Business Analysis Expert

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a highly skilled and motivated individual to join our esteemed Finance team. The post holder will be responsible to the Deputy Director of Finance and will have line management responsibility for the Divisional financial management team, providing strategic financial and business planning advice, information, and expertise to the managers within the supported areas.

Possessing a recognised professional qualification, you will be an experienced finance professional who will be hands-on supporting our Divisions in driving performance and ensuring the efficient use of resources. You will ensure that the Divisions' financial records represent a true and fair view and meet financial timescales and requirements of the Trust's corporate reporting system, external statutory returns and accounts, accounting policies, and legislation.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for providing accurate, timely, detailed budget management reports and supporting information to all budget managers within the Divisions, in a format that enables complex information to be understood by non-finance staff.

Take responsibility for the adapting/designing, review, maintenance, modification, and update of financial systems for reporting Divisional positions.

Ensure that reports are of the highest quality by actively contributing to the quality assurance process and ensuring that key validations and reconciliations are completed.

Supervise the month-end process to ensure that deadlines are met and a true and fair view of the Divisional position is reported.

Prepare a detailed financial report each month for presentation at monthly Directorate and Divisional Board meetings, performance review, and any other pre-Trust Board meeting. The Business Advisor (BA) will be required to answer detailed questions on any aspect of the Divisions finances at these meetings. Where performance differs from plan, the BA will be expected to propose rectification measures for discussion and agreement at the meeting.

Strategic / Financial Planning

Lead the annual financial planning process for their Division including identifying, coordinating, and quantifying Service Developments, Cost Pressures, Efficiency Programmes, and Capital Bids to support the annual objectives.

Identify threats to the financial stability of their Division and agree rectification measures with the relevant clinical or non-clinical managers.

Supervise the production of detailed forecast out-turn projections for the Division. Where forecast out-turn deviates from plan, lead the process of preparing a financial rectification plan for agreement by the Division.

Take responsibility for budget setting for their Division, in line with agreed Trust policies, ensuring the involvement of key Divisional managers and clinicians. Ensure that all budgets are signed off at Directorate and Divisional level before presenting the start-point budget to the senior management team for written approval.

Ensure that Divisions' budgets are set within available resources allowing for developments and other income adjustments, providing for recurrent financial balance, and advise on resource allocation and cost improvement issues.

Advise the Deputy Director of Finance (Operational Business Support) of the robustness and achievability of Divisional financial plans, highlighting levels of risk, to facilitate the assessment and reporting of the Trust corporate financial position.

Take the lead for the Division on ensuring that benchmarking submissions are accurate, complete, and timely.

Business Management and Decision Support

Corporate responsibility for the utilisation of the financial resources and assets of the Division to ensure efficient and effective use.

Support/advise on the production of business cases within the Division, including leading on and taking responsibility for the accuracy of the financial analysis. This will include analysis/triangulation of highly complex data from a variety of sources and the application of recognised investment appraisal techniques to proposals to facilitate decision making.

Develop and monitor financial and non-financial performance indicators to identify areas where the use of resources can be monitored and improved. Work with operational managers and clinicians to improve productivity and demonstrate the impact of this on financial performance.

Take the lead for the Division on benchmarking and value for money audits to ensure best practice and optimal utilisation of resources.

With the support of the procurement department, negotiate external contracts with suppliers.

Take the financial lead on the evaluation of tenders to ensure that the Division is providing best value for money.

The post will be responsible for maximising income levels for the Directorates it supports, ensuring that funding sources from all appropriate external agencies are investigated and that all funding is recovered.

Ensures that Approval to Recruit (ATR) applications and establishments are being processed/updated in a correct and timely manner. Challenges any atypical posts and decides if these can proceed whilst balancing service needs and financial risk.

The post will ensure that information provision and outputs associated with Service Line Reporting for the supported Directorates are generated in accordance with the Trust's SLR policies and procedures and are communicated to the Division and used to identify opportunities for improvement.

Ensure that financial and non-financial performance indicators relating to the Trust's PFI Contract are subject to scrutiny and review in order to challenge and validate charges and credits received, and to identify areas where the use of resources can be improved.

Ensure that financial support is provided to ensure that the Trust's PFI Model can be managed and maintained.

The post will be the nominated Senior Finance lead NHS England on the NHS Education Funding Agreement ensuring that the Trust's Contract is understood, supported, and subject to financial review, including providing leadership and support for any new bids submitted in-year.

Financial Policies and Procedures

The role will be responsible for managing the financial control processes ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, integrity, and an appropriate business focus within the framework of the Trust's financial systems.

Contribute fully to the development of corporate financial policies, strategies, and systems and adhere to these in the performance of the duties of the post. Identify opportunities to improve and develop system-based working practices, taking a lead for the Trust if required.

Proactively identify areas of weakness in financial controls, policies, and processes outside of Financial Management (eg Financial Services) and make constructive use of intra-departmental meetings to propose and drive forward appropriate changes.

Promote, implement, and advocate corporately agreed financial policies, procedures, and approaches within the Division to ensure acceptance and adherence.

Drive forward the continued development of the finance function in response to national policy drivers, requiring interpretation of financial and other legislation/policies for the Division.

Act as Divisional lead for the financial implications of the implementation of national policies.

Leadership and Staff Management

Responsible for the staff within the Divisional finance team, including recruitment and selection decisions, appraisal, performance management, sickness absence, disciplinary and grievance issues, allocation, re-allocation, and monitoring of departmental workload and personal development in accordance with agreed Trust policies and procedures.

Take the lead within the Division for developing and maintaining processes which deliver the Trust's Financial services objectives including compliance with the Better Payment Practice Code, improved debt recovery, management of the Trust's working capital, and statutory accounting including the production of the Annual Accounts and monthly NHSE returns.

Negotiate with NHS/external organisations over complex cost/service issues to resolve disputes to facilitate payment and improve cash-flow.

• Management accounting experience or equivalent at a senior level.
• Extensive experience of the financial elements of business planning.
• Extensive preparation of complex, multi-faceted business cases including the practical application of investment appraisal techniques.
• Experience of leading, managing, motivating, and developing a finance team.
• Experience of leading, motivating, and developing others.

• CCAB or CIMA qualification.
• Demonstrable commitment to Continuing Professional Development.

• Specialist knowledge of financial and accounting procedures including specific NHS policies and procedures and the requirements of the NHS financial regime and the legislative framework within which it operates.
• Knowledge of an acute hospital environment and associated NHS priorities.
• Highly numerate and analytical with excellent verbal and written skills including the ability to summarise highly complex financial issues into concise financial reports.
• Ability to make reasoned judgements on financial risks where expert opinions may be contradictory.
• Demonstrable evidence of influencing, persuading, and negotiating skills.
• Commercially astute.