Finance Officer

This position offers the post holder a unique chance to contribute to the operational financial delivery of the South East RRDN. You will be part of an ambitious, inclusive and compassionate team, committed to collaboration across the region to enable more patients, the general public and healthcare professions the opportunity to take part in research. The Finance Officer will assist the Finance Manager with financial management for the RRDN and you will provide general support with the operations of the RRDN. The post holder will work closely with the Host organisation (Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust) to ensure alignment with the Trust's Standing Financial Instructions and other policies and processes. The interview for this role will be held on Friday 8th November, so please bear that in mind when applying., The Finance Officer will manage the procedures for disseminating and accounting for NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) funding within the South East Regional Research Delivery Network. This role will provide robust details of financial accountability alongside the Finance Manager and Host Organisation Finance team. The Finance Officer will ensure, at all times, that there is clear transparency of RRDN usage and ensure there is a clear audit trail for the accountability of expenditure. The Finance Officer will be involved in the management of the budget and will introduce, adapt and improve systems to assess applications for funding and will lead on the day-to-day coordination of budgets and the reporting of RRDN expenditure as required by the RDN Coordinating Centre (RDNCC). The Finance Officer will also support the Finance Manager to make sure that provider delivery plans and reports are in place in a timely fashion.,

• Support the Finance Manager in delivering a comprehensive finance service to the RRDN, including assisting in the annual budget planning process (developing Outline Use of Resources and consultation with key stakeholders) and providing expertise in the appropriate use of RDN funding to all internal and external stakeholders
• Assist in devising, implementing and managing RRDN-wide procedures to ensure that RRDN funds are reliably and efficiently used according to current DHSC and NIHR guidance
• Ensure that funds are spent in year and invoices processed efficiently and accurately
• Gain in-depth knowledge and advice of the NIHR's current financial allocation model and its application to the RDN
• Assist the Finance Manager with any local financial modelling, calculating indicative budget allocations and informing recipients of RDN funding outcomes
• Follow up any queries raised by customer representatives or RDN senior management
• Support the funding call for strategic funding across the RRDN
• With the Finance Manager, frequently evaluate the procedure for accessing funding to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of researchers and other stakeholders in the RRDN
• Gain in-depth knowledge of NHS support costs and develop the ability to distinguish between service support costs, research costs and treatment costs (including ETCs) according to the appropriate national guidance, e.g. Attributing the costs of health and social care Research & Development (AcoRD)
• Assist the Finance Manager to prepare and issue any ad hoc calls for funding across the RRDN
• Assist the Finance Manager in seeking assurance that all relevant RRDN stakeholders have a process in place for attributing and reporting RDN funding and ETC funding, and ensuring full cost recovery for all RDN activities is in place
• Deal with finance queries by receiving queries, obtaining additional information from managers and, where required, consulting with the Finance Manager
• Contribute to any internal or external audits
• Contribute to any financial oversight meetings with recipients of RDN funding
• Comply with the Host Trust Statutory Financial Instructions (SFIs) at all times and report any breaches, working work with the Host Organisation finance team
INFORMATION & ADMINISTRATION
• Oversee the general administration relating to the management of the procedure for accessing RRDN funding. This includes data input, management and maintenance of the RRDN reports and reporting to the RRNCC
• Provide organisations in receipt of RDN funding with timely and accurate information in relation to their financial allocation
• Liaise with recipients of RDN funding on a regular basis over utilisation of RRDN funding and alert senior staff to issues in either appropriate circumstance (e.g. misuse of funds, forecast for under or over-spending on the budget) and prepare reports as required to the RDNCC
• Support the process of regular data collection from recipients of RDN funding on utilisation of funding and report to the RDNCC
• Request regular and formal funding reports on the use of RDN funding in a timely fashion from local recipients of RDN funding, assess and report within the RRDN, the Host Trust and RDNCC
• Enable payments for RDN funding and NHS-England Excess Treatment Cost (ETC) Funding, when a fully executed contract is in place
• Prepare accurate and timely letters on RDN funding allocations
• Receive and record receipt of invoices relating to the RRDN using Host Organisation systems and process RDN BACS payments
• Deal with enquiries relating to finance procedure, approvals and invoicing
• Prepare monthly activity/finance reports for RRDN management groups
• Engage with the Host Organisation finance team to run monthly income and expenditure reports and undertake financial forecasting with the Finance Manager and RRDN Operations Director
• Contribute to the preparation of RRDN financial plans, reports, policies, operating procedures and other documents, working to ensure that documents are prepared to a high standard and delivered on time
• Contribute to the development and implementation of strategies and financial systems for quality assurance, to include audit and review of the work of the RRDN staff and sites, providing feedback, development and support as necessary
SERVICE IMPROVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
• Contribute to any training and education initiatives to support the financial delivery of the RRDN
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
• Work with the RRDN administrative team to ensure contracts are in place with all recipients of the RDN funding ahead of making any payments
COMMUNICATION & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT (NHS AND NON-NHS)
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all relevant organisations customers and stakeholders
• Ensure that the RRDN communicates effectively with research Delivery Organisations and researchers regarding funding matters
• Contribute to effective communications within the RRDN, including contributing as necessary to the preparation and delivery of regular presentations, reports and newsletters to the RRDN staff, members, stakeholders and other relevant groups
• Translate complex financial information into understandable data to ensure the end users are aware of the financial implications of decisions or actions
  
  Working for our organisation
Royal Surrey is a compassionate and collaborative acute and community Trust. Recognising that our 5000 colleagues are our greatest strength, we offer a comprehensive health and wellbeing program along with a commitment to developing and advancing your career. Our diverse and welcoming Royal Surrey family will ensure you that you feel valued from your initial interview through your entire tenure. We are clinically led and provide joined up care by bridging the gap between hospital and community services alongside regional specialist cancer care. Our main acute hospital site is in Guildford with community hospital sites at Milford, Haslemere and Cranleigh. We provide adult community health services in homes across Guildford and Waverley. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have given us an overall rating of Outstanding. Royal Surrey has a strong reputation and history to build on. We are proud of our achievements and we are investing in our colleagues through our commitment to supporting professional development as well as investing more than £45 million in our physical environment and new equipment in the next few years. There has never been a better time to join us. Although it isn't the Trusts normal practice, adverts may close early, so you are encouraged to submit an application as soon as possible. A video about the Royal Surrey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R96pMboIYdo