The Finance Business Partner is responsible for the delivery of all aspects of operational financial management within a Directorate area. The Partner will ensure the provision of high quality advice, information, analysis and interpretation to Directors and budget holders to underpin effective decision making and meaningful performance management . The Partner will be accountable for delivery of finance reporting for the Directorate, maintaining financial controls to support governance and providing financial support to budget setting, cost improvement and productivity schemes.
The post holder will also be responsible for line managing at least 1 management accountant.
This role has a large element of remote working from home with face to face meetings at our hospital sites.
To work as an effective and integral part of the CAG/Directorate management team to ensure that relevant information is available to support business decision making and planning.
To prepare annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, including supporting scenarios and Commentary
To coordinate and produce accurate and timely in month forecasting.
To investigate and challenge variances against budget and forecast, providing analysis and commentary where appropriate.
By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Purpose:
The primary purpose of the Finance Business Partner is to support their assigned Operational Directorate and ensure that their financial requirements are understood and delivered by themself and/or by other members of the financial management team.
The Finance Business Partner is responsible for the delivery of all aspects of operational financial
management within a Directorate area. The Partner will ensure the provision of high quality
advice, information, analysis and interpretation to Directors and budget holders to underpin
effective decision making and meaningful performance management . The Partner will be
accountable for delivery of finance reporting for the Directorate, maintaining financial controls
to support governance and providing financial support to budget setting, cost improvement and
productivity schemes.
The job will achieve high customer satisfaction levels and make a demonstrable difference to the delivery of the Directorate business. The job will involve building strong relationships with internal and external partners and is expected to play a key and active role as a member of Directorate senior management team.
The main purposes of the role are
To work as an effective and integral part of the CAG/Directorate management team to ensure that relevant information is available to support business decision making and planning.
To prepare annual budgets and quarterly forecasts, including supporting scenarios and Commentary
To coordinate and produce accurate and timely in month forecasting.
To investigate and challenge variances against budget and forecast, providing analysis and commentary where appropriate.
Key Responsibilities:
1) Finance & Business Planning
Co-ordinate the development of summary financial plans for services ensuring they reflect their strategic objectives. This will involve the development of 2 year integrated , income, expenditure, workforce, activity and capacity plans for the Directorate.
Prepare detailed bridging statements reconciling year on year performance and validating key movements.
Maintain a detailed schedule of normalising adjustments to ensure the underlying trend analysis and year on year comparison can be clearly reported.
Identify financial risks and produce a downside financial plan and help to identify mitigations.
To lead the annual and periodic detailed budget setting processes in conjunction with budget holders and the 7senior management team, endeavouring to ensure that resultant targets (both financial and non-financial) are realistic and are fully understood by budget holders. To ensure that budgets are congruent with Trust targets and activity plans.
To provide financial input, where required into the preparation of Directorate or Trust wide business cases, working with both financial and operational managers.
2) Reporting
Undertake a comprehensive analytical review of monthly reports to ensure the veracity of information and highlight and substantiate key issues.
Monitor the performance of those budgets and analyse key variances timely, proposing remedial action as required.
To produce accurate financial forecasts, using professional skill and judgement, ensuring that the Directotates lead their forecasts. The forecasts plans should highlight potential opportunities and risks. Quantify and grade risks identified and support the formulation and implementation of mitigation plans where these are required.
Provide an executive reporting pack for the Directorate to ensure that key financial issues are clearly and professionally presented in a format which is tailored to the recipients.
Assist/complete financial returns and questionnaires as required.
3) Productivity & Efficiency
Lead the planning and reporting of the Cost Improvement Programme (CIP) for the Directorate, working with Directorate managers to identify opportunities and encourage focus on efficiency and cash releasing productivity initiatives.
To further develop cost awareness, identifying and quantifying key cost drivers and being able to model the implications of changes in activity on these.
Promote a culture of innovation and productivity using financial models to support cost improvement and productivity concepts, business cases and other activity as required.
4) Expert Advice & Training
To act as the principal financial advisor integrated into the management team of the Directorate to which the post holder is aligned, including making a significant contribution to the business planning and financial monitoring processes and providing advice to enable effective management of budgets and the carrying out of financial duties
Provide any relevant information to Directorate to enable the upholding of statutory regulations and Trust financial policies and procedures.
Provide expert advice to the Directorate on local or external financial policies, legislative changes or opportunities and risks that may have an impact on the services financial performance.
The business partner should be in a position to update and challenge corporate financial assumptions from their informed viewpoint, having a deep understanding of their part of the business.
Provide a comprehensive training programme across all areas of financial and business activities tailored to the requirements of colleagues.
5) Engagement
Promote a modern and collaborative approach to engaging clinicians in financial management.
Work alongside the senior management team of the Directorate, constructively challenging where appropriate.
To work positively and professionally with other members of the Finance Department to ensure that the financial requirements of the Directorates are understood and delivered.
Work with the whole finance team to deliver standardisation of all areas of process and development.
6) Other
To line manage one or two management accountants and contribute to the development and training of the central team of trainee accountants.
To act at all times as a representative for the Finance Directorate ensuring that the professional reputation of the Directorate is upheld.
Ad-hoc duties as required - there will be a number of non-routine tasks to be undertaken on an ad-hoc basis in order to assist the Deputy Directors of Finance.
Personal Specification:
Each requirement will either be identified through the candidates application form (A) or interview (I). Candidates should not be hired unless they have ALL essential requirements. Areas that can be developed through L&D can be deemed desirable.
Essential Requirements
A/I
Desirable Requirements
A/I
CCAB professionally qualified accountant
with significant post qualification
experience at a senior level within a large
organisation.
A
Mandatory CPD
A
Advance understanding of the key
operational and financial challenges facing the NHS
I
Mental Health NHS Trusts in
particular
I
Accounting skills including forecasting,
costing, benchmarking and option
appraisal
I
Previous management of a large and
complex budget setting and reporting
processes
I
Within an NHS finance setting
I
Able to analyse, compare and interpret
highly complex financial and performance
data using skills, knowledge and
judgement
I
Proficient in Microsoft office packages
including Excel and the ability to
manipulate and interrogate large
databases / datasets
A
Able to assess workload and manage
resources to meet overlapping targets and objectives.
I
Ability to inspire confidence and respect of
others particularly CAG/Directorate
Directors and their senior management
teams
I
Able to challenge effectively, where
appropriate, to become a critical friend
and trusted advisor within their Operational senior management team.
I
Excellent communication skills (written
and verbal) and ability to express highly
complex, sensitive or contentious issues
clearly, including strong abilities in being
able to influence, persuade and negotiate
at senior management level.
I
Excellent presentation and negotiation
skills
I
Experience of investigation and analysis
into financial issues including evidence of
detailed and precise report writing skills
A
Able to work autonomously with the skills
to make complex decisions independently
I
Experience as a line manager/supervisor
A