Organisation: Queensland Health
Job Title: Manager, Finance Business Requirements (Job No. QLD/CSD204455)
Please accept my application for the position of Manager, Finance Business Requirements as advertised on the SmartJobs careers board. Supported by multiple tertiary qualifications and over 19 years of career success in both the public and private sector, I am highly proficient in the planning, governance and provision of a wide range of business support services. My valuable skillset encompasses the extensive and astute delivery of infrastructure management, financial and management accounting and financial strategy. With a strong background leading the development and improvement of business processes through quality project management, my motivation comes not from meeting standards, but rather being responsible for creating new standards. I find success through the concept that all things are able to improve, presenting me as a strong candidate for a role where I can utilise my qualifications, skills and experience to seamlessly upgrade and enhance core financial systems.
Currently employed as a Business Services Manager (AO7) with the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Local Ambulance Service Network (LASN) in Mackay, I am responsible for leading and managing a business support team of financial and administration personnel to provide continuity of focussed, quality services in support of operational objectives. As leader and mentor, it is my intention to empower my team to be involved in the direction of the company through self-development and a high level of commitment to customer service excellence. To achieve this, I proactively encourage and provide feedback through the facilitation of regular team meetings and one-on-one reviews to create an environment that is conducive to sharing ideas, seeking input and promoting change. Showing my genuine care and concern for the individual and their development, I give credit for successes and find learning opportunities from mistakes. These skills were particularly valuable when I first commenced in the role of Business Services Manager, as the team had been without a manager for several months and were disengaged due to the lack of direction and unclear work expectations.
Working collaboratively with the staff, I conducted ongoing team building sessions to determine how they felt about the current situation, what they wanted the culture to look like and how we were going to get there. Aligning these elements with the organisation’s primary business objectives, we focussed on several key action items which involved formalising their roles and tasks, increasing information-sharing and documenting local work practices and systems. As a team, we have continued to monitor our success to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. This has worked to maximise individual productivity by ensuring that the team not only knows and understands the desired outcomes, but also has the critical focal points that provide a clear picture of high performance. Increasing the commitment and enthusiasm of the team in this way has recently led to them volunteering their time on the weekend to support the operational personnel during a QAS open day. To a large degree, this has worked to remove the barriers between the administration and operational teams through mutual respect and cooperation.
Through my 13 years of experience in financial management and accounting within the Australian Public Service (APS), I have a strong working knowledge of relevant legislation, policies and standards and how they relate to organisational values and objectives. In particular, I have a thorough understanding of the QAS financial management practices manual which aligns with Queensland (QLD) Health, industry and auditing practices. With an appreciation for the supreme importance of managing regulatory compliance and governance, one of the key initiatives in my role as Business Services Manager with QAS has been to build the capacity and knowledge base of my team in this area. This has involved reviewing certification and audit processes in accordance with best practice to maintain the integrity of the organisation and the information. As a result, I substantially reduced both our high error rate and duplicate handling of documents. Testament to my skills in this area, while managing my own financial management and business advisory service, I received the First Class Accounts Platinum Award for achieving excellent auditing results and profits, and compliance with legislation and company procedures.
Throughout my career, I have demonstrated strong expertise using an extensive range of financial systems and software to effectively undertake the research, review and analysis of financial data. This includes experience in SAP, MYOB, Reckon Accounts, Intuit Quickbooks, purpose written software, cloud accounting programs and MYOB Exo. Supported by my strong systems capability, I have undertaken a number of high‑level project positions within the public sector, providing strategic advice on new system implementations, enhancement opportunities and associated financial integration impacts. This has included working alongside Deloitte business analysts and system programmers to design and implement information technology solutions with due regard to Australian Accounting Standards and Government financial legislation and policies. A good example of my skills in this area was demonstrated during my employment with Central Queensland (CQ) TAFE, where I designed an SQL database that integrated financial and activity data in order to provide activity-based analysis for cost centre managers. This included working closely with programmers to develop the system, facilitating training to managers and their staff and ensuring finance business requirements were met.
Upon implementation, I was able to obtain and analyse data on the revenue per contact hour and profit per contact hour, identifying cost drivers, risks, business revenue streams and possible solutions. As a result, I recommended for a particular school to close based on the significant differences between cost and revenue, and outcomes that did not align business objectives. Due to the success of this project, the database was sold to other TAFE regions, to which I also provided training in the setup and usage of the system. In my current role as Business Services Manager, I have relied on my exceptional analytical, research and problem-solving skills to develop innovative, sensitive and practical solutions to align with the business requirements of an organisation. For example, I have recently developed and implemented a new report that is issued to 17 station managers across the five LASNs. This provides a breakdown of their YTD and YoY financials by expenditure, an analysis of cost per case and cost per man hours and a comparison to other stations. This is further complemented by a meaningful commentary on areas that require further investigation or may be impacting their performance.
Not only have these reports provided visibility across the LASNs at a station level, they have also been particularly beneficial during bi-annual business reviews where I am required to provide critical strategic advice to the Commissioner and Heads of Department from the State office. Using my high-level communication, consultation and negotiation skills, I am able to promptly and authoritatively report on any issues impacting station performance to support the preparation and implementation of QAS plans. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated myself to be a confident and professional communicator, capable of creating a compelling presentation to support my goals, gain buy-in for ideas, inspire others to achieve better results and promote an aligned and coordinated approach to business objectives. Recently, my skills in this area were instrumental in gaining approval to build a $500,000 training facility for QAS personnel. Managing the full scope of the project, I prepared the budget and costings, managed the tender process, coordinated the preliminary designs, collaborated with ICT personnel and appointed a contractor. Together with the completion of a risk assessment and a contingency plan, this has now been approved by the Council and is scheduled for completion in May 2016.
Collaborating with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders throughout my career, I am pleased to say I have achieved a great deal of success building and maintaining relationships with a diverse group of staff, supervisors, customers and internal and external bodies across multiple sites. At all times, I lead by example through honesty and integrity to foster an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment, promotes diversity and embraces the unique skills and qualities each person brings to the workplace. I am confident that the above strengths, skills and experience will allow me to make a meaningful contribution in the role of Manager, Finance Business Requirements and lead the improvement of the Queensland Health finance system. I am keen to share my career strategy and interests with you and I look forward to speaking with you further at your earliest convenience.
