Lead Divisional Accountant

Professional
* Assist the Assistant Director of Finance (Management Accounts) with the preparation of annual budgets, in liaison with budget holders, and prior to the start of each financial year, generating financial forecasts for the Business Units, forecasting income and expenditure, developing and using complex models.
* Provide working papers to the budget setting process which allow for a transparent record of resource allocation.
* Report Business Unit budgetary performance, overseeing production of accurate budget statements within strict deadlines, ensuring the information within the general ledger is maintained accurately.
* Identify areas of significant variance of expenditure against plan and work with budget holders to develop and deliver recovery plans to ensure financial balance is achieved, providing support and advice to service managers who are not experienced in financial management or reporting.
* Ensure that local performance indicators are developed, agreed and reported on monthly.
* Advise the Assistant Director of Finance (Management Accounts) and other appropriate finance staff on projected outturn for each Business Unit.
* Design and develop supplementary reports analysing activity and cost on significant pay and non-pay areas and present these reports for budget holders and senior finance staff.
* Work with Business Units to ensure awareness and compliance with the Trust’s budgetary control, procurement policy, SFIs, SFOs and other financial procedures ensuring that service managers understand and adhere to them.
* Work with GMs, OSMs and other budget holders to identify directorate savings plans and monitor the achievement of the savings against the plans.
* Provide expert advice and support to OSMs in relation to financial matters ensuring that decisions that are made are within the constraints available to them. This includes dealing with information that is sensitive and contentious.
* Provide financial input as appropriate to business cases for service developments and annual Business Unit business plans.
* Provide input to the annual reference costs exercise as required by the Assistant Director of Finance (Contracting, Income and Costing).
* Support the Assistant Director of Finance (Management Accounts) in the preparation of complex monthly monitoring returns and other ad hoc returns to ensure that returns are submitted in accordance with SHA and DoH deadlines.
* Comply with all appropriate codes of conduct

Management
* Build strong working relationships with Business Unit senior management and gain an understanding of the specific issues affecting budgets and use this relationship to inform financial reporting and senior finance colleagues.
* Responsible for the day-to-day management of the Divisional Accountant and Senior Management Accounts Assistants, delegating appropriate duties and responsibilities with a clear brief and relevant support.
* Monitor the work of the appropriate staff to ensure a continued high level of quality is maintained.
* Ensure systems and processes are in place to maintain sound financial management.
* Maintain the section’s procedure notes, ensuring that they accurately reflect current practice.
* Participate in the recruitment, selection and appointment of staff as appropriate and in accordance with the Trust’s employment policies and procedures and legal requirements.

Administration
* Ensure reserves are monitored and maintained, and forecasts on slippage and pressures are available for reporting to the finance management team. All reserves requiring carry forward to next financial year to be identified and appropriate action taken at year-end.
* Ensure details of the Trust’s Cost Improvement Plan are maintained and achievements against plan are monitored. Work with budget holders to ensure corrective action taken or alternative savings plans identified when slippage occurs against planned and agreed CIPs.
* Ensure the production of trading accounts for the appropriate Trust activities, e.g. Private Patients, Pharmacy to an agreed timetable.
* Contribute to the identification and formalisation of agreements for all provider-to-provider services ensuring full cost recovery.
* Develop and maintain an awareness of all key Trust-wide financial issues and contribute to the achievement of the Trust’s financial targets.
* Maintain relevant records, ensuring accurate data input into all computerised systems
* Comply with Trust and legislative requirements for confidentiality

Education
* Maintain knowledge of national and accounting regulations.
* Identify training and development requirements in line with the KSF requirements, ensuring that Personal Development Plans are in place.
* Participate in research, audit and surveys as required

Adecco is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.