Finance Director

Finance Director – Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Location: Westgate Healthcare Head Office, Unit 3, Devonshire Business Park, Chester Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1NA

Salary: Competitive

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Shifts: 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday  

Job type: Permanent

Annual leave: 25 days, plus bank holidays

Westgate Healthcare is an award-winning, family-run care home operator. We have 9 care homes across London, Essex, Herts and Bucks and we are growing with 2 further developments in the pipeline. In addition to the care homes, the company also owns a Holiday inn.

The Finance Director should be qualified (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent), competent and experienced to manage the finances of Westgate Healthcare Group Ltd, including all subsidiaries and associated companies. They will be expected to take responsibility for the finance related functions of the business, liaise and provide timely information as required to internal and external bodies, take a service led approach to work to ensure that finance maintains a high reputation with clients, and take the initiative to work with the Directors to improve and grow the business, such as through monitoring of KPI’s, cost rationalisation and operational improvements and innovations.

In their role, the Finance Director will take responsibility for the finance team, comprising staff dealing with management accounts, credit control, sales ledger, purchase ledger and payroll. They should lead the team and supervise and appraise each member, encouraging and assisting them to excel in the work place. The Finance Director will also be expected to liaise with the company’s care homes and hotel, assisting them and guiding them in dealing with financial affairs, such as fee negotiations, staff costing, purchase invoices and finance management on site.

About the role:

• Take charge of all finance functions for Westgate Healthcare and its subsidiaries, in conjunction with support from the finance team, and report to the Board of Directors
• Establish and monitor the implementation and maintenance of accounting control procedures in compliance with accepted policies and procedures
• Prepare and review financial reporting on all subsidiaries, inter-company account reconciliations and consolidation of all company accounts to produce group level financial accounts
• Preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual management accounts and associated reports for each subsidiary company and the overall group, ensuring that internal and external deadlines are met
• Cash flow forecasting, analysis and management
• Oversee and manage sales ledger and credit control. Liaise with the home managers and relevant LA and CCG’s to resolve bad debts
• Oversee and manage payroll and contact with HMRC
• Oversee and manage purchase ledger department and invoice control
• Preparation of statutory accounts and audit files, and liaise with external auditors
• Liaise, in conjunction with CEO and Directors, with banks regarding loans, credit facilities, banking facilities, and associated covenants and KPI’s and future debt funding.
• Preparation and presentation of information required by banks, such as KPI’s, monthly fee and occupancy reports and quarterly financial and budget reports
• Variance analysis of cost centres and margin analysis. Suggest and lead improvements resulting from this
• Producing and monitoring annual budgets and company forecasts
• Assist homes in setting up and negotiating contracts with private clients, local councils, and NHS
• Work with Directors to negotiate with key suppliers, setting up home and group wide preferred supplier lists including insurance and utilities contracts.
• Set up new systems and procedures to enhance efficiency, such as making use of technology in this respect
• Use initiative to suggest improvements to the operations of the business and identify opportunities 
• Hold regular business reviews with care home management on-site and also liaise with staff at the quarterly manager meetings held at Head Office
• Develop and implement improvements on the finance side in conjunction with the CEO, such as securing bank loans and refinancing and improving policies and procedures

About you:

• The right to live and work in the UK
• Qualified Accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent) with significant post qualification relevant experience
• Significant experience in the finance field, preferably in the care home industry, overseeing standard finance functions
• Solid experience of finance related IT systems, e.g. Sage, XERO as well as basic Microsoft programs, with advanced excel skills
• Adept in developing and mentoring a team to a high achieving standard whilst promoting a positive and collaborative working environment
• Strong reporting skills and proven ability to deliver under tight deadlines and balance multiple objectives
• Strong commercial acumen and be highly motivated
• Good presentation skills, flexibility in approach and attitude, good leadership skills and attention to detail

Come and make a difference with the team at Westgate Healthcare!

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we receive suitable applications, therefore, an early submission is encouraged. Due to a high volume of applications, if you do not hear from us within 5 working days, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Westgate Healthcare is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.