Senior Management Accountant

Job Type: Temporary

Sector: Healthcare 

Duration: 3 months, possibility to be extended 

Location: North West of Central London

Hybrid Working: Wednesday and Thursday must be in the office, the other 3 days are negotiable 

Remote Working: Not permitted 

Pay Rates: 

£20 - £23 PAYE inclusive of holiday pay per hour 

£23 - £26 Umbrella per hour 

Working Days and Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, 37.5 hours per week 

Job Summary

Accountable to the Finance Business Partner for the relevant Operational Division, the Senior Management Accountant will have responsibility for providing a comprehensive business management service to one of the Trust’s Operational Divisions. This will be an integrated service that covers both financial and non-financial performance. The postholder will help drive the service agenda in each Division through the provision of high quality costing, budgetary planning and actual performance and activity management information.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• The postholder will also lead on the costing and pricing of services and be responsible for leading on the development and maintenance of all aspects of Service Line Reporting in conjunction with the Head of Income and Costing within their area of responsibility. 
• The postholder will have strong links to the Performance and Informatics department and Corporate Finance teams, where more specialist support will be provided in the areas of capital accounting, treasury management, costing and pricing.
• The role will also encompass the production of the monthly reporting of budgeted and actual performance and monitoring, forecasting and variance analysis, 
• Monthly reporting process reporting actual performance against plan and where performance differs significantly to influence operational managers/clinicians in taking corrective action. This is likely to involve considerable data and information analysis; 
• Manage the team to ensure effective support is provided to management for investment and business case decision making 
• In-year monitoring, forecasting and variance analysis, and timely provision of training, advice and information to budget holders. 
• To provide financial information, analysis and advice to the Divisional Operations Director, Clinical Directors and other managers within the Division. 
• To meet regularly with budget managers to ensure that any potential financial or performance problems are identified early enough for corrective action to be effective and that robust income, expenditure and cash forecasts are regularly produced. 
• Responsibility for all aspects of budgetary management within the Division, including monitoring of performance and providing advice on corrective action as necessary. 
• To take a lead role in the division in the annual budget setting process. 
• Advising the Divisional Board on commissioning plans, cost and income implications of service changes and advising of financial implications of changes to local tariff and payment by results. 
• Working with the central informatics team, to ensure activity performance reports are correctly submitted, and signed off by the Divisional management team. 
• To undertake where relevant lead responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of recharging mechanisms to improve costing information. 
• To provide support and advice on financial and non-financial aspects of the business plans. 
• Control, monitor and reconcile the Divisional budget and reserve allocations. 
• To provide advice and education on business management issues to the designated Division in order to improve the financial awareness, performance, cost effectiveness and efficiency, revenue generation and to maximise the use of Trust assets. 
• Support the Income and Costing Accountant in the production of Reference Costs in the context of Payment by Results, and assess any implications on Divisional income and expenditure. This may involve complex analysis of information. 
• Monitor and analyse divisional activity and related income, and routinely report costs against income at HRG and specialty level. 
• To provide monthly financial and performance reports that take into account activity, income and expenditure, CIP progress, and encompassing risks and forecasts, within deadlines set in the corporate reporting timetable 
• To participate in the development of new costing and budgeting methodologies as the Trust looks to move towards activity aligned budgets. 
• To manage the Management Accountant when necessary. 

Education / Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• The post holder must have, be actively studying towards a CCAB (or CIMA) qualification or be able to demonstrate that they are qualified by experience.

Experience

• Relevant experience in a management accounting department.
• Knowledge of NHS Finance & Organizational structures, including an understanding of clinical activity and how it is coded and recorded.
• Experience of financial forecasting and budget setting.

Knowledge

• Thorough experience of financial management gained within a complex environment, budgetary control, forecasting and management information processes.
• Able to create complex spreadsheets and databases to manipulate complex financial data, often using several systems simultaneously. Use advanced spreadsheet functions (e.g. pivot table, sumif & vlookup).

Skills/Abilities

• Ability to plan and organise own workload and meet deadlines, which will involve balancing competing priorities within a fluctuating and demanding workload.
• Ability to work on own initiative with minimal supervision.
• Ability to analyse, investigate and resolve queries independently and take appropriate decisions within broad departmental procedures and external guidelines.
• Confident user of IT e.g. Microsoft Office, integrated financial ledger system, databases, with accurate output.
• Ability to concentrate, occasionally for prolonged periods. Ability to deal effectively with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to interpret highly complex external guidance and implement locally.
• Ability to present and communicate in writing and verbally with all levels of staff and external contacts, often in situations, which are complex and potentially contentious.
• Excellent verbal reasoning.
• Ability to write reports.
• Ability to influence and negotiate with others.
• Ability to lead and motivate staff.

Personal Qualities

• Evidence of negotiating and influencing ability.
• Able to work under pressure and to plan and prioritize workload effectively.
• Professional and reputation for integrity.
• Flexible and supportive work colleague.
• Tenacity and resilience.
• Not scared to make demands of self and others.