Finance Director [North West]

Network Rail; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 117,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Travel perks

Job summary

Network Rail in the North West England region is seeking a Finance Director to provide strategic financial leadership across a complex operating environment. You will balance customer, operational, commercial and organisational priorities while driving performance and robust governance as the railway moves toward Great British Railways.

In this senior role you will lead the finance and contracts & procurement teams, partner with the Route Managing Director, oversee investment decisions and

Qualifications

• Full membership of a relevant professional body with post-qualification experience.
• Strong leadership with proven success in business planning and stakeholder communication.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams on major initiatives.
• Experience in regulated environments or interfaces with government bodies.
• Experience in multiple finance disciplines within NR or external organisations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership to drive performance, efficiency and sustainability.
• Oversee financial governance, risk management and assurance with strong controls.
• Lead investment decisions, business cases and major programmes with robust appraisal.
• Build influential relationships with internal and external stakeholders for negotiations and funding.
• Inspire and develop a high-performing finance team and drive best-in-class business partnering.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial governance

Business planning

Stakeholder management

Contract & procurement

Team leadership

Education

Full professional body membership

Job description

Network Rail operates and maintains the railway infrastructure 24/7 365 days a year. Our purpose is to connect people and goods with where they need to be and our vision is for a simpler, better, greener railway.

Our North West route covers Cheshire to Cumbria, including key cities like Liverpool and Manchester, and destinations such as Blackpool and the Lake District. Major stations include Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston, and Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria

This busy region sees 1.3 million daily passengers and moves 700,000 tonnes of freight weekly, with 571 stations making up a quarter of Britain's rail network.

In the North West & Central Region, we're proud to be building a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We know that inclusive teams make better decisions, drive innovation, and help us create a safer, more accessible railway for everyone. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply.

If you're passionate about making a difference and believe you have the skills or potential to thrive in this role, we'd love to hear from you. We're committed to creating an open, supportive environment where everyone feels they belong. Your unique perspective and experience could be exactly what we need to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably. Discover more about our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail Equity, diversity and inclusion - Network Rail.

About the role

The North West Route is seeking a Finance Director who can provide strategic financial leadership across a complex operating environment, balancing customer, operational, commercial, and organisational priorities. The successful candidate will drive financial performance, support informed decision-making, and ensure robust governance and accountability as the railway transitions to Great British Rail.

No two days will be the same in this dynamic leadership role. You'll provide the necessary expertise, guidance and challenge to the Route Managing Director and their management team for the financial and commercial control of all business activities. You will also lead and motivate the finance and contracts & procurement teams to achieve world class levels of business partnering. Whilst this will be challenging, it will be professionally rewarding.

Salary and benefits:

Salary: Band 1C, starting at £116,753 and increasing to £150,696 plus car allowance and other benefits.

Generous annual leave (28 days plus bank holidays *contract type dependant), with the option to buy/sell days

Defined benefit pension scheme

75% subsidy on rail and underground season tickets

Up to 75% off leisure travel. (Discretionary)

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

Discounts at stations with your Network Rail pass

Flexible/hybrid working arrangements

Volunteer leave to make a positive impact

Healthcare Scheme, GymPass discounts, Cycle to work plus more

We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments

Network Rail adheres to a structured pay framework, any salary offered will be within the pay range advertised.

Closing date:2nd October 2026 . Late applications may not be accepted.

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

We are strengthening how we assess senior talent to set our Region up for success. Depending on the role, selection may go beyond traditional competency interviews. We will focus on your ability to demonstrate inclusive leadership and lead effectively through change as we transition to Great British Railways. Where possible we will offer a diverse interview panel for this role.

Your experience and skills

Act as a trusted advisor to the Route Managing Director, providing strategic financial leadership to drive business performance, efficiency and long-term sustainability.

Lead the route's financial and business planning activities, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and the successful delivery of operational and commercial outcomes.

Drive commercial excellence and innovation across the route, identifying opportunities to improve performance, efficiency and value for money.

Provide financial oversight of investment decisions, business cases and major programmes, ensuring robust appraisal, governance and effective allocation of resources.

Lead financial governance, risk management and assurance activities, maintaining strong controls, regulatory compliance and accountability across the organisation.

Build and maintain influential relationships with internal and external stakeholders, providing commercial expertise in negotiations, partnerships and funding opportunities.

Oversee supply chain and commercial activities, including contract performance, claims resolution and the optimisation of supplier relationships.

Inspire and develop a high-performing finance team, fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement and exceptional business partnering.

In order to be successful in this role, we would like you to have/to be:

Full membership of relevant professional body with demonstrable relevant post qualification experience

Strong functional leadership with proven success in the business planning process that requires extensive stakeholder communication and relationship management

Proven success in building and leading high performing teams on major initiatives including capital development programmes

Experience of working within a regulated environment or with an interface to government, or government owned bodies

Experience within at least 2 different finance disciplines within Network Rail and/or external organisations

Relevant experience in procurement, negotiation and the commercial management of suppliers

Strong commercial focus and experience of developing commercial strategies

We would also like but it isn't crucial to have/to be:

¿ Other relevant professional qualifications

Key Information

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full Time

Location:

Geographical Area:

North West England

Closing Date:

02-OCT-2026

Job Category:

Finance

Function:

North West & Central Region

Organisation:

SC North West Route Finance Director (NW&C) (338352) G2