About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Finance Officer role at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. This is a 1 year fixed term contract.
This is a new role that has been established as a result of the Trust outsourcing transactional finance andprocurement functions to NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS).
This role will work within a multi-disciplinary team, dealing with and resolving queries between the Trust and NHS SBS to ensure that financial services functions run smoothly and effectively. The role provides day-to-day administrative and transactional support, ensures accurate financial data entry, and assists with the monitoring of NHS SBS managed operations such as accounts payable and accounts receivable.
The post-holder will contribute to maintaining strong financial controls, support month-end routines, and help ensure compliance with Trust financial procedures.
Sponsorship for Skilled Worker Visa not AvailablePlease note that a Certificate of Sponsorship is not available for this position as it does not meet one or more of the required criteria. For more information on eligible roles please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
Main duties of the job
- Assist with and resolve supplier payment queries, ensuring that NHS SBS processed transactions are accurate and complete.
- Monitor and action workflow items within Oracle, ensuring that any required actions are rectified within the timeframe specified.
- Assist with ensuring that any items that require receipting are actioned promptly, by working closely with colleagues within the Procurement Team and requisitioners around the Trust.
- Review and clear any suspense accounts as required.
- Maintain knowledge of NHS VAT regulations through training.
- Assist with the set-up of new customer accounts when required.
- Assist and oversight of the raising of invoices, ensuring that these are raised accurately.
- Assist with and action any queries with income collection.
- Assist with the processing of any local payments.
- Assist with the approval of credit notes and write offs.
- Monitor agreed repayment plans. Raise any concerns to Senior Managers where defaults on payments are made.
- Produce bad debt listings for review internally.
- Deal with debt recovery agencies, as required.
- Maintain good communication with NHS SBS operational teams.
- Provide cover to other Finance Officers, e.g. for Treasury Management tasks when other Finance Officers are absent. Cover for this role will include counting and banking cash along with dealing with and handling patient property.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the full job description and person specification attached for more details on the job role.
Person Specification
Education & Qualification
Essential
- GCSE in five subjects including Maths and English grade A*- C or equivalent.
- A-levels, NVQ level 3 or AAT Intermediate level or equivalent qualifications or experience.
Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working with computer software programmes, including a financial ledger & Microsoft Office.
- Experience of communicating with suppliers and other stakeholders.
- Knowledge of the Data Protection Act and GDPR. Experience of following legislation guidance.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a Finance department, with an understanding of basic accounting principles.
- Knowledge of VAT & recovery in an NHS setting.
- Knowledge of CMM Pharmacy software.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Able to work on own initiative
- Prioritise workloads with excellent organisational skills ensuring attention to detail.
- Strong analytical skills for interpreting, understanding, and reporting.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Establish effective working relations within own and other departments within the organisationEstablish effective working relations within own and other departments within the organisation
- Able to identify and propose development/testing of systems/processes to improve delivery of services.
Personal qualities
Essential
- Excellent communication skills (verbal & written).
- Ability to remain calm while working under pressure.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
- Committed team player with a willingness to have a flexible approach to working arrangements and adaptability to suit the demands of the service.
- Ability to manage a heavy, varied and often complex workload
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Quince House
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 2QZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)