Job Profile (To Be Attached to the Relevant Grade Profile Document)

Job Profile (To be attached to the relevant Grade Profile document)

Core job information Job Title Interim Reporting & Research Manager

Dept./School/Inst. Finance Section/Centre/Unit Financial Management

Career Family Professional Services Grade 6

Working hours per week 35 Appointment period 6 Month Contract

Reports to (job title) Head of Reporting and Financial Current location Mile End Planning (R&FP) Some days in Whitechapel

Job purpose (Why does the job exist? What is it there to achieve or deliver?)

Key responsibilities are to ensure that the faculty budget holders have a clear understanding of their research grant financial performance, including drivers of performance, opportunities and risks, and that they are responsible and accountable for this performance. This role will support them to make strategic, tactical and operational decisions based on clear and robust financial information and in turn will be responsible for ensuring that high quality budgets, forecasts and long term financial plans are formulated by budget holders which support the overall university strategy. This role will be the key point of contact and support for faculty Heads of Administration, Joint Research Management Office (JRMO), Vice Principal for Research (VP Res) and faculty finance teams and will build a strong working relationship with them and their teams. It will ensure proper processes are in place for accounting for and financial reporting of research grants which are understood and are compliant with QMUL and funder policies and accounting regulations. This role will also be expected to support the Head of R&FP to provide the Finance Director (FD), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Queen Mary Senior Executive (QMSE) and Council and its Committees with a clear understanding of QMUL’s financial performance, including drivers of performance, opportunities and risks. The team is also responsible for ensuring that high quality budgets, forecasts and long term financial plans are formulated to support the overall university strategies and submissions of all financial regulatory returns to the Higher Education Standards Agency (HESA), Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and other bodies. Knowledge, Skills & Experience (work experience, qualifications, specialist training, key skills, disposition)

Requirements Essential/Desirabl Qualifications University degree D

Accountancy qualification from an internationally recognised E accountancy body

Experience Significant experience working in management accounts / financial E management / business partnering / financial analysis / auditing roles in large and / or complex organisations including reporting, budgeting / planning, financial analysis and commercial business case support

Significant experience of working with management level E stakeholders outside of finance to deliver added value

Experience of managing complex submissions and papers to set E timetables

Experience of developing and contributing to plans, both financial E and non-financial

Experience of finance change programmes D

Knowledge, skills & Ability to work as a key part of a small team but also to work with E abilities minimal supervision

Ability to manage change at all levels from working practices within E the finance team to supporting managers and budget holders through strategic change initiatives

Knowledge of what best practice finance looks like, in particular how E to manage a business partnering model with dual reporting lines

Excellent people skills; able to manage relationships with junior E budget holders through to senior managers in a non-commercial culture

Communication skills – ability to present a clear finance message to E non-finance colleagues

Ability to prioritise competing demands in a varied and complex E environment

Thoroughness, attention to detail and a focus on proper process E

Knowledge of research funding D

Knowledge of the Higher Education sector D

Proficient in use of Excel and other MS Office packages and use of E finance systems. Experienced in developing and using financial models and business cases.

Attitude & disposition Positive attitude to change and desire to improve things E

Tenacious enough to push things to completion in a change E resistant culture yet pragmatic enough to maintain relationships; can negotiate with and influence stakeholders who may be resistant and lack trust

Strives to complete tasks and deliver on time in the face of E unforeseen delays and problems

Willingness to work flexibly to meet deadlines and peaks in workload E

Strong customer service ethos E

Willingness to challenge poor practice in a constructive way that will E Main Duties and Responsibilities of the Role

 Build strong, credible relationships with the JRMO, including the Director of Research Services and Business Development, Heads of School Administration, Senior Finance Partners and Faculty / PS finance teams within Financial Management. Act as a main point of contact for Heads of School Administration and Faculty Operating Officers / Executive Officers.  Ensure trust is built and maintained in finance team outputs and that valuable relationships are developed with the appropriate faculty / PS stakeholders.  Ensure that processes and procedures for research grant accounting are in place, documented and understood and that management information produced by both the JRMO and finance is consistent, understood and adds value.  Support the Director of Research Services and Business Development and VP Research (VP Res) in achieving their objectives through provision of information and analysis. This will include maximising both research income and recovery of costs and overheads, and ensuring PIs are accountable for the finances of their grants.  Develop financial business cases for new initiatives / grants and financial models and ensure that they contribute to the overall strategy of the school / institute / JRMO / VP Res and QMUL. Ensure that financial and non-financial factors are given appropriate consideration in approval decisions and that the financial consequences of decisions are understood.  Ensure adherence to finance and funder policies and practices is maintained including value for money, FRS102 and the HE SORP.  Support the Senior Finance Partners and JRMO in the provision of analysis for monthly management reporting and in the production of budgets, forecasts and the 5 year plan and other reports and analysis.  Work with the JRMO and wider Financial Management team to ensure best practice is developed and shared and that working practices are consistent across Financial Management where practicable.  Lead on and support ad hoc projects for the Financial Management team, be it process improvements or financial analysis. The role will also be involved in some or all of the following activities dependent on the work allocation across the team:  Coordinate the monthly QMUL financial results, including adherence to month end timetable and prepare commentaries for QMSE and Council and its committees, ensuring that the reasons for variances and the implications are clear. This will require close working with the Faculty / PS finance teams.  Plan and manage the process for annual capital and revenue budgeting, quarterly forecasts and 5 year plans making sure that they are complete, robust and fully signed off by the Faculty / Professional Services (PS) Senior Finance Partners. This will involve close working with other parties involved in and dependent upon these processes such as the Strategic Planning department and Executive Officer (EO) to the Principal.  Manage the maintenance, development and use of QM’s financial budgeting and forecasting system, Cognos.  Manage the Financial Management use of the Business Intelligence and Agresso reporting systems. This includes the development and maintenance of university wide budget holder reporting. Manage changes to the chart of accounts (CoA) in accordance with the principles set out for the QMUL CoA.  Oversee and ensure timely and accurate submission of financial regulatory returns to HEFCE, HESA and any other bodies that may require financial information. Returns include the Annual Accountability Return, Higher Education Business and Community Interaction return (HEBCI). Ensure that returns are consistent with each other and with internal financial forecasts, and that they are properly approved.  Undertake other duties and cover as required by the Head of R&FP. Working Environment (knowledge of special working practices, breadth of management skill required, customer impact, responsibility, efficiency)

The role is important to the operation and credibility of Financial Management at QMUL and is akin to being in a corporate reporting and planning team in a multi-divisional organisation. The role is in the central R&FP team but with interfaces with the JRMO and faculty finance teams. Strong relationships need to be built and customer service is therefore a key attribute as is a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the faculty finance teams and JRMO. The appointee will need to develop an in depth understanding of research grant funding and HE finances.

Freedom to Act & Decision Making (depth of control, supervision received, use of judgement & initiative, analytical ability)

 The role is the finance lead for research grants and has the ability to make financial recommendations for the JRMO and schools / institutes subject to ensuring consistency across the Faculty / PS and the wider finance function, and adherence to established finance and funder processes and policies.  The role has the responsibility with the faculty finance teams for ensuring that school / institute budget holders take responsibility and ownership for their financial performance and plans.  The role has responsibility for various financial management reporting, planning and regulatory return processes and has responsibility for ensuring that all deliverables are made on time and are high quality, and are appropriately approved.  The role is responsible for owning the various processes and supporting systems for financial management reporting, planning and regulatory returns ensuring that they are fit for purpose, recommending and implementing changes where necessary, subject to approval from the Head of R&FP.  The role sits within the central Finance directorate and as such must ensure that wider QMUL financial considerations are always taken into account. The role should refer to the Head of R&FP as required to ensure that this is the case.  The role will be relatively standalone. Communication & Networking (liaison with others, type and level of communications)

Critical strategic relationships, daily communication  Deputy Finance Director for Financial Management  Head of R&FP  Senior Finance Partners  Faculty and PS finance teams  Director of Research Services and Business Development  JRMO managers and staff  Heads of School Administration Key operational relationships, weekly to monthly communications  VP Res and Executive Officer to VP Res  Faculty Operating Officers (FOOs) / Executive Officers  Financial Accounts  Strategic Planning Office  R&FP team Other regular relationships, regular but ad hoc communication  Finance / procurement department managers  Other PS directorates  Heads of School Administration  HE regulators

Finance/Resource Management (budgeting, forecasting)

None

People Management (supervisory responsibility, human relations skills)

No direct line management responsibility but expected to provide management support to Interns

This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post. Organisation Chart

Deputy Director of Finance, Financial Management

Head of Reporting and Senior Finance Partner Senior Finance Senior Finance Professional Services Financial Planning - SMD Partner – S&E Partner - HSS Finance Partner

Cognos Systems Finance Partner Finance Partner – Finance Partner Finance Partner Accountant (incl.NHS work) Estates

Ass. Finance Partner Ass. Finance Partner TRAC & Ass. Finance Partner 0.5FTE potential Job 0.5FTE potential Job Reporting Manager Share Share

Finance Partner – Finance Partner Professional Services Research Grants

Finance Partner – Reporting & Financial Professional Services Planning Manager (split 0.6FTE and 0.5FTE) Ass. Finance Partner 0.5FTE potential Job Ass. Finance Partner Share 0.5FTE potential Job Share

Insurance & Reporting Manager (0.86 FTE) Confirmation Section Job profile content agreed by: