Finance Assistant - Planned Care in Reading

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Finance Assistant to join the Finance Team supporting Planned Care services at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. The role is ideal for someone with strong numerical skills, attention to detail and an interest in developing a career in NHS Finance. You will play a key role in supporting the production of management accounts, monthly reporting and budgetary control, working with both clinical and operational teams to help the Trust deliver high quality patient care.

Main duties:

• Support the preparation of monthly management accounts
• Assist with budget monitoring, forecasting and variance analysis
• Work closely with budget holders to provide accurate and timely financial information
• Assist with adhoc costings, income analysis and reporting
• Support annual processes including budgeting and year end close-down, along with some audit requirements
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the Finance Directorate and Planned Care Teams

The post holder is responsible for supporting the Care Group Finance Team in the provision of professional analysis of financial and business information to contribute to operational management and decision making within designated areas of the Trust. To assist in the provision of financial support and advice to Directorates.

Job responsibilities:

• Be responsible for a specified workload, with the support of the Finance Manager, in the production of monthly management accounts and performance information
• Maintenance of the accuracy of the Finance General ledger, including requesting invoices, monthly accruals & prepayments, and changes required to budgets
• Provide support to the Finance Manager in responding to enquiries from budget holders and managers on all operational finance and performance issues
• Support the Finance Manager in the training of new budget holders
• Meet budget holders unaccompanied where appropriate
• Assist in the formulation of annual budgets and periodic forecasts, using spreadsheets and software packages to calculate pay and non-pay expenditure projections and input into the financial system
• Produce ad hoc reports, including spreadsheets and graphs, as required
• Be responsible for requisitions and invoicing queries related to centrally managed services within the Care Group
• Manage own workload to meet monthly and periodic timetable deadlines
• Reconcile ESR to the budgeted establishment and process changes to ESR and the ledger in line with the Budget Virement process
• Check payroll data and produce code correction journals
• Raise accruals and prepayment journals and input them onto the financial ledger
• Raise invoices to ensure the correct level of income is received and cash flow maintained
• Undertake work in line with Care Group and Trust deadlines and financial procedures
• Investigate and analyse monthly variances with guidance from Finance Manager; monitor accounting information and correct errors; raise and input budget variations and accrual journals as necessary
• Assist in providing information for statutory and regulatory returns, annual accounts, external audit and Monitor returns as guided by Finance Manager
• Support the Finance Manager as required and cover duties during short-term absence
• Provide support to cover other Care Group finance needs during periods of absence

Professional/Technical:

• Become an expert user on Excel/Jedox, and a user of Oracle and any other internal financial systems

Person Specification:

Essential Education and Experience:

• Experience of using accounting ledger systems
• AAT Intermediate level or equivalent experience

Desirable:

• Management accounts experience
• Actively Studying for a full professional qualification

Skills, Knowledge & Attributes:

• IT literacy: proficient in MS Office systems including Excel & Word
• Pro-active and good inter-personal skills
• Results oriented and problem solving
• Experience of working with a range of finance and non-financial colleagues
• Assertive, self-confident and self-motivated
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to work on own initiative

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details:

Employer name: Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Berkshire Hospital, Care Group Offices - Level 3, Craven Road, Reading, RG1 5AN
Employer's website: https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/