Finance Officer

As an organisation we 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.

Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values

Job overview

The post holder will be one of a team responsible for a variety of core activities within the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions.

Assisting with the creation and maintenance of supplier accounts.

Account Receivable – the main duties will be to assist in the production of charges to customers, dunning letters and statements. Logging and resolving customer queries promptly, liaising with the requestor and keeping all parties updated. Assisting the monitoring of debts, ensuring payment with agreed terms.

They must be flexible and willing to cross train to cover the above functions.

This vacancy will be based at either University Bristol and Weston Foundation Hospital - Trust HQ and/or Weston General Hospital, with an element of remote working.

• Ensure that supplier transactions are appropriately matched to the official order, confirming supplier details, checking financial codes are valid and ensuring charges and VAT is dealt with correctly.
• For non-PO invoices, entering the correct location codes and descriptions before uploading to the ledger. Loading all non-purchase order invoices onto Invoice Approval for budget holder confirmation.
• Investigate and escalate any issues, communicating with all parties and ensuring prompt resolution of issues.
• Reconcile supplier accounts/statements, liaising with the suppliers or approvers.
• Monitor debts being settled by instalment payments, ensuring compliance with the agreed terms of payment.
• Printing and distribution of sales invoices, reminder letters and debtor statements.
• Plan and manage personal workload in order to meet key dates and performance targets.
• Assist in the management of busy mailboxes and answer telephone queries.
• Initiate the need for new supplier records/amendments to existing supplier records.
• Undertake the preparation of documentation and prompt scanning of supplier invoices and credit notes.
• Ensure scanned documents have been accurately recorded by the ‘Optical Character Recognition’ software, before accepting image and data transfer to the E-Financials Accounts Payable system. Include any additional information required.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England.

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 and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Previous experience of working in a financial environment
• Experience in resolving customer disputes and queries
• Experience of dealing with confidential and sensitive issues with all grades of staff and members of the public
• Experience of computerised financial systems

Skills and Abilities

• Good numeracy skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and customers from non-financial backgrounds.
• Proven Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.

• Understanding of Transaction Services, concepts and techniques
• Appreciation of how Transaction services operations impact on an organisation’s other Finance functions and service dept
• Understanding of basic Accounting concepts and techniques
• Trains new team members on own role

Qualifications and Training

• GCSEs grade A-C or equivalent, including Maths & English
• ECDL or equivalent knowledge of computer skills
• NVQ level 3 in finance/related subject or other equivalent qualification

• Recognised Customer Care qualification, equivalent to NVQ level 3

• 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.
• UHBW 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 University Hospitals Bristol and Weston 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.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

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. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

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.