About Network Rail

We get people where they need to be, whether they are commuting to work, visiting friends or family, or going for a night out.

We make millions of lives better every day and have a vital job in driving the economy and prosperity of the nation!

Over the coming years we will be building and improving crucial rail links between the country's biggest cities, making our services faster, more comfortable and more reliable for the people who rely on us.

We're also changing our organisation to put the passenger at the heart of everything we do, to make our people even prouder to work for us and to be recognised as a true leader in our industry.

In joining Network Rail, you're not only joining an organisation with a vital role to play for the country, but also a team of more than 40,000 people, and a business dedicated to being one of Britain's best employers.
Does this sound like a team you'd love to be a part of?

Brief Description

East Coast Route are looking for a Senior Finance Business Partner t o join our finance team, leading our Works Delivery Team. This is an exciting opportunity to join a team with an operating budget in excess of £4m annually and who delivers capital expenditure in excess of £300m a year.

The role of Senior Finance Business Partner works as an integral member of the Route Finance Team, supporting the senior leadership team and managing a finance business partner team, to proactively identify, plan and meet the finance needs of the business to improve business performance, in coordination with other members of the wider finance team as required. The role offers the opportunity to business partner across three of our route teams within Eastern Region (East Coast, East Midlands and North & East), whilst also working collaboratively with our fellow works delivery team within Anglia.

There will be requirement to positively challenge Senior Leaders, budgets and business activities to enable the best business outcomes are delivered. In order to effectively enable this, there is a requirement for a minimum of 3 working days per week at a Network Rail office or depot.

Multiple opportunities available.

About the role (External)

Role and Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

1. Consolidate, critically review and provide technical advice and guidance on periodic financial results and forecasts to identify and monitor risks, opportunities and efficiencies and minimise the financial and legal impact on the business area.

2. Provide robust professional recommendations and financial guidance on accounting guidelines and standards to enable the business to be financially and legally compliant.

3. Provide technical and professional oversight of the periodic accounts, relevant analysis and preparation of business plans and budgets to enable the business to make effective decisions.

4. Lead the development of the local finance team, including personal development and identify resource requirements and recruit as required.

5. Manage and co-ordinate the production and submission of the relevant reporting packs.

6. Responsible for the integrity, accuracy, consistency and visibility of the financial health of the business unit, and to constantly challenge the budget holder's financial performance and outlook.

7. Develop, understand and influence the cost and income drivers relevant to the business area to deliver the yearly business plan and manage to the overall funding settlement by effective decision making.

8. Influence, coach and challenge senior budget holders in understanding the impact of their period results and forecasts against budgets in order to manage their business more effectively and manage within budgeting limits.

9. Proactively challenge budget holders plans and budget submissions to understand the overall plan, providing advice and new initiatives to save costs and be more efficient as an organisation.

10. Drive, adapt and deliver key KPI'S and deliverables for the function, highlighting any significant issues and trends with financial and other business results to aid decision makers to make efficiencies.

11. Lead in budget holder key meetings on financial performance to provide professional financial advice and guidance to drive business decisions, minimise risk and deliver good corporate governance.

12. Develop, drive and implement investment decisions and new business activities, working collaboratively with senior leaders to explore new opportunities and drive business performance.

Are you?

• Membership (or working towards membership) of a relevant accounting body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW) or equivalent experience

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills all levels. This should include Customers; 3 rd party representatives, other business & functional leaders and key support personnel.

• Successful relevant experience working in a complex financial environment including demonstrable experience in managing business risks, professional financial control and forward planning.

• Demonstrable record of budget management, governance and ability to understand and interpret commercial and financial landscapes (budgets, forecasts, actual status).

• Significant experience in managing ambiguity in a financial environment with strong evaluation and decision-making skills.

• Excellent technical Financial and Accounting knowledge and application of that knowledge in a complex and commercial environment.

• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, for example accounting and finance, business management or equivalent demonstrable experience in finance

Do you have?

• Full membership of relevant post graduate professional body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW)

• Experience of Oracle based systems

• Substantial experience within multiple finance disciplines

• Knowledge and technical expertise of Government accounting and relevant financial governance

• Understanding of project management principles and experience of managing complex projects to successful conclusion.

How to apply (External)

Salary and benefits:

• Salary of £55,596-£63,797 (Band 3C) depending on skills, qualifications and experience

• 28 days annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays

• My benefits - Our discounted online shopping site

• A range of discounted offers including, childcare vouchers, healthcare offers - cycle to work, healthcare club discounted membership and other benefits

• Subsidies of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets

• A choice of contributory pension schemes

• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for our Armed Forces community

**Please note that the advert closes on the 14 May 2025 and late applications will not be considered **

Multiple opportunities available.

Oh, and by the way ...

We care deeply about welcoming people no matter where they're from, how old they are or what disability they may have. We encourage applications from every age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, maternity or caring responsibility. We want our employees to bring their whole self to work and that starts with you!

We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential skills and experience detailed above. Network Rail positively embraces flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work and family/home life. We will consider all flexible working applications.

Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history

If you like the sound of all that, we'd love it if you could submit your application online.

Network Rail operates, maintains and develops Britain's railway infrastructure managing 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and thousands of signals, level crossings and stations.