Deputy Financial AccountantNHS

Job summary

The Deputy Financial Accountant plays a key role in maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and compliance of the Trust's financial accounts and reporting. Working within a supportive finance team, you will lead on complex balance sheet reconciliations, financial analysis, statutory reporting, and the resolution of financial issues, helping to ensure robust financial control across the organisation. You will work closely with a wide range of colleagues, providing expert financial advice and supporting the delivery of high-quality financial services. Alongside your technical accounting responsibilities, you will support the ongoing development and operation of the Trust's financial systems. This includes helping to maintain system structures, user access and reporting tools, improving financial processes, and supporting finance system developments and projects. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys combining technical accounting expertise with finance systems work and is looking to develop their skills in a varied and rewarding role. You will also contribute to the continuous improvement of financial processes and systems, helping to develop more efficient ways of working and supporting the Trust's wider finance objectives. You will support and develop junior colleagues through coaching, guidance, and day-to-day supervision

Main duties of the job

As Deputy Financial Accountant, you will play a key role in ensuring the Trust's financial information is accurate, reliable, and compliant. You will lead on complex balance sheet reconciliations, investigating and resolving discrepancies, analysing financial data, and providing expert advice to finance and non-finance colleagues. Your work will support strong financial governance, informed decision-making, and the production of statutory and regulatory financial information.

You will work closely with the Financial Accountant and Financial Systems Development Manager, providing support and cover where required. This will give you exposure to a broad range of financial accounting and finance systems activities, including helping to resolve system issues, supporting financial reporting processes, and contributing to ongoing developments and improvements across the Finance function.

The role requires strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with responsibility for investigating complex financial issues, interpreting data from multiple systems, and ensuring financial records remain accurate and up to date. You will use a variety of financial and reporting systems, including advanced Excel, to analyse information, identify trends, and support effective financial control.

Job description

Please find attached detailed job description and person specification for main responsibilities and requirements.

About us

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.