Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Finance Manager
The closing date is 26 April 2026
Are you a qualified accountant or do you have senior accountancy experience?
We have a new vacancy for a Finance Manager
The post holder provides the senior level management accounting support to Finance Business Partners covering four divisions.
This includes accountability for the management accounts for services, ensuring the accuracy of accruals, provision of variance and trend analysis, including flagging and mitigation of key risks; supporting services to identify and deliver savings targets; monitoring of Secondary Commissioning expenditure and activity, making sure bed and resource use is efficient and effective; ensuring recruitment to posts is in line with Trust procedure and is monitored effectively and accountability for budget setting for that area.
We are happy to accommodate a flexible working pattern subject to operational priorities.
Innovation and improvement of the finance team are key objectives for all members of staff and the post holder will need to take the lead in some areas to ensure the delivery of those improvements.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will:
* work as part of a mini team within the finance team
* be responsible for: Financial Reporting, Financial Planning, Income and Expenditure, Customer Service, and Management
* deliver training to both budget holders and other staff groups
* take a lead in the month end accounts in order to achieve reporting deadlines
* act proactively to identify and resolve risks and significant issues, particularly for areas that are overspending
* take a lead role for Income collection across the Trust
* have a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Benefits
In return, we can offer you:
* learning and development opportunities to progress your career
* 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (max £2,011 per annum pro rata)
* 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays pro rata)
* One of the UK's best pension schemes
* Comprehensive health and wellbeing services
* Special leave for family and personal reasons
* NHS Car Lease Scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme
About us
We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
Please refer to attached job description and person specification.
Within the Management Accounts team most duties and responsibilities fall under one of these five main categories: Financial Reporting, Financial Planning, Income and Expenditure, Customer Service, and Management; any additional items particular to the role are listed under Other. For this role, the main duties and responsibilities within the categories are:
1. Financial Reporting (including Month End, Year End and other reporting)
a. The Finance Manager is accountable for month end reporting for their area including:
i. Assurance that all accruals have been completed accurately and on time, with any areas of risk identified
ii. Specific assurance that the method of accrual for Secondary Commissioning is appropriate and accurate, with any risks identified
iii. Completion of summary Variance Analysis for the month including narrative commentary (i.e. words as well as numbers), particularly for Secondary Commissioning
iv. Ensuring any Prior Year accruals are utilised appropriately and that accurate summaries of remaining balances are available
b. Resolution of queries raised by more junior staff during the accruals process
c. Accountable for the completion of yearend accruals for the area, ensuring appropriate evidence is available
d. Completion of the Flash Forecast or similar for the area e.g. for Secondary Commissioning.
Other ad-hoc reports as requested by budget holders or as required to deal proactively with issues arising
f. Completion of report on own area, and of any sections for Divisional reporting as requested by Finance Business Partner
2. Financial Planning (including budget setting and forecasting)
a. The Finance Manager is responsible for the overall budgets set for their area to include:
i. Assurance that pay and non-pay budgets including SecondaryCommissioning have been set accurately and appropriately
ii. Resolution of risks and issues as part of the budget setting process, highlighting any remaining risks or unresolved issues to the Finance Business Partner
iii. Specifically ensuring that all current spend is budgeted for the following year or if that is not possible flagging this as an issue
iv. Ensuring budgets are signed off by the relevant operational managers and that the budget is uploaded to the ledger for the new financial year
b. Forecasting for own area and highlighting any items which will have an effect on the future financial position
c. Proactively reviewing and if possible revising budgets during the year, based on performance. Supervision of changes to the ledger in relation to approved changes to budget
3. Income and Expenditure Activities (including Workforce)
a. Ensuring that any invoices for income within own area, including Block Contracts, Cost and Volume, Non-Contract Income, and any invoices whether regular or ad-hoc, are raised 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
b. Take a lead role on income Trust-wide including ensuring that all invoices are raised appropriately and in a timely manner; advise on any risks to income; liaise with Accounts Receivable regarding any debts; maintain an Income Register and ensure this is completed accurately but all involved in raising invoices
c. Ensuring the TRAC authorisation is completed promptly for own area (within 2 working days if routine), advising the Management Accountant as appropriate and raising / resolving queries as applicable. This should include proactive vacancy management e.g. questioning any unadvertised vacancies, supporting the Recruitment at Risk process if necessary for areas of high turnover
d. 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 HRe. Take a lead on particular schemes within the Trusts Delivering Value Programme (or other equivalent savings programme), proactively working with senior leaders to drive through change; coming up with ideas from own sphere of knowledge or through review of benchmarking such as the Model Hospital; monitor performance of the programme for own area
4. Customer Service & Support (both internal to department and organisation, and external)
a. Act as first point of contact for senior managers for own area, resolving queries, including liaison with other parties including commissioners; proactively liaise with senior managers regarding key financial issues
b. Providing training and support to budget holders with the ability to facilitate large groups where necessary
c. Ensuring that responses to the generic email box are being sent promptly and appropriately, assisting with queries where necessary
d. Ensuring all calls and emails are responded to promptly
5. Management
a. May line manage Management Accountant or Senior Management Accountant including taking part in recruitment, carrying out supervision, appraisal and where necessary any attendance management or disciplinary functions
b. Closely involved in training and supporting other staff, particularly Management Accountants
6. Other
a. It is expected that the post holder will meet with budget holders on a regular basis, proactively arranging to discuss financial issues; some can be undertaken by phone or web, but actual visits are also necessary.
b. Deputises for Finance Business Partner on a regular basis
c. Complex costings and financial modelling, including completion of calculations for bids
d. Understands and utilises the shift calculator model and the various external models.
e. Works within a mini-team of Finance Business Partner, Finance Manager, Management Accountant plus junior support, proactively ensuring that cross cover can always be provided.
Person Specification
* Professional Accountancy Qualification or equivalent senior experience.
* Demonstrable experience in management accounting including costing
* Education to degree level or equivalent work-based experience
* Evidence of continued professional development - e.g. NHS Finance Personal Portfolio
* Qualified/demonstrable experience to European Computer Driving Licence level
Skills and Knowledge
* 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.
* Judgement skills - ability to use experience to make appropriate assumptions in the preparation of financial reports and plans
* 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 accuracy at high-speed including highly advanced keyboard skills
* Knowledge and awareness of accounting practice.
* Leadership and Motivational skills
* Negotiation and Persuasion skills
* Presentational skills
* Ability to plan and deliver management accounting services
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer name
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE
Salary
£51,657 to £58,785 a year per annum pro rata (5% HCAS inclusive)
Contract
Permanent
Reference number
367-CORP-10131
Job locations
The Colonnades, Beaconsfield Road, Hatfield, AL10 8YE
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