Overview
We are East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), an organisation focused on delivering a high standard of emergency and urgent care to our patients across the region. The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) provides Emergency, Urgent and Non-Emergency pre-hospital care and transport across six counties (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire & Rutland and Northamptonshire).
Job overview
The Postholder will be responsible for assisting the Head of Financial Accounting in all aspects of the systems, processes and controls involved in the day to day management of Cash and Financial Accounting. This is a challenging and multi-faceted role which combines a requirement for the highest standards of technical competence in managing the outputs of a finance team and enabling service colleagues and producing high quality reports. Within a framework established by the Head of Financial Accounting, the Financial Accountant will have autonomy to direct their own workload and relationships with the finance team and other colleagues.
Responsibilities
1. As a qualified accountant, the postholder will have autonomy to interpret policies, guidance and accounting standards and to apply specialist technical accounting knowledge to discharge their duties. The key result areas for this aspect of the role are accurate, insightful and timely information and reports. You will support the Head of Financial Accounting to ensure that timely submissions are made for the monthly and year-end returns and statutory accounts. You will work with the Head of Financial Accounting and other members of the team in the completion of the Trust's Annual Accounts. You will lead on maintaining accurate and detailed working papers for audit purposes.
2. The postholder will supervise, and line manage staff within the Financial Accounting Team. This will include managing the Team workload and work stream allocation. Staff management duties to include recruitment, training, conducting appraisals, staff career development, and the stages of the disciplinary process.
3. The postholder will report to the Head of Financial Accounting and will be expected to uphold and promote the Finance Department's policies and principles throughout the course of their work. You will have a fundamental role in ensuring financial governance and tight financial controls are in place throughout the organisation as part of the organisations Financial Framework Improvement Plan.
Working for our organisation
The finance department consists of the Director of Finance and Deputy Director of Finance. The department is split into Financial Management and Financial Accounting teams with Financial Services outsourced to an external provider.
The role is currently based full time in the office with appropriate support and training provided for the role.
Financial Accounting
1. Report to and deputise for the Head of Financial Accounting
2. Enhance the day-to-day management of the Financial Accounting department, including the development of the process for producing the Trust's monthly and quarterly financial returns and Annual Financial Statements.
3. Assist the Financial Accounting team in responding to Internal and External Audit reports and in implementing agreed recommendations.
4. Lead on all aspects of the Charitable Fund accounting, preparation of papers for the Trustees meetings, completion of the Annual Charitable Funds Accounts including liaising directly with the Auditors.
5. To support the Head of Financial Accounting in leading and managing the relationship with outsourced service providers for the financial services function, ensuring that the Trust receives services that are value for money, fit for purpose, and in line with agreed contractual obligations.
6. Ensure that internal financial controls support an effective system of financial governance in line with the Trust's Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions and Financial Procedures and Protocols, statutory and best practice requirements.
7. Input into the production of monthly finance accounts to ensure deadlines are met.
8. Review all applicable guidance (as issued on NHS Improvement website and portal) and perform due diligence ensuring relevant officers are notified of any key issues.
9. Manage Cash and Agreement of Balances procedures of the annual accounts, and ensure production of the statutory returns for these areas.
10. Support any other aspects of the year end accounts (including Charitable Funds) process as required, including the overall timetable, production of relevant working papers, liaison with internal and external stakeholders, and key members of staff - both in and out of finance - at all levels.
11. Review all appropriate working papers and ensure a good audit trail of all workings are in place to enable external auditors to access relevant information during the audit process. Liaise with both internal and external auditors as required to resolve any queries they may have. During submission of the accounts there will be a requirement to work for longer periods of time at a high level of concentration.
12. Ensure full review of all control accounts are reconciled on a monthly basis and that issues identified are communicated and resolved promptly.
13. Work autonomously to complete tasks outlined in the monthly Finance Timetable in a timely and accurate manner and manage staff to complete their duties.
14. Review all relevant local financial systems and procedures on an annual basis and update them as required.
15. Liaise with the Trust's shared service for day to day management and assist the Head of Financial Accounting in the implementation of service developments.
16. Liaise with external agencies and professional advisors including HMT, HMRC and VAT advisors.
17. Ensure that the development, documentation and regular review of updates of all procedures within the team are carried out to ensure maximum efficiency and effectives of the available staff resources.
Cash Management
1. Manage the production of the weekly cash flow forecast, and the annual cash flow forecast.
2. Support completion of the cash flow plan for the Trust.
3. Support the Head of Financial Accounting and other members of staff in identifying cash support requirements and in presenting business cases to the NHS England for the drawdown of cash support
4. Review daily bank statements and the cash management schedules.
5. Reconcile the cash flow management processes to the Trusts statutory External Financing Limit (EFL) and produces monthly performance reports on EFL performance.
6. Manage and be responsible for all the cash and bank accounts of the Trust, including maintenance of bank signatories and access to electronic banking.
7. Ensure that available funds are sufficient for the payment of suppliers in line with the Better Payment Practice Code.
8. Ensure that funds are available for the payment of the monthly salaries and statutory payments.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Holder of a CCAB/recognised Professional Accountancy Qualification
* Evidence of continual professional development
Desirable criteria
* Member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience and full knowledge of the objectives and procedures of all other departments within the Finance Directorate and their relation to the financial reporting requirements of the Trust. The departments include Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Treasury, Financial Planning and Management Accounting
* Experience gained through interaction and past work experience.
* Demonstrating a commitment to continued professional development
Desirable criteria
* Experience at a managerial level in a finance department
* Post qualification experience.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Excellent knowledge of International and UK Financial Reporting Standards.
* Knowledge of cash management and the impact on cash of the strategic decisions of the Group.
* Expert Knowledge of Capital Accounting.
* Excellent communication skills for all levels of staff from junior to Board level - both written and verbal.
* The ability to communicate with staff, patients and relatives when sensitivity is required.
* Ability to produce concise financial reports and information.
* Highly numerate with the ability to interpret highly complex financial information.
* Ability to resolve complex issues when expert opinion can sometimes differ.
* Ability to switch focus on a regular basis between different departments and respond to problems that arise where a detailed knowledge of the impact of any decision are vital.
* Decision making skills which enable informed decisions to be made on own initiative.
* Ability to work to tight deadlines and to motivate others to do the same
* Good budget management and forecasting skills.
* Good presentation skills
* Ability to communicate complex financial issues to non-finance managers.
* To develop the structure, schedule and the planning and co-ordinating of the work requirements of the Finance department to ensure all national and Trust deadlines are met across the Financial Accounting function.
* Comprehensive IT skills including the use of Financial systems and associated ledgers.
* Experience with Microsoft Office products including a knowledge of Microsoft Excel to an advanced level (for example extensive use of formulae, pivot tables and linking of workbooks and look up tables).
* Excellent time management skills.
* The ability to think laterally to determine the impact of decisions made Trust wide.
Desirable criteria
* Knowledge and understanding of the strategic plans of the organisation and their impact on the financial resources of the Trust.
* Expert knowledge of Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions (Scheme of Delegation) which are the requirements of the NHS Code of Accountability and the Financial Reporting Councils combined code.
* Knowledge of relevant NHS Policies and procedures.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
* Reliable, good time keeping, honesty
* Commitment to develop and train staff across the Finance Directorate and liaise with professional accounting bodes and other NHS bodies to facilitate.
* Post holder will liaise directly with External Audit and Internal Audit,
* Display smart appearance and integrity both personally and professionally.
Application information
If you haven't heard back from us within eight weeks of the closing date please consider your application unsuccessful. We are unable to provide updates on progress due to the high volume of applications. If you are unsuccessful at shortlisting stage please refer back to the job description, person specification and advertised requirements for ways to improve your future applications.
Internal candidates applying for vacancies must have completed their probationary period (stated within your contract) at point of application.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, committed to ensuring equality of opportunity. We actively encourage interest from across our diverse communities. Black and Minority Ethnic staff are currently under-represented within our workforce, and we welcome applications from within these communities.
We are keen to promote a positive work-life balance. We recognise the importance of being able to spend quality time with family and friends and to engage in your own personal interests outside of work, which alongside work helps us to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We are committed to embedding the NHS People Promise to support colleagues to work flexibly in a way that works for our patients, for us and for you. Many of our staff already work flexibly in many different ways, including job share, part-time or other flexible working patterns. Please talk openly to us at interview about flexible working opportunities. In addition, if a role is advertised as home based, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations, so please talk to us about the options available to you. If it works for our service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Our Vision - Responding to patient needs in the right way, developing our organisation to become outstanding for patients and staff, and collaborating to improve wider healthcare.
Please note we reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy if an internal member of staff on our redeployment register expresses an interest and is successful for this vacancy, or if a sufficient number of applications is received.
Please be aware if you are applying for a Frontline role, an Enhanced DBS clearance check will be required, and depending on the nature of other non-patient facing roles this check may also be required if offered a position with EMAS (All spent and unspent convictions must declared).
If you are not part of the update service, you will be liable for the payment and this will be deducted from your first months' salary. The current cost of an enhanced DBS check is £55.38.
Accessibility
If you have any accessibility requirements at any point during the recruitment process, please contact the recruiting manager.
Documents to download
* Band 7 Financial Accountant Job Description and Person Specification - June 2024 ( PDF, 288.6 KB )
* BENEFITS OF JOINING EMAS TRUST ( PDF, 326.3 KB )
* EMAS - Important Applicant information ( PDF, 115.6 KB )
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