Job Title: Assistant Accountant
Band: 5
Directorate: HQ
Department: Finance
Responsible To: Band 7 Accountant
Responsibilities:
- To support the finance team and operational managers in the provision of data requests, reconciliations and reports in a timely manner, ensuring financial information is processed in accordance with procedures and in order to provide information for statutory returns.
- Assist with the maintenance, input, updating and reconciliation of computerised budgetary control systems. This involves developing spreadsheets and databases for specific purposes and undertaking enquiries on several financial based systems. The post requires using a computer on a daily basis with speed and accuracy.
- To deputise for finance colleagues at meetings etc. when required.
- Assist in all aspects of supplying financial information to key stakeholders including non-financial staff when requested. This will include variance analysis, analysis of pay and non-pay, evaluating a range of options, supporting business cases, directorate performance reporting etc. This will involve providing and receiving complex and contentious information, some of which may be sensitive.
- Meet with relevant stakeholders on an ongoing basis advising on the current financial position. This may involve travel between different sites.
- Working as a finance team, adopting a task-based approach to workload, which will be coordinated by Senior Accountants and Accountants.
- To ensure every process has an accurate procedure note that can be interpreted by both finance and non-finance colleagues.
- To provide guidance and interpretation of the Trust’s Financial Procedures, Scheme of Delegation, Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions where necessary.
- Manage own time and workload in accordance with monthly/annual and ad-hoc timetables, ensuring all deadlines are met on a timely basis.
Requirements:
- GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)
- AAT Qualified or equivalent accounting experience
- Knowledge of NHS finance
- Knowledge of ledger systems/accounting strategy and budgetary control processes
- Accounting experience – three years
- IT literate including extensive use of Word and Excel
- Line management experience
- Good communication skills both verbal and written
- Ability to explain financial information to non-finance managers
- Good analytical skills
- The logical approach to problem-solving
- Ability to interpret financial information
- Manage own workload within agreed parameters and deadlines