Deputy Head of Financial Management

This is an exciting opportunity for a 12 month secondment to the Deputy Head of Financial Management role. We are looking for an experienced, forward-thinking Deputy Head of Financial Management. Working with the senior finance team, the Deputy Head of Financial Management will provide a full financial management service to the non-clinical divisions and support with the coordination of financial performance, reporting and planning including the delivery of efficiency plans. You will be working in a highly collaborative environment, building strong relationships and engaging closely with the wider finance team. If you are seeking a new challenge and are passionate about continuous improvement this role could be an excellent fit for you., The postholder will

• support the Head of Financial Management in delivering a complete financial management service ensuring all appropriate internal and external stakeholders are provided with high quality financial advice and information and that business systems and processes are efficient, effective and client focussed.
• advise on highly complex issues and provide financial and business planning advice to the Trust. The post holder will support the Head of Financial Management in internal and external financial reporting for the Trust.
• support the Head of Financial Management in the development, implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive and effective business focussed Financial Management service.
The role will be an integral part of the Finance Team providing a reliable and responsive financial management service to ensure the provision of high quality financial advice and information both within and outside of the Trust, at a senior level. The role will also be an integral part of the Senior Finance Leadership Team and will be required to deputise for the Head of Financial Management across the full portfolio of that role., Performance Management and Delivery
• To lead and be responsible for reviewing financial management information for the Trust and to ensure that the cost of delivering the service is accurately reflected. To undertake benchmarking to enable comparison and evaluation as necessary.
• Support the Head of Financial Management, Associate Directors of Finance and Director of Finance in some cross cutting areas of the annual planning and budgeting process e.g., capacity and demand planning, workforce planning - providing specialist training within and outside of the finance team.
• Utilises information systems to create standard and ad hoc reports to facilitate the understanding of the Trust and divisional financial position and its correlation or otherwise with the activities undertaken.
• Consolidation and presenting of divisional rolling forecasts, and when required establishment and monitoring of financial recovery plans.
• Lead, manage and maintain the design and development of financial management information systems, sharing good practice with the other Senior Finance Leads to achieve a consistent high level of performance across the Finance Team.
• To communicate with all levels of staff both within the Finance Department and the wider Trust. Such communication will be in the form of written reports, spreadsheet analysis, formal presentation, meetings, verbally (face to face and by other electronic means) up to Executive Director level. This may involve communicating with large groups.
• Advising, influencing and educating proactively in relation to business and financial objectives and always acknowledging our wider responsibilities as a Trust.
• Use detailed understanding of key cost drivers and cost behaviour to implement and influence others to change.
• Review business processes and where appropriate identify and implement improvements to efficiency and internal control.
• To manage and lead the Divisional Finance Team.
• To lead on all aspects of the financial management of the Division ensuring financial viability and to work with clinical leaders and managers to assess and improve the profitability and productivity of the Division.
• To provide accurate, timely and regular financial management information to the Head of Financial Management as part of the monthly reporting cycle, linking activity and financial information.
• Work with the Director of Services, Deputy Directors of Operations and their senior teams including Directorate Managers, Heads of Services, Heads of Departments, Associate Directors of Nursing and other senior managers within the Division to identify reasons for variations in financial performance and identify actions / mitigations to address the variation.
• Work with the Director of Services, Deputy Directors of Operations and their senior teams including Directorate Managers, Heads of Services, Heads of Departments, Associate Directors of Nursing and other senior managers within the Division to produce a monthly re-forecast based upon current / planned activity and financial performance including the impact of identified actions / mitigations.
• Utilising specialist knowledge and expertise to provide monthly performance reports to inform the Divisional and Directorate Boards. Reports must detail performance against EBITDA targets, activity, income and expenditure, WRP progress and encompass risks and forecasts including those related to non-financial issues.
• Work with the Division to identify cost reduction and efficiency programmes as part of the Trusts' annual WRP requirement. To include monitoring progress and remedial action where necessary.
• To lead and be responsible for reviewing cost based management information for the Division to ensure that the cost of delivering the service is accurately reflected. To undertake benchmarking to enable comparison and evaluation when necessary.
• To provide other financial information as required to the Corporate Finance function within agreed timescales and deadlines, ensuring a high quality professional finance service is provided to all users.
• To be a full member of the Divisional Board.
Financial Monitoring and Reporting
• To provide accurate, timely and regular financial information to the Executives and Divisional Directors as part of the monthly reporting cycle.
• To plan, coordinate and be responsible for the production of detailed financial information in accordance with agreed monthly timetables. Liaising with members of the Financial Management Team to ensure tasks required, ad hoc financial analysis and activities to support monthly closedown are completed to time and required standards.
• Ensure a co-ordinated approach adhering to finance directions and be able to provide assurance to the Head of Financial Management.
• To co-ordinate with the Divisional Finance Managers and assess the impact of potential risks and opportunities on the forecast outturn.
• Supports the process whereby developments/pressures can be prioritised, to ensure the Divisions and the Trust are able to allocate resources in the most appropriate way.
• To understand the financial position of the Divisions and proactively direct any further investigations, presenting highly complex financial reports with explanations of variance to provide assurance to the Head of Financial Management.
• Work with Atlas to support and deliver the consolidated group financial position.
• Support the Head of Financial Management in the Trusts internal and external reporting (including WRP) taking the lead on agreed areas.
• To deputise for the Head of Financial Management across the full portfolio of that role.
Planning and Service Development
• To establish a Divisional financial strategy that is consistent with the overall Trust objectives and strategic direction.
• To support the Trust in business forecasting for the annual business planning cycle and in year monitoring for both income and expenditure, in terms of modelling and analysing future scenarios around changes in demand, activity and resultant capacity requirements.
• Produce strategic financial business cases for the Division and contribute to the preparation and completion of business cases for service developments including identification of capital requirements and funding sources.
• To provide the Executive Team and Senior Managers with high quality and timely information on changing trends in the financial profile of the Division.
• To ensure changes in policy, systems and processes relating to PbR and the NHS Operating Framework, are implemented across the Division.
Developing Capability and Capacity
• Contribute to the development of a growing and imaginative portfolio of business intelligence products, which can be used to support decision-making with regard to strategic service development opportunities.
• To support Clinicians and managers within the Division in having access to financial and non-financial business intelligence information through the development of increased levels of automation of performance data.
• To develop the financial information analysis skills and expertise across the Division to support clinical leaders and managers in using a consistent approach to business decision-making.
• Ensure that any financial information that is produced meets the individual and changing needs of its recipients.
This Job Profile is an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities of the Divisional Finance Manager and is not intended as an exhaustive list. The job may change over time to reflect the changing needs of the Trust and its services, as well as the personal development needs of the post holder. General Responsibilities · Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Information Governance - the post holder is not entitled to use for their own benefit or gain, or to divulge to any persons or other organisation whatsoever, any confidential information belonging to the Trust or relating to the Trust's affairs or dealings which may come to their knowledge during employment. · Compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 - the post holder is required to fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards, and a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. · Compliance with Trust Policies and Procedures including the Code of Conduct. · Responsibility for all records (including patient health, financial, personal and administrative) that they gather or use as part of their work within the Trust. The records may be paper, electronic, microfiche, audio or videotapes and x-ray images. · Assist patients/clients/relatives during incidental contact.

You will be a CCAB / CIMA qualified professional with strong commercial and analytical skills, along with proven experience in customer-focused business partnering. You will play a key role in managing and supporting stakeholder relationships, supporting financial planning and analysis, and supporting the development of the Financial Management team. The successful candidate must be able to meet tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and consistency and demonstrate the ability to work independently using their own initiative. Strong leadership, along with excellent communication and organisational skills, is essential for this role., We are a supportive, established, experienced, and highly motivated team who work closely together, with a culture of continuous improvement.,
• CCAB / CIMA Membership
• Professional knowledge acquired through degree or equivalent.
• Post graduate courses and experience to masters equivalent.
Desirable criteria
• Undertake Continual Professional Development recognised by accounting organisation., Proven financial management experience.
• Experience of working with senior managers / professionals.
• Experience of staff management / development.
• Evidence of track record of achievement.
Desirable criteria
• Experience of NHS financial management.
• Knowledge of FT Finance regime., Ability to communicate effectively, via a variety of media and forums, with a wide range of people from all levels both from within and outside of the Trust.
• Well developed influencing and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and reasoning skills supported by attention to detail.
• Strong computer literacy in current business software (e.g., Microsoft Office) and able to apply this to the development of complex financial models.
• Demonstrable open and developmental leadership style.
• Project management skills.
• Innovative and creative approach.
• Able to interpret guidance, assess risk, make decisions and influence change.
• Excellent negotiating and influencing skills with an ability to lead change.
• Excellent organisation and time management skills.
• Good people management and motivation skills.
Desirable criteria
• Knowledge of Efinancials financial ledger system., A genuine desire to improve services for patients.
• Resourceful, driven, can do attitude.
• Personal integrity, open, inclusive leadership style.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Political astuteness.
• Hands on style - engaging manner.
• Team player.
• Car driver, flexible, mobile, You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
  
  At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work., The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.
We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed. The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.