Finance Assistant in Wigan

This role supports the Financial Services team in delivering accurate and timely financial processes, ensuring compliance with procedures and deadlines. It contributes to maintaining effective financial controls, resolving queries, and providing guidance to colleagues. 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Main duties of the job:

• Assist in the reconciliation of control accounts and associated queries.
• Understand accounting procedures including reconciliations, VAT payments and deductions, and general ledger coding structures.
• Support the allocation of private patient income and deposits, identifying any under or overpayments and ensuring corrective action is taken.
• Assist in the allocation of all trust income.
• Deputise and provide support for the Accounts Receivable Officer to undertake debt collection activities where appropriate and resolve complex payment issues, including those of a sensitive nature.
• Print and despatch invoices and credit notes following invoice/credit generation within the sales ledger, either via email or post or other distribution method identified in the procedures.
• Produce and send dunning letters to the debtor in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures.
• Record all debtor contact in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures.
• Assist with monitoring the trusts credit card expenditure and investigate any anomalies.
• Communicate to finance/non-finance colleagues finance policies and procedures in line with Trust SFIs (Standing Financial Instructions).
• Assist in the preparation of several working papers to substantiate figures reported in the Trust Annual Accounts.
• Assist in the completion of the NHS agreement of balances exercise for both debtor/creditor balances and income and expenditure transactions identifying discrepancies and taking corrective action where appropriate.
• Assist in clearing unallocated cash in the general ledger.
• Assist in the completion of the monthly bank reconciliation.
• Liaise with internal and external auditors providing information as required.
• Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within Financial Services and recommend procedural enhancements, while maintaining awareness of the impact on other areas of the Finance department.
• Analyse, investigate and resolve financial queries, identifying solutions from a range of options.
• Any other duties as required for the role.

Person specification:

• 5 GCSEs including maths and English.
• Associate AAT or equivalent studying or experience.
• Further academic achievement.
• Evidence of ongoing professional training & development.

• Experience of working in a Finance role.
• Experience within a corporate Finance environment.
• NHS Experience.

• Attention to detail, with a methodical and thorough approach.
• Ability to concentrate frequently for sustained periods on complex calculations, with accurate results.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• IT literacy with strong spreadsheet skills.
• Accurate and speedy inputting skills.
• Ability to meet targets and deadlines through planning, multitasking, prioritising competing demands, and switching objectives/tasks.
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential information.
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office (specifically Outlook, Excel, Word and Access).

• Knowledge pertaining to financial control, best practice and financial procedures.
• Knowledge of financial systems.
• Knowledge of Finance concepts and principles, as applied to double entry bookkeeping, financial ledgers and ‘feeder’ systems, reconciliation, and financial reporting.
• Knowledge of accounts production.

• Flexible/adaptable approach.
• Motivated and professional manner.
• Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to overall team effectiveness.
• Ability to work under own initiative.

Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.