The Academy’s core mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. We are working to secure a future in which:
• UK and global health is improved by the best research
• The UK leads the world in biomedical and health research, and is renowned for the quality of its research outputs, talent and collaborations.
• Independent, high quality medical science advice informs the decisions that affect society.
• More people have a say in the future of health and research.

The Academy is:
• An elected Fellowship of the UK’s best biomedical and health researchers
• An independent source of evidence-based and expert advice
• Connected to, and respected by, decision makers
• Focused on realising cross-disciplinary opportunities across academia, industry and healthcare.
• Committed to improving and celebrating diversity - in all its forms - in the biomedical and health research community
• Global in outlook, reach and influence
• Catalytic, inclusive and accessible in our approach
• Responsive to change and innovative in our solutions
• Adept at maximising our impact through partnership working

The Academy’s 1300 Fellows have been elected on the basis of outstanding contributions to a range of scientific fields, and are drawn from universities, hospitals, general practice, industry and the public service. Our Fellows are central to all we do. It is their talent and expertise that ensures we can bring authoritative opinion and practical guidance to complex issues in medical science and healthcare.

The Fellowship is served by a team of 52 staff.

Finance and Resources at the Academy

The Finance & Resources team is responsible for maximising the Academy’s physical and financial resources in order to achieve the objectives of the overall Academy strategy. It is led by the Director of Finance & Resources and includes seven finance and facilities staff who are responsible for managing the financial and physical resources of the Academy and its trading subsidiary, and two specialists in HR management. The team aims to deliver excellent financial and facilities management that safeguards the building and other assets, to support staff and to provide quality assurance to senior management and trustees.

Salary: £38,000 - £40,000

Role duration: Permanent, Full time

To provide robust financial management by the production of timely and accurate management accounts and budget-holder reports; to support budget-holders with analysis of budget variances to ensure financial control and effective decision making; to provide regular and accurate reports to funders; and to support Academy staff by promoting financial and business awareness. Working in close collaboration with other stakeholders in the organization, to deliver comprehensive finance and business partnering support to the Academy. To support the Head of Finance in ensuring the effective use of the finance system including related processes and accounting structures, and in pro-actively identifying ways to optimise these.

Financial management
• Prepare monthly budget-holder reports in accordance with the monthly time table, developing reporting packs to best meet budget holder and organisational needs and pro-actively recommend and implement improvements to both process and outputs. Be the first point of contact for queries.
• Ensure completeness of accounting information including ensuring that allocation of salaries and support costs are in line with funding arrangements.
• Carry out data integrity checks to ensure that both income and expenditure has been coded accurately in the finance system before management accounts and reports are finalised. Work closely with the Finance Officer in resolving root causes of coding issues.
• Discuss variances with budget-holders and flag any significant issues with the Head of Finance.
• Lead the quarterly reforecast exercise, including preparation of reforecast templates for completion by budget holders, supporting completion of forecasts by providing objective challenge to ensure the forecasts give a robust view of the academy’s financial position.
• Working closely with budget holders, act as finance business partner and critical friend by challenging assumptions and broadening their financial thinking in order to objectively assess risk and ensure consistency across teams with financial inter-dependencies.

Funder reports and claims
• Maintain an up to date and central schedule of reporting and claim deadlines for all funders.
• Support departments in submitting claims for funding in accordance with agreed schedules and providing financial content of quarterly reports to funders.
• Monitor expenditure on restricted funded projects to ensure compliance with terms of funding arrangements and discuss any over/under spending with budget holders and flag to Head of Finance as appropriate.
• Support the Executive Director and fundraising team with financial information for bids to new funders and, following successful bids, ensuring appropriate processes are in place to monitor and report progress of Restricted Funding projects.

Budget preparation
• Support the Head of Finance with the annual budgeting process including preparing budget templates for completion by budget holders, summaries of submissions for review and scrutiny and reconciliations of departmental budget submissions from draft to final.
• Work with Head of Finance to finalise the Academy budget for presenting to Director of Finance & Resources and the senior management team.
• Prepare annual trading company budget, working with the external catering company CH&Co and the Head of Finance.
• Ensure that finalised forecasts and budgets are accurately imported into the accounting system and a full audit trail is maintained.

Strategic planning
• Assist the Head of Finance and senior management team with the preparation of 3 year forecasts and models.
• Assist with other ad hoc reports as required by the senior management team and Finance Committee.

Line management
• Provide effective line management of the Finance Officer by holding regular one to one meetings, setting objectives, monitoring performance and conducting annual performance reviews.
• Develop the Finance Officer role and the postholder so that that they are clearly focused and work effectively and efficiently to deliver team objectives.

Other responsibilities
• Ensure that all procedures and working practices relating to the accounting and reporting process in own area of work are documented in an accessible way and maintained to ensure that they remain up to date.
• Act as cover for the Head of Finance with regard to monthly payroll, bank and online banking authorisations.
• Other duties as required
 

Annual leave
26 days per annum, plus Christmas closure dates and bank holidays

Pension
The Academy contributes 7.5% of gross salary to a Legal & General scheme, with an employee contribution of 3%.

Life assurance
3 x annual gross salary

Staff lunch
Free hot lunch available to staff on site Monday – Thursday

Season ticket travel loan interest free
Available to all staff after completion of probationary period

Family friendly benefits
A range of enhanced benefits

The deadline for all applications is 9 am on 14 October 2019.

Interviews will take place on 18 October 2019.