As Finance Manager for the NIHR South West Central Regional Research Delivery Network, you will provide financial oversight for the procedures for disseminating and accounting for NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) funding within the Regional RDN (RRDN). This will be for an annual budget of around £30m. This role will work with the finance team of our Host Organisation (University Hospitals Bristol and Weston) and the RRDN Operations Director to ensure full accountability for RDN finance in the region. The Finance Manager will be involved in the management of the budget and will introduce, adapt and improve systems to assess applications for funding.
The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research. We are funded by the Department of Health and Social Care to support the country’s world-class research system to deliver high-quality research that enables the best care for our population.
Our vision is that the UK is a global leader in the delivery of high quality, commercial and non-commercial research that is inclusive, accessible, and improves health and care. Our mission is to enable the health and care system to attract, optimise and deliver research across England.
This role is with the NIHR South West Central Regional Research Delivery Network (RRDN), which is hosted by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW).
Main duties of the job
- Lead on the day-to-day coordination of budgets and produce forecasts and reporting of RDN expenditure as required by various stakeholders, including the RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC), RDN Board, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
- Provide robust financial accountability, supported by the Finance Officer and Host Organisation finance team.
- Ensure, at all times, that there is clear transparency of RDN usage and that there is a clear audit trail for the accountability of expenditure.
- Ensure that all processes will align to the Host Organisation’s Standing Financial Instructions (SFIs), and lead on developing and implementing a streamlined system for the receipt and payment of invoices from research Delivery Organisations (organisations delivering RDN portfolio research) across the RRDN region.
- Have oversight of the processing of the Excess Treatment Costs (ETC) payments and ensuring that all payments are processed in-line with the Host Organisation requirements and within the contractual and sub-contractual arrangements for the RRDN.
- Support the Directors within the RRDN, in collaboration with the Data and Analytics team, to ensure that research Delivery Organisation plans and reports are in place in a timely fashion and that impact can be demonstrated through analysis of Value for Money. Outputs may correlate to the requirement for local financial modelling and forecasting across the RRDN.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate qualification (eg. Post Graduate Diploma) in a relevant subject or significant relevant equivalent experience
- Working towards a full CCAB/CIMA accountancy qualification and has extensive relevant specialist accountancy experience
- Registered for CPD with accounts institute
Desirable criteria
- Fully qualified CCAB/CIMA Accountant
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant specialist accountancy, financial and performance management experience in a large organisation
- Ability to apply previous experience of working across multi-disciplinary services for budgeting, financial reporting and strategic financial planning to lead on the delivery a specialist accountancy service
- Significant knowledge of financial management and budgetary management
- Significant knowledge of current NHS accounting principles and procedures
- Ability to work on a number of projects simultaneously to meet agreed deadlines, concentrating and focusing on a range of issues
- Highly numerate
- Ability to engage effectively with clinicians and senior managers
- Ability to cope and function effectively when working in a pressurised environment and with constant interruptions
- Development of finance processes and systems in order to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of financial information
- Ability to analyse complex information and resolve complex problems
- Ability to make decisions within own area within broad boundaries
- Excellent IT skills, particularly in use of Google Workspace applications and MS Office applications, particularly Excel to a high level and financial computer systems
- Experience of working in the health and care research sector, the health and social care service sector or academic environment
Desirable criteria
- Previous NHS R&D finance experience
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to identify and analyse information management problems or potential problems, including complex problems, and to offer relevant solutions
- Ability to lead to the formulation of an external budget, undertake financial modelling and budget planning activities
- Ability to contribute to financial monitoring and reporting to external parties in a timely and accurate manner
- Ability to prioritise competing demands, and to balance project development requirements with dayto-day operational needs
- Ability to manage own time and ensure deadlines are met by self and others
- Proven written and verbal communication skills with different staff groups
- Ability to explain complex, technical issues to non-technical staff both orally and in writing
- Ability to identify and analyse financial information, problems, or potential problems, including complex problems, and to offer relevant solutions
- Ability to prepare and deliver presentations and reports to a high standard
- Ability to monitor performance against agreed goals, aims or targets and determine value for money
- Ability to manage own time and ensure deadlines are met by self and others
- Ability to work under pressure to achieve targets
Aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Excellent people skills and an ability to work with, and to influence, a wide range of people
- Independently and using initiative, to have the ability to plan and organise work programmes, and to adjust programmes as required ensuring effective delivery
- Ability to prioritise competing demands, and to balance project development requirements with day-to-day operational needs
- Flexibility to move quickly from one topic to another in a fast-moving environment
- Willingness to travel
Hours: 37.5 hours per week