Deputy Contracting Accountant in Darlington

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Trusts Contracting and Development team, part of the wider Financial Management team in a key role. The Deputy Contracting Accountant role supports the Contracting & Development Accountant in delivering a high-quality, responsive service that ensures the Trusts clinical income is accurately recorded, reported and maximised. Acting as deputy, the postholder provides expert financial insight, manages key income processes and contributes to contracting, costing and performance reporting to support the Trusts financial objectives. You will benefit from an inclusive and welcoming environment, ongoing professional development and the flexibility of our agile working approach.

We are proud to be the first organisation in the Northeast to achieve Level 3 accreditation under One NHS Finance, and to hold CIMA Premier Partner, ACCA Approved Employer (Gold) and AAT Employer Scheme status reflecting our commitment to developing our people and building a vibrant, forward-thinking team.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will work closely with the Contracting & Development Accountant as part of a team of 5, providing comprehensive financial management and business advice to support Trust services. The role will support the Contracting & Development Accountant, Associate Director of Finance and senior managers in delivering service and business objectives within agreed resources, while ensuring that corporate finance responsibilities are met. This includes contributing to effective income management, financial control and performance assurance. The postholder will also supervise, manage and motivate members of the finance team, ensuring the provision of high quality, timely financial information and advice, and actively contributing to the continuous improvement of the financial management function.

Candidates will demonstrate strong numerical and analytical skills, the ability to work autonomously, meet deadlines and effectively prioritise your own workload and that of the team. Strong Microsoft Excel skills are essential.

Job responsibilities

• This role supports the oversight and assurance of the Trusts clinical income by leading income accounting, contract performance management and related reporting, while deputising for the Contracting & Development Accountant to ensure accurate income recovery, robust financial governance and effective support to clinical services.
• Income Accounting (Clinical Income Assurance & Reporting)
• Support the Control and assurance of the Trusts clinical income, and delivery of the Trusts financial plan and statutory financial duties.
• Lead the day-to-day income accounting function for clinical contracts, ensuring income is accurately recognised, recorded and reported in line with NHS financial rules and accounting standards.
• Ensure clinical activity data is validated, reconciled and aligned to income flows, working closely with Information, Finance and operational teams to prevent income leakage.
• Produce and review detailed income journals, reconciliations and control accounts, providing assurance over the completeness and accuracy of clinical income.
• Lead preparation and review of monthly clinical income reports, including variance analysis against plan, identification of trends, risks and mitigation actions.
• Support in year and medium-term income forecasting, incorporating activity, contractual assumptions and known risks to inform Trust and Care Group financial planning.
• Work closely with Financial Services to ensure timely invoicing, income recovery and resolution of income discrepancies, reducing aged debt and supporting cash flow.
• Provide expert advice to Care Groups and senior managers on income performance, financial risk and the income impact of service changes, supporting operational decision making.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of income accounting procedures, controls and documentation to strengthen governance, audit assurance and consistency of practice.
• Contract Management (Contract Performance, Submissions & Commissioner Assurance)
• Supporting the management and oversight of the Trusts acute and community contracts and service level agreements, supporting delivery of contractual, financial and performance objectives.
• Support the planning, implementation and ongoing management of legally binding contracts and SLAs, ensuring financial implications are understood, accurately reflected and aligned to Trust priorities.
• Lead and coordinate the preparation and submission of key contract monitoring and income returns, ensuring submissions are timely, accurate and fully supported by underlying activity and financial data.
• Take responsibility for managing challenges, queries and reconciliation issues arising from ACM and PLCM submissions, working proactively with commissioners, internal finance teams and clinical services to resolve disputes and protect Trust income.
• Monitor contract performance against agreed activity, financial and quality parameters, identifying emerging risks, variances or non-delivery and supporting the development of remedial action plans where required.
• Proactively manage, authorise and reconcile in-year contract variations, ensuring changes are appropriately evidenced, accurately recorded and reflected in income reporting and forecasts.
• Coordinate and respond to commissioner data requests, validation exercises and non-financial variation processes within contractual timescales to minimise delays, penalties and income risk.
• Support contract discussions and negotiations with commissioners and partner organisations by providing robust financial analysis, assurance and advice to inform decision-making and safeguard Trust income.
• Team Management (Deputy Leadership, Delivery & Development)
• Direct line-management responsibility for one member of staff, providing supervision, support and development to ensure delivery of high-quality and timely outputs.
• Provide professional supervision, guidance and support to the team member, acting as a first point of escalation for operational issues and prioritisation.
• Support staff development through coaching, training and contribution to appraisal and performance review processes, promoting a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Contribute to recruitment, induction and onboarding of new staff, ensuring they are effectively integrated and supported within the team.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, systems and ways of working to improve productivity, resilience and the quality of financial and contracting outputs.
• Ensure complex, sensitive or contentious financial and contracting information is communicated clearly and professionally within the team and to wider stakeholders.
• Act as deputy to the Contracting & Development Accountant in the management of the Contracting & Development team when required, ensuring delivery of a high-quality, responsive service.
• Performance Intelligence, PLICS & Service Line Reporting
• Effective use of patient-level costing and information (PLICS) and service line reporting (SLR) to inform income assurance, contract management and performance discussions.
• Provide accurate and timely income and activity information to support PLICS and SLR reporting, ensuring alignment between income, activity and costing outputs.
• Use PLICS and service line information to support the identification, investigation and resolution of contracting, income and performance issues, including variance analysis and commissioner challenges.
• Produce and interpret benchmarking and performance intelligence derived from PLICS and SLR outputs to support contract performance management, service reviews and decision-making.
• Work collaboratively with costing, information and clinical teams to ensure income flows and activity are appropriately reflected within PLICS outputs.
• Support the use of PLICS and service line information in contract discussions, efficiency reviews and income protection activity, strengthening the Trusts evidence base in negotiations and performance management.
• Other Corporate Responsibilities (Governance, Planning & Assurance)
• Support the Contracting and Development Accountant and Associate Director of Finance in the delivery of key corporate finance responsibilities, ensuring compliance with Trust policies, Standing Financial Instructions and financial governance requirements.
• Contribute to the annual planning and budget-setting process for clinical income and contracting areas of responsibility, ensuring plans are robust, supported by activity and income assumptions, and aligned to Trust objectives.
• Support the completion of corporate finance returns and assurance processes as required, including contributions to annual accounts, planning submissions, audit and validation exercises.
• Provide timely and accurate information to support internal and external audit, regulatory assurance, and responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests relating to income, contracting and performance data.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of financial procedures, controls and documentation relating to income accounting and contract management.
• Undertake other corporate finance duties as delegated, supporting a flexible, responsive and high-quality Corporate Finance function.

Person Specification

Experience

• Essential: Experience of working within a finance function.
• Essential: Experience of using computerised finance systems; General Ledger & report writing software.
• Essential: Experience of Microsoft Office software applications.
• Essential: Knowledge, experience and expertise in finance management.
• Desirable: Exposure to working mid-management level.
• Desirable: Experience of working within NHS finance.
• Desirable: Understanding of the performance management and financial framework within the NHS.
• Desirable: Experience/Knowledge of the NHS Financial regime, including capital accounting, the payment by results process, costing and information processes within the NHS.
• Desirable: Knowledge / experience of recruitment, appraisal, delegation, training, staff discipline and relevant HR policies and procedures.
• Desirable: Experience of using Oracle General Ledger and Discoverer.
• Desirable: Experience or knowledge of NHS standard contract and NHS payment scheme.
• Desirable: Experience of using SLAM.
• Desirable: Experience of working with PLICS information.

Special Requirements

• Essential: A commitment to the continuous development of the finance department to be innovative and to constantly seek new ways of working/improving performance.

Qualifications

• Essential: CCAB Professional Accountancy Qualification or passed finalist or Significant equivalent NHS Financial Management Experience.
• Desirable: CCAB Professional Accountancy Qualification or passed finalist. Clear Plan of working towards CCAB Professional Accountancy Qualification or evidence of continued professional development.

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Essential: Communication & Relationship Skills - Able to advise finance and non-finance managers on matters relating to their own area, providing detailed advice and guidance.
• Essential: The ability to advise, influence and negotiate with staff at all levels within and outside the Trust.
• Essential: Understands, and can effectively convey current financial concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Essential: Analytical & Judgement Skills - Ability to produce and analyse business cases, including the development and appraisal of options, to optimise the allocation of resources.
• Essential: Planning & Organisation Skills - Ability to plan and manage the workload of own team, to ensure workload is delivered to a high quality within deadlines.
• Essential: Governance and Risk Management - Advises others on compliance with the Corporate Governance Manual and applies the principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and the public good to all activities within own area.
• Essential: Supervises others in their compliance with financial policies and procedures.
• Essential: Support and promotes strong financial management culture and develops finance skills and knowledge of governance issues.
• Essential: Customer Focused Business Advice - Has a wider awareness of the organisation and its position in the marketplace and uses this to challenge processes and data in order to make improvements.