An exciting opportunity has arisen to join The Christie Financial Management team as a Finance Manager, to lead and support on non-clinical divisions, strategic planning and internal and external reporting. We are seeking to appoint one ambitious, highly motivated and enthusiastic CCAB/CIMA qualified accountant.

As a level 2 accreditation in Towards Excellence and Future the Finance Directorate actively promotes training and development within the team, across the Trust and externally and we have developed a comprehensive finance education strategy. We are an active member of the FSD Network, Future Focused Finance, and Towards Excellence scheme. We also have embedded a culture of strong teamwork and promoting change to continually work more efficiently.

The successful candidate must demonstrate a proven track record in effective financial management and possess excellent leadership and communication skills, as well as strong analytical, technical and IT skills, and the ability to work under pressure and to competing deadlines.

Main duties of the job

As lead accountant within the non-clinical finance team, you will provide a high quality, accurate and timely financial management advice, monitoring and reporting service and be an integral part of the divisional teams, being a key point of contact for budget holders and managers. You will also provide support and input to projects within finance or across the Trust and effective financial input into business cases and service developments. This role has the responsibility of the management and development of an Assistant Divisional Finance Manager to support in delivering a high quality service to divisions.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

I'd encourage anyone interested to contact me via email for an informal chat about the role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Provide support to the Assistant Director of Finance (ADoF), Head of Financial Management (HoFM) and Divisional Finance Manager/Reporting & Financial Planning Manager (DFM/RFPM) in providing an effective monitoring and reporting service to the trust in accordance with the agreed timetables, procedures and standards prescribed within the trust.

2. Act as lead accountant and contact point for a range of clinical and non-clinical divisions.

3. Provide support and input to projects within finance or across the Trust as assigned.

4. Produce annual budgets for division(s), calculating the annual budget from information provided by budget managers, the financial management and wider finance teams, and taking account of external factors.

5. Produce accurate forecasts of the year-end financial position on a monthly basis, in agreement with the division(s).

6. Responsible for producing the financial position for the division(s) in accordance with the agreed timetables, procedures and standards prescribed. This will include updating the Trusts financial ledgers on a monthly basis and investigating any anomalies within the division(s) in order to resolve these in line with audit guidance.

7. To ensure that all relevant financial data, including all necessary income and expenditure accruals and budget adjustments, has been uploaded in line with the monthly reporting timetable and that all inappropriate transactions are recoded in order to reflect the true financial position.

8. Proactively review accruals for accuracy in conjunction with budget holders on a monthly basis and liaise with other organisations to ensure invoices are sent and received in a timely manner.

9. Investigate material variances within the division(s) and analyse expenditure/income trends to inform the production of divisional year-end financial position forecasts.

10. Produce detailed monthly budget statements, summaries and variance reports for the division(s). This will include a written commentary on the financial position to explain the underlying reasons for significant variances and incorporate recommendations for corrective action.

11. Support the HoFM/DFM/RPFM in co-ordinating and inputting to central processes as required within the Financial Management section, in particular in relation to the annual plan, NHSI returns and workforce information.

12. Deputise for the DFM/RPFM as appropriate, lead on specific areas, and be an integral part of the divisional management team(s) working with senior managers and other budget holders, including attendance at divisional board and other meetings when necessary.

13. Provide high quality professional financial management advice to budget holders and other staff including informal and formal training.

14. Provide advice to a range of clinical and non-clinical divisions in accordance with the agreed timetable, procedures and standards (e.g. SFIs and SOs) within the Trust and in accordance with financial and legal requirements to relevant bodies external to the Trust (e.g. Charity Commission).

15. Maintain an on-going working relationship with divisional managers in order to develop an understanding and knowledge base of the division(s) to aid the production and presentation of information to inform decision making.

16. Organise and attend regular budget meetings to advise on costing of service changes, budgetary queries, forecasting, savings plans and provide other general financial guidance.

17. Provide financial and operational input into the production of business cases including accurate costs and critical analysis to support service developments that consider all financial implications of a scheme, revenue and capital, the effect the scheme has upon activity and the impact on other services. This will entail liaison with service managers to ensure the cost of delivering the scheme and its activity targets are reflected within the Trusts strategic plan.

18. To provide information for business and service delivery plans for budget holders within the Trust, and to provide analysis which would facilitate easier interpretation of financial data leading to resolution of problems.

19. Monitor and evaluate cost savings identified within the divisional action plans including input into Project Initiation Documents.

20. Be the link accountant between the Financial Management section and the Financial Services Manager in respect of the preparation of year-end accounts.

21. To develop an understanding of income, commissioning and activity. To work alongside the Income and Commissioning team where appropriate.

22. To produce, where appropriate, trading accounts relevant within the division to reflect the financial position of these trading functions.

23. Work co-operatively across the finance function to ensure that common standards of accounting practice are maintained within the Trust and to share information and best practice to achieve more effective use of resources or enhance productivity this will be encouraged through rotation of areas of responsibility.

24. Contribute to and where appropriate lead on identified corporate financial projects, for example internal and external monitoring returns including the preparation of elements of the Annual Accounts process.

25. To utilise report writing software with the department, in order to create a tool for more detailed analysis to be carried out therefore enhancing the proactive nature of the finance function. This involves the design/development of complex crystal reports and the interrogation of such information through the use of data base pivot tables.

26. Develop an understanding of Service Line Reporting and Patent Level Information and Costing systems and provide information to support the refinement of cost apportionments.

27. Act corporately, upholding the professionalism, position and focus of the Finance Directorate, whilst also being an integral and trusted member of the divisional team(s).

28. To provide cover for other financial management team members absences, including supporting other divisions.

29. Responsible for prioritising own work and ensuring the achievement of work within prescribed timescales.

30. Exercise judgement and initiative within the scope of the role when problems arise by providing possible solutions for resolution to the DFM/RPFM, HoFM or ADoF. Alert the DFM/RPFM, HoFM or ADoF. to any areas of concern.

31. Responsible for the management, supervision, development and appraisal of the Assistant Divisional Finance Manager and ensuring that there is standardisation of tasks carried out by the Financial Management Assistant including month end working papers.

32. Responsible for own development and the creation of a personal development plan, proactively identifying development opportunities and maintaining an awareness of local and national agendas. Work with the DFM/RPFM to agree personal objectives.

33. Ability to demonstrates the Trust values and behaviours.

34. To be accountable for own attitude and behaviour.

This job description is not intended to be exhaustive, but reflects the main responsibilities of the post holder. Other duties may be required from time to time, which are commensurate with the grade of the post. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• CCAB/CIMA Qualified Accountant with the associated membership.
• Demonstrate Continuing Professional Development
• A comprehensive secondary education (5 GCSEs or equivalent including Maths and English Language)

Desirable

• Degree
• Willingness to develop through internal and external sources

Experience

Essential

• Have significant experience of management accounting, working as a middle manager within a complex finance department, and have strong understanding of financial management and financial accounting principles
• Experience of managing, motivating and developing staff
• Experience of computerised financial systems

Desirable

• Experience of working with a range of different stakeholders
• Have experience in the preparation of the statutory annual accounts process
• Experience in working in a multi - agency and disciplinary environment

Skills

Essential

• Excellent analytical and reasoning skills.
• Ability to prepare and present financial information to non financial people
• Planning, monitoring and influencing skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills to people at all levels within the organisation
• Proficient in the use of computerised and manual financial systems, including spreadsheets and database packages, and have the ability to develop systems to maximum benefits to users
• Possess a robust understanding of financial and activity systems and to be able to extract, interpret, manipulate and present information in a meaningful way
• Ability to manage, motivate and develop staff
• Ability to prioritise and deliver to agreed deadlines.
• Ability to work with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• Ability to be both a team leader and a team player
• Ability to lead change and have a positive influence on others
• Evidence of past achievements and ability to deliver
• Ability to provide an effective and professional financial input into business cases

Knowledge

Essential

• An advanced understanding of financial management and financial
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