Franklin Street Belfast
JOB SUMMARY
The Management Accountant will assist the Senior Management Accountant in providing a range of business support services to individual operational Directors, senior operational managers and other budget managers in order to achieve effective financial management in line with the strategic objectives of the organisation.
This will include the production of regular, meaningful financial analysis reports to facilitate effective budgetary control at Business Unit level and assisting the Senior Management Accountant in analysing and evaluating complex problems.
The post-holder will assist the Senior Management Accountant in undertaking the financial aspects of budget setting, service re-profiling, service developments/retractions, financial forecasting and other ad-hoc financial costings as required.
KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES
Financial Strategy / Financial Planning and Reporting
1. Support the Senior Management Accountant in maintaining effective financial control within allocated Business Units.
2. Assist with the production of the monthly Board report.
3. Liaise with other members of the Financial Management Team and relevant operational managers to ensure that all relevant service and budgetary agreements, adjustments and funding for other service developments are accurately reflected within the Business Units in order to maintain accurate financial reporting and effective financial control.
4. Assist with the provision of expert analysis, interpretation and evaluation of financial and non-financial data.
5. Provide high quality advice on all financial issues relating to reform, modernisation and efficiency plans, service strategies, service development proposals, cash release efficiency targets and revenue consequences of capital development proposals within Business Units.
6. Responsible for the monthly production of written assessment of the financial position for allocated Business Units.
7. Assist with the production of supporting schedules for the monthly Board Finance report.
8. Through the variance analysis process assist the Senior Management Accountant in producing meaningful forecasts of year-end outturn.
9. Provision of ad-hoc returns, supplementary financial reports and analysis as requested internally and externally.
10. Assist in the evaluation, application and monitoring of DoH guidance and circulars and major policy initiatives such as the Comprehensive Spending Review in order to provide assurances on implementation and cost / savings implications.
11. Assist in the development and review of financial policies and procedures relating to financial management and budgetary control to ensure that internal controls / controls assurance criteria are met and are consistent with best practice.
Budget Setting and Control
12. Assist with the annual budget setting process for the Business Unit.
13. Assist the Senior Management Accountant with the development and maintenance of systems and mechanisms to ensure the co-ordination of the organisation’s budgetary control systems.
14. Assist in the production of regular and meaningful income and expenditure information to budget managers.
15. Assist in the development of improved ways of reporting financial information in conjunction with budget managers.
16. Assist in the development of cash and non-cash release efficiency savings plans for the Business Unit.
17. Assist in the provision of budgetary control training for budget holders and other non- finance managers.
Corporate Financial Reporting
18. Assist with the provision of management accounting information for inclusion in the final accounts.
19. Liaise with internal and external audit on matters relating to the Financial Management function as appropriate.
Support Services to Budget Managers
20. Ensure that all budget managers within relevant Business Units are provided with accurate and meaningful financial information to enable them to manage their service within available resources.
21. Liaise / meet with budget managers on a regular basis to review financial performance and to assist them in the understanding of their budgetary position and where necessary instigate further investigation to ensure remedial action is implemented and balanced budgets are achieved.
22. As part of the organisational formal forecasting regime, provide support and assistance to budget managers in the provision of operational assessments of year- end financial out-turn for the service area they are responsible for.
23. Provision of Financial Management support as may be required to sub groups or projects.
Experience & Qualifications
1. Part qualified Accountant having completed the foundation level of professional Accountancy examinations with one of the six professional accounting institutes (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS, CIMA or ICAI).
2. Have a minimum of 2 years’ experience working in an accounting / finance role. Please note, this should include a minimum of 1 years’ experience within a financial management / management accounts role, which should include experience in regular budgetary reporting to budget managers, provision of support to budget holders and annual budget build.
3. Have worked with a diverse range of stakeholders, both internal and external to the organisation, to achieve successful outcomes.
4. Have advanced IT skills in relation to MS Office (in particular Excel) applications and experience of working with financial systems including a computerised accounting ledger and budgetary control system
Shortlisting by Application Form
SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:
Skills / Abilities / Knowledge
5. High levels of organisational,
communication, leadership and interpersonal skills.
6. Ability to deal with / influence other Business Units and outside agencies at senior levels.
Interview / Test
DESIRABLE CRITERIA
SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted
Factor
Criteria
Method of Assessment
Experience & Qualifications
1. Have full membership of one of the six professional accounting Institutes (ICAEW, ACCA, CIPFA, ICAS, CIMA or ICAI).
2. Knowledge of structure and role of the BSO.
Shortlisting by Application Form