Financial Analyst

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual with excellent analytical, communication and interpersonal skills with a strong commitment to value and patient care. This will be a support role to assist Finance Managers through the production of Management Accounts for Clinical Directorate within the organisation as well as supporting Budget Holders. The post will also provide support to the wider Financial Management team through the Month End process and through completion of ad-hoc projects. This is a great opportunity for those looking at furthering their finance career, as well as gaining a wider understanding and experience of the management of NHS services. If you believe you have the skills, enthusiasm and ambition to join our friendly and progressive organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The key focus of this post will be the production of budget reports from the ledger, investigation of variances from plan, and ensuring that action on changes required is taken. Any changes required to budgets, covering both staff and expenditure, will be made by the Financial Analyst. In all other cases they will be referred to the relevant Financial Operations department.

Regular reviews with budget holders as intelligence gathering is another key focus of the role. Providing information and analysis to them and supporting them in interpreting their reports and in developing robust end of year forecasts.

The key skills required are those for interrogating all the various sub-systems of the ledger and the Financial Analyst requires a good working knowledge of the operation of these systems and the basic accounting principles involved. Since there will be a significant involvement in developing and updating spreadsheets, advanced spreadsheet skills are required. The major spreadsheets will be for ‘costing’, and for projections.

The Financial Analyst is expected to take an active interest in the development of his/her skills, experience and career.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To generate and maintain budget reports and other spreadsheet based reports in accordance with agreed timetables and department policies and procedures.

To investigate significant variances by interrogating all the financial ledger sub-systems, and to summarise conclusions in spreadsheet and other forms for use by managers and senior finance staff.

To prepare costing spreadsheets for budget setting, and for financial planning.

To meet regularly with budget holders and to provide information and analysis to them. In addition to support communication of information between them and other departments within Finance.

To resolve queries from managers and budget holders regarding financial management matters with minimal supervision.

To resolve queries and explain the relevant regulations to individual members of staff of the Trusts Standing Financial Instructions.