Job overview
As part of the Management Accounting Team within ELFS, you will provide a management accounting service to the senior management team across a range of cost centres/departments to assist the shared service in delivering robust operational and financial management whilst supporting continuous improvements in cost effectiveness.
You will ensure the provision of an accurate and timely finance and management accounting information service to senior finance colleagues including scheduled reporting, variance analysis, ad-hoc costing and query resolution.
You will be working with the Financial Controller and will have responsibility for month end and year end management accounts, assisting with monthly costing analysis, monitoring monthly SLA contract activity, balance sheet reconciliations, monitoring of contractual KPI’s, raising of ELFS Purchase orders and all ELFS internal invoicing queries.
Main duties of the job
Management accounting responsibilities:-
1. Ensure that accurate records and robust processes are in place to deliver monthly / annual financial management reporting.
2. Preparation of clear and accurate journal entries and workings including the identification of accruals and prepayments
3. The investigation of variances and discrepancies, making appropriate budget, expenditure or income adjustments via journals. This will involve close liaison with budget holders (including monthly meetings)
4. Action approved budget change requests from Departmental Managers
5. Prepare and monitor budgets for ELFS departments, produce and distribute monthly budget statements within the month-end reporting deadlines.
6. Undertake pay budgeting, which includes monitoring actual to establishment, reviewing the staffing establishment with budget holders and undertaking ad hoc pay costings.
7. Production of ad hoc reports where requested, using spreadsheets and databases, and where appropriate analysing data for trends and discrepancies.
Financial accounting responsibilities:-
8. Reconciliation and clearance of ELFS control accounts
9. Responsible for raising purchase orders to cover contracts and organisational spend.
10. Manage the approval and coding of invoices relating to ELFS expenditure.
11. Reconciliation and clearance of nominated ELFS clients control accounts including bank reconciliations and complex payroll reconciliations
Responsible for the monitoring of ELFS contractual KPI performance.
Working for our organisation
ELFS Business Services was established on the 1st April 2002 and is now in its 24th year of operation providing business shared services to NHS client organisations. We have a highly motivated workforce dedicated to providing high standard shared services excellence. We also have a reputation for developing excellent client relationships based on service satisfaction and high quality delivery.
You will be a part of a small Management Accounting team managing ELFS budgets to ensure all the reporting is completed in a timely and effective manner.
You will also work closely with the Technical Accounting team which provides a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience for future qualified accountants and you will be supported in working towards a professional accountancy qualification.
You will be working at a fast pace and to strict deadlines and therefore good organisational and multitasking skills as well as strong work ethics are essential.
We offer a hybrid working model - a mixture of office and home working with a minimum of 2 days a week in the office subject to annual review. The initial training period (minimum 3 months) is office based.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Management accounting responsibilities:-
12. Ensure that accurate records and robust processes are in place to deliver monthly / annual financial management reporting.
13. Preparation of clear and accurate journal entries and workings including the identification of accruals and prepayments
14. The investigation of variances and discrepancies, making appropriate budget, expenditure or income adjustments via journals. This will involve close liaison with budget holders (including monthly meetings)
15. Action approved budget change requests from Departmental Managers – as advised by the Reporting and Treasury Manager
16. Prepare and monitor budgets for ELFS departments, produce and distribute monthly budget statements within the month-end reporting deadlines.
17. Undertake pay budgeting, which includes monitoring actual to establishment, reviewing the staffing establishment with budget holders and undertaking ad hoc pay costings.
18. Production of ad hoc reports where requested, using spreadsheets and databases, and where appropriate analysing data for trends and discrepancies.
Financial accounting responsibilities:-
19. Reconciliation and clearance of ELFS control accounts
20. Responsible for raising purchase orders to cover contracts and organisational spend.
21. Manage the approval and coding of invoices relating to ELFS expenditure
22. Reconciliation and clearance of nominated ELFS clients control accounts including bank reconciliations and complex payroll reconciliations
Responsible for the monitoring of ELFS contractual KPI performance.
Preparation of reports to monitor, manage and report KPI performance to client organisations and the ELFS Management Board
Identify, design, and implement procedural changes within own area and within agreed level of authority.
Pro-actively contribute to the continuous improvement of technology/business processes through identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing changes.
Monitor the contract activity volumes and raise invoices/credit notes as necessary.
Resolve queries raised by client organisations and ensure that these requests are resolved within the strict deadlines ensuring that detailed records and audit trails for any changes are up to date.
Support managers with the supervision, induction, training and development of junior staff, including the allocation of duties as appropriate.
Develop the skills and competencies of staff and self through training and development activities, ensuring that progress is maintained and future needs identified and actioned, organising and presenting on the job training and coaching.
Customer Relations and Communications.
23. Respond to all enquiries either written or verbal in a professional, courteous and timely manner and ensuring a high standard of customer service is provided.
24. Provide effective communications to include the distribution of confidential information,
Maintain an effective working relationship with other members of the department, other employees within ELFS and external organisations to deliver a professional service focused on achieving a high level of customer satisfaction
Contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organisation.
25. Plan own workload in conjunction with Financial Controller to ensure procedures and timescales are observed taking on additional work to cover for absent colleagues when required.
26. Assist in any Audit requirements.
To carry out other appropriate delegated duties as required by Head of Department.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
27. AAT Member, NVQ Level 5 or equivalent qualification, or equivalent work experience
Desirable criteria
28. Educated to a degree level
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
29. Sound, demonstrable knowledge of financial and accounting procedures.
30. Experience of working in a busy finance environment
31. Previous experience of data manipulation (with large data sets)
Desirable criteria
32. Specialist knowledge of NHS finance relevant to the role
33. Management Accounts experience
34. Supervisory experience