Senior Finance Business Partner

Senior Finance Business Partner

Location

Milton Keynes, GB

Department Name

DV Financial Controller Area (338450) G4

About Network Rail

🌟 Join Our Team at Network Rail! 🌟

Are you ready to make a difference in people's lives? At Network Rail, we’re here to connect people and goods with where they need to be – safely and on time.

We're dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we're committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone.

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

Some of our great benefits:

🌍 Flexible/hybrid working arrangements considered.

🌞 Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days), with the option to buy/sell days.

🎁 Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass.

Defined benefit pension scheme

🚂 75% subsidy on train tickets & 75% discount on leisure travel

🎟️ Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets.

🕊️ Volunteer leave to make a positive impact.

Plus more….

Brief Description

Vacancy Details

Duration: 2x Permanent

Location: The Quadrant: MK. These roles are both full-time opportunities, however flexible working patterns will be considered.

Band & Salary: Band 3C £55,596 - £62,546 (Subject to experience)

Closing date: 4th October 2024. On occasions, we may need to close the advert early based upon application volumes. Late applications may not be accepted.

Next Steps: Interviews will be held W/C 14th October depending on business requirements.

About the team..

Are you a Finance professional looking to do something a little bit different?

Your advanced knowledge of government reporting, alongside your experience using Microsoft Excel, and your accuracy and attention to detail, will enable you to analyse and ‘make sense’ of large volumes of data in a timely manner. You’ll have an aptitude for picking up new systems and analysis techniques quickly and efficiently. The Group Reporting Finance team support finance teams across all the regions and functions. In addition, it works closing with the NAO and other consultants. As this role has a sizable number of stakeholders across the business and externally, significant abilities in dealing with a wide customer base will be a requirement.

A significant part of the role will be supporting the business and outside stakeholders with ad hoc queries and to be a centre of excellence for new and emerging issues. A large part of this role involves the production of the regulatory accounts, therefore your strong reporting experience and skills will be of critical importance. At the heart of the role is business partnering the regions and functions and their Senior Leadership team in its strategic decision making, including enabling a clear and thorough understanding of key insights of the business.  In that regard, we are looking for an established individual with the right level of experience.

The Group Reporting Finance team will work closely with other finance teams in the Group Finance function, and also with regional and functional finance teams, to provide an overview of the organisation as a whole.

About the role (External)

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for a pro-active self-starter to join the Group Reporting Finance team as a Senior Finance Business Partner, providing analytical support and insight across regions and functions on regulatory reporting and central financial control.

You’ll use your excellent customer service and stakeholder engagement skills to build successful relationships and a strong reputation within the business and externally, utilising your rapport to confidently scrutinise information and discussions as necessary to ensure value for money.

You'll be at the heart of finance, based in the Network Rail office in Milton Keynes. This role will encompass reporting, analysing,controlling and communicating key financial information, to both internal and external key stakeholders.

To achieve this, we need someone confident in handling, analysing and transforming data into insight which can help the business improve and and understand what the numbers mean. You will have experience in managing the development and delivery of analytical outputs, underpinned by effective planning and monitoring skills. You will be comfortable in engaging with senior leaders and can collaborate closely with region and functional teams.

What does the average day look like?

1.Complete all accounting, analysis, and reporting activitieswhilst enabling robust financial controls and governance for the associated function, with particular focus on managing public money principles to reduce risk to the business.

2.Provision of insightful management reporting and analysis. Advise and influence functional and regional finance teams appropriate strategies to manage business and organisational performance in relation to business and finance risks, while communicating the impact effectively to influence strategic decisions.

3.Find opportunities for efficiencies and challenge the business partners on their value offering as part of the commitment towards continuous improvement and to enable more efficient and effective business decisions.

4.Lead on preparation of strong financial reporting budgets and through strong business partnering and influencing stakeholder at all levels to optimally utilise taxpayer’s funds.

5.Use the latest technology and information systems for finance to evolve decision making and organisational performance in line with advancements in current technologies.

6.Develop and improve the co-ordination with other functions, maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders (incl. the government) to aid collaborative working and lead to cohesive and effective business performance.

Essential Criteria

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to apply (External)

Additional Information…

Contact: If you have require any reasonable adjustments, please add a note to your application profile

We're an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone!

We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our Safety Vision

Visit Evenbreak’s Career Hive should you need accessibility support to apply or any require any reasonable adjustments, please email [email protected]

BPSS

As an arm’s length department of the UK Government, Network Rail is required to comply with a well-established pre-employment vetting process for all prospective employees. Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks require prospective employees of Network Rail to meet the following requirements.

• Provide eligibility to work in the UK and identity documentation

• Complete a satisfactory 3-year employment history check

• Complete a satisfactory unspent criminal conviction disclosure check for more information regarding BPSS pre-employment related checks, please visit the UK Government website for further information - UK Government - BPSS Checks

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or another factor.