Management Accountant

Job responsibilities

The post holder provides the management accounting function for the SBU (Strategic Business unit) or area, including completion of accruals and variance analysis, coding of invoices, approval of recruitment to posts, and budget setting. The post holder is first point of contact for all finance queries from budget holders, and also acts proactively to raise and resolve issues, particularly for areas that are overspending, have increasing expenditure, or other financial issues. The post holder will need to develop and utilise knowledge of Standing Financial Instructions, Standing Orders, current legislation, and HPFT policies and procedures.

1. Financial Reporting (including Month End, Year End and other reporting)

1. The Management Accountant is responsible for the completion of Month End accruals for their area including:
   1. Ensuring all accruals are completed accurately and on time
   2. Highlighting any areas of concern to the Finance Business Partner or equivalent
   3. Completion of Variance Analysis for the month including narrative commentary (i.e. words as well as numbers)
   4. Noting of any items which affect forecasting
   5. Keeping accurate records of any Prior Year accruals utilised and the balance remaining
2. Supervision of any accruals calculated by Assistants or Officers
3. Uploading of journals onto the system or ensuring that this is actioned
4. Complete yearend accruals for the area, ensuring appropriate evidence is available
5. Other adhoc reports as requested by budget holders or as required to deal proactively with issues arising
6. Completion of report sections as requested by Finance Business Partner or equivalent
7. The Management Accountant is responsible for the detail of the budgets set for their area to include:
   1. Completion of pay calculation sheets
   2. Calculation of any non-pay budgets
   3. Highlighting any issues to the Finance Business Partner or equivalent
   4. Ensuring that all current spend is budgeted for the following year or if that is not possible flagging this as an issue
   5. Ensuring all budget is uploaded to the ledger for the new financial year
8. Basic forecasting and highlighting any items which will have an effect on the future financial position
9. Making proactive suggestions for budgets that may need amending
10. Calculation and uploading of budget journals in relation to approved changes to budget
11. Responsible for completion of all coding on the invoice authorisation system for own area (may on occasion be delegated to Assistants / Officers), accurately and on time, ensuring all error messages are removed in advance of forwarding to the budget holder, and that VAT coding is correct (keeping up to date on changes in VAT rules)
12. Checking of backing information relating to invoices, and raising / resolving queries where appropriate
13. Raising of invoices for income within own area, including Block Contracts, Cost and Volume, Non-Contract Income, and any other regular or adhoc invoices in a timely manner; paying particular attention to the cash flow impact of large invoices, and also NHS rules on when invoices must be raised by
14. Responsible for completion of TRAC authorisation (within 2 working days if routine), and raising / resolving queries with budget holders or senior finance staff as applicable
15. Ensuring the ESR Payroll system is accurate for the budget (establishment) side, including attendance at Establishment Control meetings, liaison with budget holders, HR Business Partners, and the Workforce Intelligence Team; that other issues are being dealt with by HR
16. Contribute ideas, and provide information and input to, the Trusts Delivering Value Programme (or other equivalent savings programme); keep track of related budget changes for own area
17. In order to carry out their duties effectively, the post holder will meet with budget holders on a regular basis; this should be proactively arranged (i.e. not just at SBU meetings). Some can be undertaken by phone or web, but actual visits are also necessary. It is expected that during non-month end days Management Accountants will be out for around 50% of the time. Where applicable this does include visits to sites at a longer distance such as Essex and Norfolk, at least several times a year.
18. Routine costings as requested by budget holders or senior finance staff; completion of calculations for bids
19. Work as a team with the other Management Accountants ensuring that cross-cover can always be provided.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING

Essential

• Experience in Management Accounting/Finance Function equivalent to that expected of Professional Postgraduate Diploma Level.
• Part-qualified or studying towards professional qualifications or equivalent workbased experience.
• Evidence of continued professional development - e.g. NHS Finance Personal Portfolio.

Desirable

• Education to degree level or equivalent workbased experience

SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY

Essential

• Organisational skills and the ability to work effectively within a management structure, planning and prioritising workload as appropriate.
• Interpersonal skills - able to discuss and negotiate sensitive issues where conflicting priorities arise.
• Analytical skills - relating to complex financial trends drawing on information from a number of sources
• Communication skills - written and verbal
• IT Skills -knowledge and use of: General ledger and EIS, payroll applications Windows Office Suite of software
• Able to work with detail and ...