Finance Business Partner (Training Tariff

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in Sheffield is seeking an experienced finance professional to manage income from National Health Service funding. The role involves financial forecasting, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring compliance with budgeting guidelines. Candidates should be qualified accountants with strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex financial data effectively. This part-time permanent position offers a competitive salary and numerous benefits.

Benefits

41 days annual leave including bank holidays

Flexible working opportunities

Generous pension scheme

Wide range of staff discounts

Qualifications

• Ability to analyze, interpret, and communicate complex financial information.
• Experience in preparing transparent financial information with high accuracy.
• Experience in financial management in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Forecast income and expenditure related to Tariff funding accurately.
• Perform financial modeling for changes in Tariff funding.
• Monitor tariff expenditure to ensure efficient fund utilization.
• Record student numbers and placements accurately.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial communication

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Proactive deadline management

IT skills with Microsoft Office

Education

Qualified or part qualified accountant or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google applications

Accounting software

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Responsibilities

The School of Medicine and Population Health’s (SMPH) Tariff team is responsible for the effective management of the National Health Service England’s (NHSE) Training Tariff, which supports our Medical Undergraduate placement activity that aims to:

• Ensure that providers are consistently reimbursed for training placements
• Ensure that placements are high quality
• Ensure that learners develop the skills and knowledge they need to meet their professional competencies

We are looking for an experienced, independent finance professional with strong communication skills to work closely with colleagues in SMPH and other internal and external stakeholders to monitor and report on our Training Clinical Placements activities.

You will provide a high‑quality service in all aspects of your role, which will include ensuring the effective management and monitoring of the training clinical placements income stream from National Health Service England (NHSE), including periodic financial forecasting and modelling and quadrimonthly returns of accurate student number data to NHSE.

You will liaise regularly with various stakeholders, including SMPH colleagues, other Higher Education Institution Medical School colleagues, local NHS Trusts and NHSE.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Accurately forecast income and expenditure in relation to Tariff funding, working with both University and NHS financial years, including analysis and explanation of variances against budget/forecast with recommendations for action or mitigation where appropriate
• Financial modelling in respect of any changes to Tariff funding and subsequent impact on placement activities; highlighting risks and / or opportunities as appropriate
• Continuous monitoring of tariff expenditure, ensuring funds are utilised efficiently and within tariff guidelines
• Accurate recording of student numbers and placement allocations across all NHS Trust, General Practice (GP) and Private, Independent and Voluntary Organisations (PIVO) settings; liaising with phase teams and local NHS Trusts and returning reports to NHSE
• Liaise with NHSE colleagues to agree annual funding levels and invoice appropriately
• Present financial information to relevant School or Faculty level meetings as and when required
• Support contract management, including scrutiny of the terms and conditions of contracts with placement providers and local NHS Trusts
• Forge and maintain strong collaborative relationships with counterparts in other Higher Education Institutions in order to share best practice
• Oversee the purchasing activity within the tariff team, ensuring purchasing compliance and that placement providers and students are paid in a timely manner
• Regularly review processes and procedures, identifying and implementing efficiency improvements where appropriate
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Qualified or part qualified accountant (or other relevant professional qualification/equivalent experience)
• The ability to accurately analyse, interpret and effectively communicate complex financial information to diverse non-specialist audiences.
• Experience in preparation of timely, transparent, and effective financial information with high attention to detail and levels of accuracy
• Ability to operate independently, effectively, comfortably and across boundaries in a complex, challenging and changing environment
• Proven planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage a complex workload
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage and positively influence multiple stakeholders (internal and external)
• Proactive with ability to work to multiple deadlines
• Hands-on IT skills particularly with Microsoft Office, Google applications, accounting and other business systems.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working with external funding streams, with the ability to efficiently assess contractual requirements & manage any associated risk
• Experience of financial management in a complex organisation

Further Information

Grade: 7

Salary: £38,784 to £47,389 (pro‑rata)

Work arrangement: Part‑time (14 hours)

Duration: Permanent

Line manager: Head of Finance (Faculty of Health)

Direct reports: n/a

Our website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/finance

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place week commencing 1st December. This will consist of a presentation and an interview. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage on the week commencing 24th November. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Michelle Potts at [e-mail].

What We Offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates.

For informal enquiries about this job contact Rachel Hammond, Head of Finance, Faculty of Health at [e-mail] or on 0114 222 4746.