Finance Business Partner

CONNEX SOUTH EASTERN; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern is seeking a Finance Business Partner to join our London Bridge head office. You will lead financial planning, forecasting and performance management for Engineering (Fleet Strategy & Fleet Maintenance), translating complex data into actionable insights to drive value for money.

You will coach an Assistant Management Accountant and partner with senior stakeholders, delivering robust financial plans, period-end reviews and business cases to support major projects and strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Recognised accountancy qualification (CIMA/ACCA/ACA or equivalent).
• Significant experience in business partnering and financial ownership in a complex organisation.
• Experience partnering with directors and executive stakeholders, using financial and commercial insight.

Responsibilities

• Coach and develop your Assistant Management Accountant, enabling high performance and an environment that enables colleagues to succeed and grow.
• Own and be accountable for the financial performance of the directorate, leading the delivery of budgets, forecasts and long-term financial plans, ensuring financial resources are aligned to strategic and operational priorities.
• Provide strategic financial insight, questioning and recommendations to support decisions and improve business performance.
• Act as a finance-led business change agent, proactively identifying and implementing improvements to financial processes, reporting and ways of working.
• Head financial performance management activities, including period-end and year-end reviews, highlighting trends, risks, opportunities and actions.
• Deliver annual business planning, rolling forecasts and management reporting, ensuring outputs are accurate, insightful and aligned to organisational requirements.
• Support business cases, capital investment decisions and major projects, ensuring effective use of resources and delivery against agreed plans.
• Ensure the integrity, accuracy and reliability of financial information through effective controls, governance and stakeholder collaboration.
• Drive continuous improvement across financial reporting, planning and processes, maximising the use of technology, automation and data insight.
• Provide proactive financial guidance and support to Directors, senior stakeholders and the wider business, contributing to strategic priorities and business improvement initiatives

Skills

Leadership experience

Financial analysis

Stakeholder management

Business partnering

Forecasting

Education

ACCA/CIMA/ACA or equivalent

Tools

Oracle

IBM TM1

Job description

Job Introduction

Are you looking for a career where you can make a real difference in people’s day.

We are seeking a Finance Business Partner to join our team based from our Head Office in London Bridge.

As a Finance Business Partner, you will provide strategic financial insight, questionning and support to senior stakeholders across Engineering (Fleet Strategy & Fleet Maintenance), helping to drive performance and inform decisions. You will head financial planning, forecasting and performance management, ensuring resources are aligned to organisational priorities and deliver value for money.

Acting as a trusted advisor, you will translate complex financial information into clear, actionable recommendations, promoting accountability and supporting the delivery of business objectives.

You will also direct, coach and develop an Assistant Management Accountant, building capability and fostering a high-performing finance team.

What You’ll Do

• Coach and develop your Assistant Management Accountant, enabling high performance and an environment that enables colleagues to succeed and grow
• Own and be accountable for the financial performance of the directorate, leading the delivery of budgets, forecasts and long-term financial plans, ensuring financial resources are aligned to strategic and operational priorities
• Provide strategic financial insight, questioning and recommendations to support decisions and improve business performance
• Act as a finance-led business change agent, proactively identifying and implementing improvements to financial processes, reporting and ways of working
• Head financial performance management activities, including period-end and year-end reviews, highlighting trends, risks, opportunities and actions.
• Deliver annual business planning, rolling forecasts and management reporting, ensuring outputs are accurate, insightful and aligned to organisational requirements.
• Support business cases, capital investment decisions and major projects, ensuring effective use of resources and delivery against agreed plans
• Ensure the integrity, accuracy and reliability of financial information through effective controls, governance and stakeholder collaboration
• Drive continuous improvement across financial reporting, planning and processes, maximising the use of technology, automation and data insight
• Provide proactive financial guidance and support to Directors, senior stakeholders and the wider business, contributing to strategic priorities and business improvement initiatives

The Experience You’ll Need

• You dare to Lead - Inspiring leadership is what you do best, you have previous line management experience
• You are a Finance Pro – You hold a recognised accountancy qualification (CIMA, ACCA, ACA) or equivalent and have significant experience in business partnering and financial ownership in a complex organisation
• You build trusted partnerships – You have significant experience partnering with directors and executive stakeholders, using financial and commercial insight to influence decisions and strategic outcomes
• You turn data into compelling insight – You analyse complex financial and commercial information and translate it into clear recommendations that improve business performance for finance and non-finance audiences
• You challenge constructively – You provide assured challenge and influence stakeholders to drive accountability, value for money and better business outcomes
• You think commercially – You understand the drivers of business performance and balance operational, financial and strategic priorities to maximise value.
• You drive continuous improvement – You embrace technology, automation and new ways of working to improve reporting, planning and decisions.
• Previous experience partnering in engineering or infrastructure in a transport environment would be advantageous
• Previous exposure to Oracle and IBM TM1 or equivalent forecasting systems – Desirable

As proud members of the Armed Forces Covenant and Disability Confident Scheme, we will offer you an interview if you apply under these schemes and meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Find out more here.

Other Things To Know

• This vacancy may close early if we receive a large number of applications. So, make sure you get yours in early.
• All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references, a right to work verification, a basic criminal record check, and a pre-employment medical assessment. Work visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role.
• If you applied but weren’t successful in getting a similar role at Southern, please wait six months before applying again.

Find out more about our recruitment process and get tips to help you apply.

What You’ll Get In Return

Along with your salary, the rewards you’ll get include:

• a final salary pension
• 25 days annual leave allowance (plus bank holidays)
• free rail travel across our networks.

Meaning you can feel secure in your career as well as fulfilled by your work. Click here to see our full range of amazing benefits.

A Bit About Southern

We’re one of Britain's busiest train operators, serving London, Kent and parts of East Sussex. We run over 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 500,000 passengers and serving 180 stations.

However, working on our railway is more than getting passengers from A to B. It’s about all the little moments that make a difference to their journey.

It’s also about making our railway a great place to work and building a team that represents the communities we serve. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, supportive environment, and we’re proud that this continues to be recognised through employer accreditations and our ongoing endorsement as a WORK180 Employer for Women.

Our ways of working are what we expect of everyone at Southern. They are powerful. Tiny moments, every day, from every one of us, add up to massive, positive change. Improving how it feels to work here and how it feels to travel with us.

At the heart of everything we do, our Safeguarding Team works to keep our customers, colleagues, and the public safe by improving safeguarding measures and knowledge making sure everyone gets home safe, every day.

Learn more about our railway.

SE Trains Limited

Attached documents

• Finance Business Partner - Engineering Sept 2026.pdf