Senior Management Accountant (Hospital)
Band 7
Full Time – 37.5 hours per week
Salary Range £30,764 - £40,558 per annum
Relocation Assistance of up to £8,000 available
The Management Accounting Team are part of the Boards Finance Department, which includes Financial
Accounting, Management Accounting, Purchasing and Stores and Patient Travel. The Finance Department
is responsible for delivering financial services to all Board areas.
This is a key post where the post holder must be able to demonstrate a high level of technical accounting
knowledge, as well as relevant experience and be able to work autonomously within the Finance
Department to investigate highly complex enquiries or contribute to providing strategic and business
planning advice. You will prepare and complete statutory returns in line with financial timescales and legal
requirements and provide comprehensive financial support, advice and information to Clinical Services
Directorate Managers, delegated budget holders and all other levels of the Boards Management team so
that they can provide the best patient care within the limited budgeted resources available. You will also be
responsible for managing staff.
Educated to degree level (or equivalent), you will be an experienced and professionally qualified
accountant with current membership of a CCAB body or equivalent appropriate practical work based
experience and working towards qualification. You will have extensive experience of working in an
accountancy environment in a complex organisation and possess well-developed theoretical and practical
knowledge of financial and management accounting procedures.
Rise to the challenge and enjoy the opportunity - Shetland is a wonderful place to live and work. Shetland
offers low pollution, low crime, excellent schools, great leisure facilities, unique wildlife and amazing
scenery, whilst still only a short flight away from the UK mainland. To find out more about living and
working in Shetland go to www.shetland.org
For an informal discussion please contact Colin Marsland, Director of Finance on 01595 743070.
Please quote reference number D48/SHOW
Closing date:
18 August 2013
Interviews will be held week commencing 16 September 2013
All posts qualify for a Distant Island Allowance of £1,671 per annum (pro rata for part-time and fixed
term positions).
For more information and an application form, please visit our website www.shb.scot.nhs.uk.
Alternatively, contact the Human Resources Department, Brevik House, South Road, Lerwick,
Shetland or telephone: (01595) 743067 (24 hour answerphone), quoting the appropriate reference
number. All applications must be on our standard application form – CVs will not be accepted.
In promoting equal opportunities, we welcome applications from all sections of the community.
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JOB DESCRIPTION
1
JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title:
Senior Management Accountant
(Hospital)
Head of Finance & Procurement
Finance
Finance
October 2012
Responsible to
Department(s)
Directorate
Last Update
2
JOB PURPOSE
To assist and support the Head of Finance & Procurement in the execution of the
Board’s statutory financial responsibilities.
This is a key post where the postholder must be able to demonstrate a high level
of technical accounting knowledge, as well as relevant experience and be able to
work autonomously within the Finance Department to investigates highly complex
enquiries or contribute to providing strategic and business planning advice..
Prepares and completes statutory returns, e.g. NHS Annual Cost Book return,
ensuring that work is completed in line with financial timescales and legal
requirements, interpreting these where necessary.
To provide comprehensive financial support, advice and information to the Clinical
Services Directorate Managers, delegated budget holders and all other levels of
the Boards Management team so that they can provide the best patient care
within the limited budgeted resources available.
In addition, the postholder will be responsible managing staff within the Finance
Department.
3
DIMENSIONS
Revenue Expenditure
Capital Expenditure
£52m
£1m
Co-ordination of work of Management Accounts team in Finance Department.
Number of staff managed 1
Provision of financial advice to about 30 budget holders.
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4
ORGANISATIONAL CHART
5
ROLE OF THE DEPARTMENT
The role of the Finance Department is to provide support and advice to managers
on all financial matters, to ensure that all statutory and reporting requirements are
met, and to account properly for all financial transactions.
The Management Accountancy team provides financial information and advice to
Executive Directors, senior managers and designated budget holders on a regular
basis, identifying planned and actual expenditure as an aid to long term and
strategic decision making.
6
KEY RESULT AREAS

Management of the Management Accounts team to ensure the provision of
timely financial information and reports to senior management and budget
holders
Negotiates, agrees and sets budgets and savings plans with budgetholders before the start of the financial year, to contribute towards the
board’s short and medium term financial strategy.
Advises and negotiates with other managers in relation to significant cost
and funding issues including persuading and constraining managers to
develop and operate their service within the available resource levels
Interprets and presents financial information such as outturns and trends in
revenue expenditure internally, to departmental managers, local
partnership bodies and to the Scottish Government and other national
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agencies
Formulates plans with budget holder to rectify budget positions and take
remedial action
Provides budget and coding advice to other managers and heads of
department
Delivers training on Management accounting and budgeting to other
managers and heads of department
Point of contact for external and internal auditors
Lead on the completion of the annual Scottish Health Services Cost Book
return and ensures that there is appropriate input from clinical and non
clinical staff to the development of local patient pathway costing.
Assist in the local development of the resource framework initiative for
closer joint work with local authorities.
Point of contact for budget holders, including family health services and
PSD
7a

Attend a number of groups on a regular basis. This will require the officer
to liaise and negotiate with internal and external bodies. A further key role
will be the input of technical knowledge and expertise to these groups;

Participate in the development of staff employed in the department. This
will involve the postholder providing one-to-one and group training on
various financial issues;

Be alert to changes in accounting practices, statutory requirements, and
their impact on the organisation.
EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY
PC (desktop or laptop)
Shared use of printer / photocopier
7b
SYSTEMS
The main system is Cedar’s e-Financials, which includes financial, procurement
and stock modules. The post holder will use the general ledger to produce
management reports and variance analysis. Additionally the post holder can
access procurement and stock modules to extract data.
Business Objects software is used to produce customised reports, including
routine budget monitoring.
Advanced use of Excel is required to develop models for budgeting, improving
operational efficiency and to provide information for strategic business planning.
Ability to use Word for the production of business cases, reports or letters.
Daily use of email for communicating with colleagues across the Board, including
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budget managers, and with external bodies.
Daily use of intranet and internet for access to various systems, and update on
developments within NHS Shetland, and for gathering useful background
information on the wider health environment.
8
ASSIGNMENT & REVIEW OF WORK
The postholder is expected to demonstrate a high degree of personal initiative
and to work with minimal supervision and direction, but within a team-based
environment.
Most of the activities and work of the postholder will be self-initiated and will be
consistent with the responsibilities in the job description. The postholder will meet
regularly with the Head of Finance & Procurement to discuss operational issues,
remedial action and performance against set objectives.
9
DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post holder is expected to anticipate problems and resolve them in a
professional manner.
The post holder has delegated authority to make decisions in line with internal
and external policies, procedures and statutory requirements, and in line with best
practice guidelines.
The post holder is expected to make judgements involving highly complex facts or
situations which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of
options whilst minimising the financial risk to the organisation.
10
MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PART OF THE JOB
To continually review information held within financial systems, thereby ensuring
that proper accounting treatment has been applied at stages, to facilitate the
production of timely and accurate data for the compilation of monthly reporting to
budget holders, Corporate Management Team, and the Board.
Discussing with Budget Holders corporate financial decisions which may
adversely affect their department. Supporting and enabling budget holders to
achieve balanced outturn.
11
COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Communication skills and positive development of working relationships with staff
and senior colleagues across NHS Scotland (SMT, other management teams,
Internal and External Audit, SGHD, National Procurement, Ayrshire & Arran
Consortium) will play an important role in the management objectives of the post
holder.
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The postholder may be required to provide highly complex, sensitive or
contentious information for presentation to senior management teams.
12
PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF
THE JOB
Requirement to use a computer on a daily basis. Requires good keyboard skills.
Frequent requirement for concentration; predictable and unpredictable work.
Occasional requirement for prolonged concentration. Time management is crucial
in ensuring various deadlines are complied with.
The postholder is responsible for the management of staff, including dealing with
staff performance & disciplinary issues.
13
KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB
Essential






Experienced and professionally qualified accountant with current
membership of a CCAB body or equivalent appropriate practical work based
experience and working towards qualification.
Extensive experience working in an accountancy environment in a complex
organisation
A highly developed experience in the use of computerised financial systems
with the ability to enhance reporting facilities
Highly developed financial knowledge and ability across the range of key
result areas.
Procedures and practices underpinned by theoretical
knowledge and practical experience
Extensive experience of using databases or spreadsheets to enhance
management information.
Ability to adapt system-generated reports and general information to meet
the needs of relevant budget holders.
Desirable




Specific NHS accounting experience
Significant post-qualification experience
Previous experience of working at a senior level, i.e. reporting to senior
management on financial issues
Prior staff management experience.
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by
each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Date:
Head of Department Signature:
Date:
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NHS SHETLAND - PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job Title:
Senior Management Accountant Hospital
Department:
Finance
Location:
Finance Department, Gilbert Bain Hospital, Lerwick
FACTOR
ESSENTIAL
DESIRABLE
EXPERIENCE
Extensive experience working in an
accountancy environment in a complex
organisation
Advanced use of computerised financial
systems
Use of databases and / or spreadsheets
to enhance management information,
and associated data security
Supervision of staff
Relevant
postqualification experience
Specific
NHS
accounting experience
Previous experience of
working at a senior
level
Experience
of
managing a finance
team
QUALIFICATIONS
TRAINING
RESEARCH
PUBLICATIONS
Educated to degree level, or equivalent
Membership
of
a
professional
accountancy body (CCAB) or equivalent
relevant practical experience gained from
relevant employment
Evidence of relevant
continued professional
development
KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS
Well-developed theoretical and practical
knowledge of financial and management
accounting procedures
Ability to work on own initiative with
minimal supervision
Ability to work effectively in a team
Ability to motivate and lead staff
Ability to work to tight deadlines
Ability to prioritise competing demands
Excellent
communication
and
interpersonal skills
Proven analytical and problem-solving
skills
Strong negotiation skills
Specialist knowledge of
NHS accounting
DISPOSITION
Sensitivity to needs of others while
achieving tough financial objectives
Ability to persuade others through wellinformed and well-presented argument
OTHER
Ability to attend mainland meetings as
required , entailing air travel and use of
hire car
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