This role supports the Financial Services team in delivering accurate and timely financial processes, ensuring compliance with procedures and deadlines. It contributes to maintaining effective financial controls, resolving queries, and providing guidance to colleagues.
37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
Main duties of the job
As a member of the Financial Services team, the post holder will contribute to the efficient and accurate delivery of financial operations. This includes supporting the monthly reconciliation of control accounts, ensuring suspense accounts and recharge codes are cleared in line with internal timetables.
The post holder will assist in the maintenance of the Trust’s banking facilities, bank mandates, receipting of income and assist with the completion of VAT processes in accordance with statutory deadlines and will assist the completion of several year-end working papers to support the production of year end accounts.
Team members will be assigned specific day-to-day responsibilities but are expected to rotate duties periodically and provide cover for colleagues as required.
Working for our organisation
Choose Well – Choose WWL
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
People at the Heart
Listen and Involve
Kind and Respectful
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information available by contacting covid-19.vaccine@wwl.nhs.uk where you can also ask about how to access vaccinations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* Assist in the reconciliation of control accounts and associated queries.
* To understand accounting procedures including reconciliations, VAT payments and deductions and general ledger coding structures.
* Support the allocation of private patient income and deposits and identifying any under overpayments and ensuring corrective action is taken.
* Assist in the allocation of all trust income.
* Deputise and provide support for the Accounts Receivable Officer to undertake debt collection activities where appropriate and resolve complex payment issues, including those of a sensitive nature.
* Print and despatch invoices and credit notes following invoice/credit generation within the sales ledger, either via email or post or other distribution method identified in the procedures.
* Produce and send dunning letters to the debtor in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures.
* Record all debtor contact in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures. This should be done via the invoice notes appears on comments report.
* Assist with monitoring the trusts credit card expenditure and investigate any anomalies.
* Communicate to finance/non finance colleagues finance policies and procedures in line with Trust SFIs (Standing Financial Instructions).
* Assist in the preparation of several working papers to substantiate figures reported in the Trust Annual Accounts.
* Assist in the completion of the NHS agreement of balances exercise for both debtor/creditor balances and income and expenditure transactions identifying discrepancies and taking corrective action where appropriate.
* Assist in clearing unallocated cash in the general ledger.
* Assist in the completion of the monthly bank reconciliation.
* Liaise with internal and external auditors providing information as required.
* Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within Financial Services and recommend procedural enhancements, while maintaining awareness of the impact on other areas of the Finance department.
* Analyse, investigate and resolve financial queries, identifying solutions from a range of options.
* Any other duties as required for the role.
Person specification
Qualifications
* 5 GCSEs including maths and english
* Associate AAT or equivalent studying or experience. (F/C)
* Further academic achievement. (F/C)
* Evidence of on-going professional training & development. (F/C)
Experience
* Experience of working in a Finance role. (F/R)
* Experience withing a corporate Finance environment (F/R/I)
* NHS Experience
Skills
* Attention to detail, with a methodical and thorough approach. (F)
* Ability to concentrate frequently for sustained periods on complex calculations, with accurate results.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. (F/I)
* IT literacy with strong spreadsheet skills. (I)
* Accurate and speedy inputting skills.
* Ability to meet targets and deadlines through • planning; • multitasking;• prioritising competing demands; and • switching objectives/tasks.
* Ability to deal sensitively with confidential information. (I)
* Proficient in use of Microsoft Office (specifically Outlook, Excel, Word and Access). (I)
Knowledge
* Knowledge pertaining to financial control, best practice and financial procedures. (I)
* Knowledge of financial systems. (I)
* Knowledge of Finance concepts and principles, as applied to • double entry bookkeeping; • financial ledgers and ‘feeder’ systems; • reconciliation; and • financial reporting. (I)
* Knowledge of accounts production. (I)
Additional
* Flexible/adaptable approach. (I)
* Motivated and professional manner. (I)
* Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to overall team effectiveness. (I)
* Ability to work under own initiative. (I)
Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.
Using AI when writing job applications If you choose to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other tools to assist in writing your application, it’s essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting statement to reflect the skills and experience to match your job application. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting statement is not advocated by Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as it could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process. Please refer to the attached "Applying for a role in the NHS guidance" for further information regarding the use of AI.
The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.
We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.
Guidance on Completing Your Application
Applications are scored against the person specification, therefore we recommend that you use the supporting information section of your application form to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role, providing illustrative examples where possible.
On-Call
Please note that some roles may require you to participate in an on-call rota, if the role is predominantly operational.
WWL has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. and will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester Local Authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority; giving you access to our service-related benefits.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Name Johanna Howarth Job title Financial Accountant Email address johanna.howarth@wwl.nhs.uk Telephone number 01942 773746
If you have problems applying, contact
Address Buckingham Row
Brick Kiln Lane
Wigan
WN1 1XX
Telephone 07786529393
J-18808-Ljbffr