The role will focus on leading the Route Services business planning process, working closely with functional leads to deliver a seamless end-to-end planning service. You may also be required to support the wider FPP&A team with 2nd line assurance, financial reporting and internal efficiencies tracking as and when required.

Your Experience And Skills

What will you be doing?

• Coordinate the end-to-end business planning process for Route Services, setting out clear requirements and timelines and managing multiple stakeholders with potentially competing priorities through it, culminating in conveying the key messages of the forecasting cycle to various levels of internal and external stakeholders
• Consolidate, critically review and provide technical advice and guidance on periodic financial results and forecasts to Identify and monitor risks, opportunities and efficiencies to minimise the financial and legal impact on the business area.
• Provide robust professional recommendations and financial guidance on accounting guidelines and standards to enable the business to be financially and legally compliant.
• 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.
• 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 settlement by effective decision making.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Essential Criteria

• 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; 3rd 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.

Desirable Criteria

• 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.

Additional Information...

Contact: mark.powell4@networkrail.co.uk If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments.