Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To undertake, delegate and supervise tasks as part of the monthly management accounting cycle, within specified criteria and deadlines.

To ensure procedure notes for junior staff are clearly documented and revised on a timely basis, and that correct accounting treatment is understood and applied.

To interrogate all financial ledgers and Payroll systems and use, design and format spreadsheets and databases in order to analyse, interpret and present information.

To take responsibility for preparing monthly budget reports, ensuring all jobs are complete and reports are as up to date and accurate as possible.

 Preparation of variance analysis and investigation of variances on budget reports and taking corrective action where necessary. Presentation of detailed final variance analysis to Senior Management Accountant or Deputy Finance Manager.

 To meet with budget holders on a monthly basis to explain and discuss the financial position. To appraise the Senior Management Accountant or Deputy Finance Manager of any concerns/issues regarding financial objectives being met so to ensure that action can be planned and implemented that will correct any adverse trends or meet specified cost reductions.

To contribute to the ongoing training and support to budget holders in understanding and making the best use of their budget reports.

To advise the budget holders on a wide range of financial issues, including identifying cost improvement targets, income generation, costing of rebased establishments and financial management. To ensure that all financial proposals have been accurately costed, and that the department is aware of the full implications of the proposals. To seek advice on issues from the Senior Management Accountant/ Deputy Finance Manager.

Prepare year end financial forecasts for Departmental budgets incorporating all known and potential financial issues. Discuss and agree resultant figures with budget holders and Senior Management Accountant/Deputy Finance Manager.

Contribute towards the annual Trust business planning and budget setting process. Ensure that all relevant issues are considered by budget holders (eg cost pressures, cost improvements plans, service developments), and that the financial implications have been fully costed and feedback to the Senior Management Accountant/ Deputy Finance Manager so they can be included in any business cases, service developments or business plan submission.

Investigating and responding to complex ad-hoc queries, both internally and externally, in an appropriate format and in a timely and accurate manner, involving more senior team members where appropriate.

Responsibility for specific projects within the team, or department wide, as directed by Senior Management Accountant/Deputy Finance Manager. Eg completion of budget reconciliations, involvement in Reference Costing, development of processes, systems and reports.

Provision of detailed pay and non pay costing information.

Deal with ad-hoc financial coding queries and amendments eg from Creditors, Procurement, budget holders and managers.

Responsibility for ensuring the team year end control account codes are fully reconciled, and have supporting information.

Supervise and support the Finance Apprentice/Assistant on a daily basis, and ensure deadlines are met. Provide on the job training as necessary. Provide cover during Senior Management Accountant’s absence.

Be aware of the Trust’s policies and procedures, Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions (SOs and SFIs), and ensure that they are complied with. Report any non compliance to the Senior Management Accountant.