Description
The purpose of this role is to:
* Provide strategic financial support and challenge to Delivery Unit, Support Unit and Commissioning Managers to ensure the organisation is provided with sound and balanced financial and commercial advice on profitability, affordability, VFM, costs and risks.
* Work with Delivery Unit, Support Unit and Commissioning Managers to ensure robust financial management of their business areas and to identify and seek resolution of areas of financial concern and ensuring expenditure and income is contained within Budget.
* Provide financial analysis to help support financial and business decisions and to develop and enhance business performance.
* Working as part of a team with Corporate Finance to ensure visibility of key financial issues
* Proactively seek to identify areas of continuous improvement to enhance financial management across the Council
* Provide advice, support and training to Delivery Unit, Support Unit and Commissioning Managers on the Council's Financial Regulations, standing orders and financial processes ensuring that they are adhered to and escalating where they are not.
DELIVERY:
Financial Management & Reporting
* Working with Commissioners and Senior Managers to confirm growth and savings proposals and capital projects as part of delivering the medium term financial strategy assisting with costing of issues and identification of areas of potential growth and saving.
* Anticipation and identification of financial issues affecting the business which require attention, sorting out issues with Senior Managers and identifying mitigating actions to ensure net expenditure is within budget
* Consistently and thoroughly identifying key financial issues
* Escalation to Lead Business Partner and Senior Management of any business issues not resolved by Service Manager
* Regular monthly meetings with business area to challenge and scrutinise (critical evaluation) monitoring figures.
* Service analysis to support year end accounts position
* Ensuring completion of all statutory returns
* Liaison with partner organizations on service specific issues with financial implications for the business area
* Approval of journals and report requests and other processes as required by Transactional Centre
Financial Analysis & challenge:
* Production of financial and commercial analysis (management information) to support production of the financial strategy, decision making and service reviews including rate of returns, profitability, unit costs, cash flow analysis, fees and charges, key cost drivers and benchmarking data.
* Robust financial and commercial analysis of new business systems, projects, tender appraisals, business cases including signing off financial implications for reports, Gateway Reviews etc
* Financial modelling of new services or changes to existing services including impact from service specific legislation/policy changes producing assessment of financial implications for the Council
* Working with and challenging business area to act upon financial analysis provided to enhance financial and business performance
* Continuous Improvement/Performance Management
* Follow up with Service Managers problems encountered by Transactional Centre with submission of information or data quality issues and liaison with Transactional Centre on behalf of the business area to resolve issues
* Identifying opportunities to improve financial management for the business either through process change or additional training requirements and passing on to relevant Business Partner to implement
* Acting in accordance with Finance "Hallmarks"
* Personal Development
ADVISORY
* To provide support (guidance, encouragement and advice) for service managers (Commissioners, Delivery and Support Service Managers) during FSR, budget preparation, monthly monitoring and closure of accounts - helping them to understand financial information required and processes to be followed.
* To provide support for Service Managers in their budget management and decision making role
* To attend & provide financial and commercial advice at business area Management Meetings, Gateway Reviews, Approval Boards, and Project Teams as appropriate
* To provide advice on application and interpretation of financial regulations and standing orders and the Council's financial procedures and practices.
Work experience
* Experience in financial management in a large organisation either public or private sectors
* Experience in providing financial challenge and support to non financial managers
* Experience of interpreting financial information and undertaking detailed financial modelling
* Experience of influencing colleagues/managers at a senior level
Skills:
* Good Commercial awareness
* High level Financial skills - ability to interpret financial information and undertake detailed financial modelling
* Ability to interpret financial regulations & processes for non financial managers
* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
* Ability to negotiate and influence.
* Strategic Focus
* Proactive and works on own initiative.
* Ability to communicate with, train and support non financial managers.
* Project Management
* Service area knowledge
CPS Group Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.