Overview
Are you passionate about supporting research in the NHS? Do you enjoy a varied role where no two days are the same? The Research & Innovation (R&I) Department at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) is entering an exciting phase as we work towards University Hospital Trust status. We are seeking a motivated and dynamic individual to join us as a Research & Innovation Finance Officer and support this journey.
The successful candidate will have a strong financial background and be a collaborative team player with excellent interpersonal skills. You will work with a wide range of stakeholders and be comfortable managing multiple projects and priorities, demonstrating these abilities through the ELHT values. Experience in project management and/or developing reporting tools (e.g. Power BI or similar) would be advantageous.
We are looking for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced, evolving environment and values continuous professional development. The R&I Department, and ELHT more broadly, has a strong track record of supporting staff growth and career progression across the organisation.
This role offers flexibility, with the option for fully remote working or a hybrid arrangement combining remote and office‑based work, with occasional face‑to‑face meetings as required.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact aleksandra.metryka@elht.nhs.uk.
About Us
The R&I Department is part of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which is working towards University Hospital Trust status. Our Trust provides the best possible healthcare to the people of East Lancashire and supports staff growth and career progression across the organisation.
Main Duties of the Job
Job Purpose: Provide a professional, timely and accurate finance service to the Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) function, covering pre‑ and post‑award grant management, study costing and negotiation, income recovery, reporting and compliance. The post holder supports the DERI Divisional Accountant and RD&I Operations Manager to ensure research studies are costed appropriately, contracted effectively and financially managed in line with Trust Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs), funder requirements and applicable research costing guidance (e.g. AcoRD/SoECAT).
Job Responsibilities
* Pre‑award management of Trust investigator‑led research grants and personal awards
o Prepare time‑sensitive costings and budgets for Trust investigator‑led grant applications in line with funder guidance and programme limits (including AcoRD/SoECAT where applicable).
o Advise investigators on eligible/ineligible costs and optimise budgets to maximise value within funder constraints.
o Coordinate the finance components of submissions, ensuring appropriate internal approvals and records for audit.
* Post‑award management of Trust investigator‑led research grants and personal awards
o Liaise with collaborators and funders to set up accurate financial arrangements in accordance with the award terms and contracts.
o Produce regular financial analyses and variance reports; forecast expenditure and income; and support re‑profiling where needed.
o Schedule and submit required financial returns (e.g. ASTOX) with appropriate internal sign‑off (e.g. grants and personal awards).
o Maintain complete, auditable documentation and support internal/external audit requests.
* Study Costing, Pricing and Negotiation
o Prepare financial appraisals for proposed studies (commercial and non‑commercial), ensuring correct attribution of costs and pricing in line with Trust policy, AcoRD and market comparators.
o Negotiate costs with sponsors and partners on behalf of the Trust and draft/validate financial schedules for contracts.
o Ensure all costing templates and financial documentation are uploaded to EDGE and updated following amendments.
* Income, Debtors and Payments
o Proactively raise invoices for research activity in line with agreements; monitor and recover income to agreed timelines; and resolve debt queries with sponsors and the Finance Department.
o Match remittances received without invoices and raise retrospective invoices where required.li>
o Administer participant payments (e.g. travel and inconvenience) in line with study terms and Trust policy.
* Reporting and Analysis
o Produce monthly summaries from EDGE and Trust finance systems showing activity vs. income for all active funded studies.
o Develop dashboards and KPIs for grant/study finance (e.g. invoice turnaround, debt ageing, forecast accuracy).
o Present financial information in accessible formats to non‑finance audiences and study management groups.
* Governance, Compliance and Risk
o Ensure compliance with Standing Financial Instructions, research governance, funder T&Cs, procurement and VAT rules.
o Identify financial risks and issues (e.g. under‑recovery, overspends, contract gaps) and escalates with mitigation plans.
o Contribute to audit readiness, respond to audit requests and implement recommendations.
* Systems and Data
o Use EDGE and Trust finance systems (GL, e‑procurement) to maintain accurate, timely data and reconciliations.
o Continuously improve data quality and develop tips/guides to support organisational learning from previous submissions and studies.
* Continuous Improvement and Training
o Lead or contribute to finance process improvements (e.g. automation, templates, standard operating procedures).
o Contribute to wider research service process improvements (e.g. feasibility, transformation).
o Provide advice and training to investigators and RD&I colleagues on research finance (pre‑ and post‑award, costing, invoicing).
o Engage with One NHS Finance programmes (e.g. Future‑Focused Finance and regional Finance Skills Development networks) to maintain and develop professional skills.
* General Responsibilities
o Build effective relationships across RD&I, Finance, clinical teams and external partners to deliver a professional service.
o Prioritise workload to meet deadlines; escalade barriers to the RD&I Operations Manager or DERI Divisional Accountant.
Person Specification
* Experience working in NHS financial management and administrative office environment.
* Understanding of NHS R&D funding mechanisms.
* Use of computerised finance systems (GL, e‑procurement).
* Hands‑on costing, invoicing and debtor management.
* Experience of supporting financial dashboards/KPIs for performance.
* Advanced Excel (e.g. macros/VBA) and/or data visualisation (e.g. Power BI).
* Knowledge of the NHS financial regime and SFIs.
* Strong Excel, Word and (ideally) Access skills.
* Ability to interpret, analyse and present financial information for non‑finance audiences.
* Proven numerical reasoning, problem solving and report writing.
* Ability to prioritise and manage competing demands and deadlines.
* Works on own initiative and as part of a team.
* Calm and effective under pressure.
* High attention to detail and data quality.
* Committed to continuous improvement and learning.
* Ability to travel between Trust sites and external venues as required; flexibility to meet service needs.
* Good Clinical Practice training.
* Experience of multi‑agency and multi‑disciplinary working.
* Knowledge of AcoRD and use of SoECAT.
* Experience using EDGE.
* Knowledge of research regulatory approvals.
* Ability to translate NHS finance rules into research contexts.
* Development of dashboards/KPIs for financial performance.
* Willingness to undertake occasional overnight stays for conferences/training.
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.
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