Senior Business Partner, Economics and Strategy

Canadian National Railway Company; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading logistics company in Montreal is seeking a Senior Business Partner in Economics and Strategy. In this role, you will develop financial forecasts, collaborate with senior leaders, and improve processes. The ideal candidate has a strong background in finance and experience in model building. Join our safety-focused culture and help drive our business success.

Benefits

Paid training

Opportunities for career growth

Hybrid work policy

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in a finance or accounting role.
• Experience in modeling and financial analysis.
• Demonstrated excellence in analytical experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop consolidated income statements and cash flow statements.
• Facilitate discussions with senior leaders.
• Create insightful ad hoc reports supporting CN’s goals.

Skills

Financial modeling

Analytical skills

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Commerce

Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)

Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA)

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely—helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long‑term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close‑knit, safety‑focused culture working together as ONETEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

Job Summary

The Senior Business Partner, Economics and Strategy is responsible for developing, updating and communicating forecasted financial statements, producing entity‑level splits of forecast for Taxation, and determining actual and expected Return on Investments (ROIs). The position maintains and enhances multi‑year business plan models and collaborates cross‑functionally. The incumbent facilitates discussions with senior leaders including the VP Financial Planning, VP Treasury, AVP Investor Relations, and CFO.

Main Responsibilities

Develop Financials for Business Plan

• Develop consolidated income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements including incorporating operating, investing, financing and shareholder return plans and targets.
• Craft key deliverables of the business plan, including annual management bonus targets and long‑term incentive plan (LTIP) targets.
• Ensure the financial model has capability to incorporate purchase of companies (e.g., asset or equity) into the plan.

Forecasting and Strategic Analysis

• Ensure the consolidated United States (U.S.) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) income and selected cash flow items are split among the different tax jurisdictions on a legal entity basis.
• Carry out projections for various U.S. subsidiaries and consolidation levels in support of internal financing and tax planning.
• Act as expert on CN’s Profit and Loss (P&L), including revenues, operating expenses, net income, operating ratio, and Earnings per Share (EPS) and execute ad hoc analyses.
• Produce the external financial guidance summary including key assumptions to be disclosed in the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), as well as supporting documentation.

Free Cash Flow Budget, Forecasting and Monitoring

• Update Year End Outlook (YEO) monthly.
• Review explanations of variances to expectations and prior year and propose corrective action if needed.
• Liaise with Treasury to ensure consistency of forecasts.

Process Improvement

• Create insightful ad hoc reports and dashboards supporting CN’s goals.
• Leverage technology and competitive insight for continuous improvement with the creation of enhanced forecasting tools, process designs, and data visualizations.
• Review, streamline and automate deliverables and processes to make them relevant and meaningful to the audience.
• Validate information and improve quality to remain relevant and add value.
• Ensure reports are timely and information is accurate and intact.

Determine Expected and Actual ROIs

• Determine expected and actual targets in relation to annual bonus and Performance Share Units (PSU) incentive plans.
• Update outlook quarterly to permit proper accruals.
• Adjust ROIs for Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI), one‑time charges for tax enactments, and accounting changes.
• Ensure adjustments reflect Pension adjustments and other items beyond the control of management.

Working Conditions

The role is performed in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday and is eligible to participate in CN’s hybrid work policy. The role may be required to be on‑call outside of regular working hours. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure, and stress as well as be able to prioritize to provide rapid deliveries in a dynamic environment.

Requirements and Experience

• Minimum of 5 years in a finance or accounting role.
• Experience in modelling.
• Experience with systems, Board material preparation, ad hoc financial analysis.
• Experience building financial data models to extract, condense and analyze various financial items.
• Demonstrated excellence in analytical experience relating to CN.

Education, Certification and Designation

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration/Commerce.
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
• Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) – asset.

Competencies

• Sets direction and inspires others.
• Communicates with impact.
• Demonstrates agility and drives change.
• Collaborates with others and shares information.
• Knows the business and stays current on industry needs.
• Applies critical thinking.
• Delegates and empowers others to create accountability.

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• Knowledge of financial statements and the linkages between them.
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control principles including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and regulations.
• Knowledge of modelling and advanced Excel skills.
• Knowledge of relevant systems such as System Applications and Products (SAP), Essbase and Business Warehouse (BW), Power Business Intelligence (BI), Tableau – asset.

CN is a premium railroad that sustainably generates value for our customers, shareholders, employees, and stakeholders with an unwavering commitment to safety and service. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. CN’s network connects Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 20,000‑mile rail network. CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN powers the North American economy and is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

At CN, we are dedicated to building North America’s safest, most inclusive and sustainable railroad, which includes reflecting the communities in which we operate. Research shows that candidates often don’t apply unless they feel they fit the job posting at 100%. To all potential applicants, even if you don’t meet every job requirement listed in a posting, we still encourage you to apply. If you require an accommodation for the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials, accessible meeting rooms or other accommodations), please get in touch with our team at [e-mail].

As an equal opportunity employer, qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

Please monitor your email on a regular basis as communication to applicants is done via email.