Finance Analyst

Responsibilities:

• To respond with tact and consideration to queries of a sensitive nature e.g. pay and employment enquiries.
• To prepare coherent notes of financial meetings e.g. SDU budget setting meetings.
• To develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the Trust's processes and procedures and the accounting system relating to budgetary control, including an operational understanding of other Finance functions, e.g. Payroll, Accounts Payable, Procurement, etc.
• To have a working knowledge and understanding of relevant national accounting standards and an awareness of NHS Finance Initiatives e.g. Payment by Results, Agenda For Change, etc.
• To assist the Directorate Finance Manager in the setting and maintenance of the budget for one or more Trust Directorates, accounting for changes in pay and price levels and the decisions of budget holders.
• To review and approve the preparation of routine budgeting and financial journals, invoice requests and other accounting transactions relating to one or more Trust Directorates.
• To review and maintain the budget holders distribution and cost centre lists for each Trust Directorate.
• To perform variance analysis on the monthly financial statements to understand and explain key variances.
• To investigate, analyse and resolve complex budget holder queries e.g. variances relating to junior medical staff, communicating the information in lay terms.
• To analyse and interpret expenditure to determine the appropriate value of accruals.
• To perform complex costing calculations as required by Budget Holders or Managers.
• To manage own workload and to supervise the work of junior staff.
• To assist with the development and maintenance of Management Accounting practices and procedures in response to changes in national accounting standards and Trust policy.
• To provide induction training to junior Finance staff and supervise their day to day activities.
• To provide basic induction training for Budget Holders.
• To adapt and maintain accounting spreadsheets, e.g. monthly accruals spreadsheets, costing analysis, etc.
• To maintain departmental storage and retrieval systems.
• To assist in audits and the development of new management accounting systems for improved accuracy and efficiency.
• To spend significant periods of the working day sitting at a workstation inputting and viewing data.
• To maintain good levels of concentration even when work is unstructured, ad hoc or complex.
• To concentrate for extended periods when analysing large volumes of data and working with detailed spreadsheets.
• To be able to work in a busy office environment, demanding high levels of concentration (checking, correcting, analysing and making calculations) while coping with regular interruptions.
• To sometimes work long and irregular hours in order to deliver costing services, taking into account any staff sickness or absences.
• To occasionally deal with potentially distressed staff in a calm and professional manner.
• To maintain a pleasant outward disposition.
• To use a VDU and a keyboard for the majority of each day for the purposes of communication and work completion.

Person Specification:

• Qualifications and training: NVQ - Level 4, or AAT - Technician level, or NEBS - Level 3, or HNC, or Diploma (e.g. IPPM), or completion of the first stage of a CCAB qualification (usually called the 'certificate' stage) or experience indicated below.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years Finance experience.
• Skills: Good level of competence in basic Excel, Word and Outlook; Advanced keyboard skills.
• Desirable criteria: Ability to communicate complex information effectively to all levels of staff and management.
• Knowledge: Good understanding of NHS Trust financial framework, sound grasp of accounting techniques and principles (especially as they apply to the NHS), and sound understanding of Trust accounting systems.