Senior Management Accountant

Devon Partnership NHS Trust; Exeter; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

The Devon Partnership NHS Trust is seeking two motivated Senior Management Accountants to join the finance team in Exeter. This role involves strategic financial support, budget management, and advising senior managers on financial performance, contributing significantly to the organization's objectives in mental health services.

Qualifications

• Experience working at a senior level within a large organisation.
• Knowledge of financial regulations and procedures for NHS Trusts.
• Ability to apply and advise on professional accounting standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead on financial planning and budget performance management.
• Provide strategic financial advice to senior managers.
• Ensure accuracy of Trust's financial returns and statutory accounts.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Significant experience as NHS Accountant

Tools

Computerised accounting systems

Spreadsheet packages

Job description

Location: Exeter, EX2 5AF
Salary: £53755.00 to £60504.00
Date posted: 13th June 2025
Closing date: 29th June 2025

Are you someone looking to further your career in one of the UKs most respected mental health trusts?

Would you like to do a job that makes a difference every day?

Due to Team developments, two fantastic opportunities have arisen for highly motivated, enthusiastic and flexible finance professionals to work within the finance team as a Senior Management Accountants. We are looking for individuals who can make a difference and support service improvement - people with the skills to actively engage with stakeholders both internal and external.

Main duties of the job

As a key member of the Finance team, you will be responsible for working in partnership with our directorates as well as corporate Senior Managers to help them manage their financial performance by providing incisive value-adding financial support and insights.

This includes providing expert financial advice, budget management support, and playing a pivotal role in supporting the delivery of the organisations financial plan and cost improvement programmes. You will also lead on the financial appraisal of complex and high value cases and advise and implement financial strategy and policy and will also support other aspects of the wider finance agenda, as well as contributing to the development of the Finance Team.

You will build strong relationships with your stakeholders, gaining an in-depth knowledge of the drivers and challenges that they face to inform the analysis of the results. You will use your knowledge, experience and financial expertise to promote best financial practices across the organisation, enabling the Trust to forecast its financial performance accurately and then operate within its forecasts abiding with statutory requirements and deadlines.

Post-holders should have excellent analytical, technical and interpersonal skills with the ability to prioritise and manage workload within their team to meet deadlines.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is growing as we establish ourselves us as one of the leading providers of mental health services in the country.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

Our values

We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess and demonstrate the behaviours which underpin the core values of our organisation. These values include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health & learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader Employer.

Job responsibilities

Working directly with Senior Managers across theTrust and externally, to support and advise on highly complex issues, andprovide strategic financial and business planning advice.

Provide the financial lead on the development ofthe financial planning for area of responsibility, ensuring robust plans in placeto ensure delivery of cost improvement programmes.

Responsible for the analysis, finalisation andpresentation of the budget performance for area(s) of responsibility, ensuring SeniorManagers are aware of reasons for any variance and will be instrumental indeveloping and supporting robust and timely mitigation plans to ensurefinancial balance.

Ensure, as appropriate, the Trusts StatutoryAccounts and relevant returns are accurate and meet financial timescales andlegal requirements, interpreting these where necessary.

Responsible for the overall financial managementand performance of specified Directorate area(s) and corporate area(s), both ofwhich may change in line with business needs in the future.

Provide corporate reports and strategic andbusiness planning advice to the Trust.

Working directly with the Business Case / Tender Lead,the post-holder will be a critical member of the business case / tender team(to be determined on a case by case basis) and will lead on the financialanalysis and development of modelling and analysis of volumes, costs andbenefits, including scenarios to create economic and financial evaluation ofoptions to support the business case or tender at each stage.

To meet regularly with any designated ManagementAccountant support to ensure financial information is of a satisfactorystandard and discuss improvements.

Lead on the final analysis and agreement of themonthly management accounts information, budget setting and year end accountsfor the agreed area of responsibility that is reported to the Trust Board. This will include ensuring all relevantbusiness investments, cost improvement plans and all other financialinformation have been incorporated within the budget position and a full reviewhas been undertaken, agreeing necessary adjustments as required, before finalpresentation.

To support the Head of Management Accounts, AssistantDirector of Finance, the Director of Operational Finance and Executive Directorof Finance as required.

Communication & Relationship Skills

• The post-holder will be required to provide and receive highly complex,sensitive and contentious information relevant to financial matters.
• The post-holder will be required to advise the Head of ManagementAccounts/Assistant Director of Finance/Director of Operational Finance, TrustDirectors and Senior Managers on financial issues and as necessary pointing themto a course of action.
• Where appropriate the post-holder will deputise for the Head ofManagement Accounts over the prescribed range of these duties.
• Where necessary, the post-holder will negotiate on behalf of the Trustwith NHS and any other external organisations over significant cost areas.
• As appropriate, the post-holder will be required to deliverpresentations and interpret complex financial matters to non-finance managersconveying financial concepts clearly and persuasively.
• The post-holder will be required to advise Trust Directors and Senior Managerson cost improvements or investment opportunities which may be sensitive andcontentious in nature and where required, contribute to developing theTrusts investment and efficiencies programmes.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• The post-holder will be required to analyse highly complex problemsrelating to financial management and business case production requiringanalysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
• The post-holder will have multiplicity of targets/objectives and willbe required to make judgements regarding allocation of finances, analyseshighly complex budgets and data sets and interpret financial accounts, makejudgements of financial decisions and financial risk where there is noprecedent and where opinions may conflict

Planning & Organisation

• Thepost-holder will provide comprehensive and high level senior finance supportand advice to Senior Managers, Directors, Clinical Directors, DirectorateManagers, Senior Budget Holders, working with the Management Accountants toensure consistent and quality advice is given. The role will involve makingjudgements on financial issues, often where an element of risk exists andthere are a number of options, sometimes conflicting.
• The post-holder will be required to contribute to the Trusts financialstrategy, in particular advising on service level plans to meet the overallservice objective of the organisation.As appropriate attend corporate and service level performance meetingsas a representative of the finance function.
• Thepost-holder will play a key role in linking the Commissioning function of theTrust to the overall financial position and will support and advice on highlycomplex issues linked to Local and National policy initiatives. Communication of these issues may involvemaking formal presentations to senior managers and clinicians.
• Thepost-holder will be required to play a lead role in overseeing the collationand finalisation of the information for the financial position for the Trustfor Board sign off each month.
• Thepost-holder will be required to liaise with Senior Managers on a routinebasis to identify possible corrective action on budgets in deficit, and willwork with Senior Managers to examine methods of maintaining a balancedfinancial position.

Responsibility forPatient/Client Care, Treatment & Therapy

• The post-holder may occasionally be required to answer queries frompatients/carers on general financial issues and may have incidental contactwith patients/clients.

Responsibility for Policy/Service Development

• The post-holder will be responsible for developing policy andprocedures in a particular area financial services, which will impact acrossthe Trust.
• The post-holder is required, at times, to carry out surveys and auditsdesigned to improve the Trusts management accounting services.
• The post-holder will be responsible for ensuring that the Trust is madeaware of any changes to reporting requirements and advising the Trust on theappropriate course of action.

Responsibility for Financial and PhysicalResources

• The post-holder is responsible for ensuring the correct reporting and budgetsetting of its network or service budgets, providing financial advice to themas required.

Responsibility for HumanResources

• If applicable, the post-holder would be responsible for the direct linemanagement of a management accountant support post, including assisting withrecruitment, appraisal, discipline training and delegation arrangements.
• The post-holder will be required to contribute as part of the seniorfinance team, to raising the general level of performance of the financefunction.

Responsibility for Information Resources

• On a continuous basis the post-holder is required to review, adapt anddesign financial systems to enhance the performance of the team and theTrust.

Responsibility for Research and Development

• The post-holder will to undertake complex surveys/audits of work toimprove financial and accounting services as required.

Freedom To Act

• The post-holder is required to work autonomously and interpret standardse.g. NHS policy, Trust policy, accounting standards etc.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Significant experience as an NHS Accountant

Analytical & Judgement Skills

• Excellent organisation skills and a logical approach to problem solving
• Good analytical and decision making skills

Communication Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to transfer knowledge to non-financial managers
• Skills in partnership working across organisations

Planning & Organising Skills

• Strong management and leadership skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Able to plan and organise other workloads

Other

• Regular and reliable method of transport and mobility throughout the area

Experience

• Experience of working at a senior level within a large organisation.
• Knowledge and ability to apply and advise on financial regulations and procedures particularly relating to NHS Trusts.
• Full understanding of the principles of accounting.
• Specialist knowledge of, and ability to apply and advise others of professional accounting standards.
• Detailed knowledge of computerised accounting systems and spreadsheet packages.