Financial Management Reporting Lead

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Staff health & wellbeing

Career development

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Financial Reporting Lead to join the merged Financial Management Team. The role supports budgeting, forecasting and the delivery of standardised financial information across HOUs and Divisions.

You will design and coordinate the Trust’s financial reporting framework, ensure timely, high-quality outputs, and drive automation and continuous improvement across tools and processes.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant with CCAB/CIMA or equivalent.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience in financial reporting, management accounting or financial planning in a large NHS or similarly regulated environment.
• Strong programme and project management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Design, coordinate and deliver the Trust's financial management reporting framework across HOUs and Divisions.
• Oversee operational delivery of integrated reporting including forecasting, planning and budgeting.
• Lead the Central Management Accounts function and develop reporting tools, templates and systems.
• Drive efficiency, automation and standardisation of processes and systems within Financial Management.
• Coordinate with Divisional Finance Teams to ensure robust reporting to stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Leadership

Team management

Problem-solving

Education

Fully qualified accountant (CCAB/CIMA or equivalent)

Job description

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received.

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Job Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the merge Financial Management Team responsible for, among others, financial performance analysis, budgeting, financial planning and forecasting. The Financial Management Team supports a diversified group of operational and clinical leaders on the day-to-day budgetary management performance as well as strategic financial decisions.

As a Financial Reporting Lead with the Financial Management function, you will play a central role in integration and alignment of two merging Management Accounts Team. The post holder will play a vital role in the design, coordination and delivery of the financial management reporting across the internal and external stakeholders. The role will also provide strong leadership skills managing Management Accounts Teams and driving key processes, such as planning, forecasting and budgeting. It will be an excellent opportunity to embed a culture of continuous improvement with focus on efficiency, automation and standardisation of processes, systems and other tools.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will support Head of Financial Management and Reporting on the design, coordination, and delivery of the Trust’s financial management reporting framework, ensuring the provision of accurate, timely, and standardised financial information across the Trust, Hospital Operating Units (HOUs), and Divisions.

The role is responsible for operational delivery of integrated reporting, including statutory returns, forecasting, planning, and budget holder reporting solutions. The postholder will ensure that all financial reporting outputs are consistent, high quality, and aligned to the Trust-wide standards, enabling effective financial performance management and decision-making.

The role will manage the development of reporting and forecasting tools, templates, and systems, embedding efficiency, automation, and continuous improvement across the financial management function.

The postholder will also lead the Central Management Accounts function, ensuring strong financial control, robust reporting of central areas, and effective coordination with Divisional Finance Teams.

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol City Centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and Person Specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Fully qualified accountant (CCAB/CIMA or equivalent recognised professional qualification)
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant experience in financial reporting, management accounting, or financial planning within a large, complex NHS organisation or similarly regulated environment
• Proven experience delivering: Monthly reporting Forecasting processes Planning frameworks
• Experience developing reporting tools, systems, and templates
• Experience managing and developing financial staff
• Strong programme and project management capability

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Leads with integrity and inclusivity (NHS People Promise)
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to design reporting solutions and improve processes and systems
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• Ability to work across multiple stakeholders with competing priorities

Desirable criteria

• Strong understanding of NHS financial reporting requirements (including PFR) and financial planning frameworks
• Strategic thinking and influencing
• Managing complexity and change

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Important

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.