Finance Assistant

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Wigan; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Wigan is seeking a Finance Assistant to support their Financial Services team in delivering precise financial processes. The ideal candidate will handle bank reconciliations, assist with VAT processes, and communicate financial policies. Candidates should possess 5 GCSEs, and AAT qualifications are preferred. A flexible work schedule is available, and the role offers a salary of £24,937 to £26,598 per annum.

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs including maths and English required.
• Associate AAT or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Ongoing professional training is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Assist in reconciliation of control accounts.
• Support monthly bank reconciliation and debt collection.
• Communicate finance policies to colleagues.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

IT literacy

Ability to meet deadlines

Proficient in Microsoft Office

Education

5 GCSEs including maths and English

Associate AAT or equivalent

Further academic achievement

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Access

Job description

Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Finance Assistant

The closing date is 04 December 2025

This role supports the Financial Services team in delivering accurate and timely financial processes, ensuring compliance with procedures and deadlines. It contributes to maintaining effective financial controls, resolving queries, and providing guidance to colleagues.

37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Main duties of the job

As a member of the Financial Services team, the post holder will contribute to the efficient and accurate delivery of financial operations. This includes supporting the monthly reconciliation of control accounts, ensuring suspense accounts and recharge codes are cleared in line with internal timetables. The post holder will assist in the maintenance of the Trust's banking facilities, bank mandates, receipting of income and assist with the completion of VAT processes in accordance with statutory deadlines and will assist the completion of several year-end working papers to support the production of year end accounts. Team members will be assigned specific day-to-day responsibilities but are expected to rotate duties periodically and provide cover for colleagues as required.

About us

Choose Well - Choose WWL

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.

People at the Heart

Listen and Involve

Kind and Respectful

ONE Team

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information available by contacting [e-mail] where you can also ask about how to access vaccinations.

Job responsibilities

Assist in the reconciliation of control accounts and associated queries.

To understand accounting procedures including reconciliations, VAT payments and deductions and general ledger coding structures.

Support the allocation of private patient income and deposits and identifying any under overpayments and ensuring corrective action is taken.

Assist in the allocation of all trust income.

Deputise and provide support for the Accounts Receivable Officer to undertake debt collection activities where appropriate and resolve complex payment issues, including those of a sensitive nature.

Print and despatch invoices and credit notes following invoice/credit generation within the sales ledger, either via email or post or other distribution method identified in the procedures.

Produce and send dunning letters to the debtor in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures.

Record all debtor contact in accordance with agreed debt collection procedures. This should be done via the invoice notes appears on comments report.

Assist with monitoring the trusts credit card expenditure and investigate any anomalies.

Communicate to finance/non finance colleagues finance policies and procedures in line with Trust SFIs (Standing Financial Instructions).

Assist in the preparation of several working papers to substantiate figures reported in the Trust Annual Accounts.

Assist in the completion of the NHS agreement of balances exercise for both debtor/creditor balances and income and expenditure transactions identifying discrepancies and taking corrective action where appropriate.

Assist in clearing unallocated cash in the general ledger.

Assist in the completion of the monthly bank reconciliation.

Liaise with internal and external auditors providing information as required.

Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within Financial Services and recommend procedural enhancements, while maintaining awareness of the impact on other areas of the Finance department.

Analyse, investigate and resolve financial queries, identifying solutions from a range of options.

Any other duties as required for the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs including maths and english
• Associate AAT or equivalent studying or experience. (F/C)
• Further academic achievement. (F/C)
• Evidence of on-going professional training & development. (F/C)

Experience

• Experience of working in a Finance role. (F/R)
• Experience withing a corporate Finance environment (F/R/I)
• NHS Experience

Skills

• Attention to detail, with a methodical and thorough approach. (F)
• Ability to concentrate frequently for sustained periods on complex calculations, with accurate results.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. (F/I)
• IT literacy with strong spreadsheet skills. (I)
• Accurate and speedy inputting skills.
• Ability to meet targets and deadlines through o planning; o multitasking;oprioritising competing demands; and oswitching objectives/tasks.
• Ability to deal sensitively with confidential information. (I)
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office (specifically Outlook, Excel, Word and Access). (I)

Knowledge

• Knowledge pertaining to financial control, best practice and financial procedures. (I)

  Additional

  • Flexible/adaptable approach. (I)
  • Motivated and professional manner. (I)
  • Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to overall team effectiveness. (I)
  • Ability to work under own initiative. (I)

  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 name

  Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  £24,937 to £26,598 a year per annum, pro rata

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working