financial governance and audit requirements. Detailed knowledge of up-to-date VAT regulations. Detailed knowledge of Charitable Funds accounting procedures as detailed in the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).
• Desirable criteria: Awareness of IFRS and public sector accounting frameworks. NHS VAT regimes.

The vision of this Trust is to be recognised by the people of Bolton and beyond as an excellent provider of health and care services and a great place to work. We are striving to attract, recruit and retain high calibre skilled staff which reflect our communities. We are an inclusive employer who trains and develops our staff in a positive learning environment. We thrive on cultivating cultural architecture; if you have the right skills, attitudes and behaviours, in line with our Trust values, we welcome and appreciate the diversity you bring to our organisation.

We offer a wide range of staff benefits. From time to time we may need to close a vacancy early when in receipt of a sufficient number of applications. If you are interested in this post and wish to be considered, we strongly advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.