Finance Director, Southern – Network Rail

Women in Rail; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Rail in London is seeking a Regional Finance Director for the Southern region to provide strategic financial leadership and drive commercial performance. You will join the senior leadership team, shaping financial priorities and investment decisions while ensuring strong governance and risk management.

You will lead a finance function, partner with business units, and build relationships with key customers, stakeholders and industry partners across the route.

Qualifications

• Strong strategic financial leadership within a large, complex organisation.
• Commercial acumen and experience of successfully managing business and P&L performance.
• Experience of driving commercial performance, revenue and value.
• The ability to challenge, support and hold senior leaders and Business Units to account for their plans and performance.
• Strong leadership across financial planning, reporting, governance, risk and assurance.
• Excellent influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams through significant organisational change.
• A strong customer focus and ability to translate financial insight into better business outcomes.
• The leadership capability to operate successfully through the transition towards GBR.
• Chartered membership of a relevant professional body.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial and commercial leadership for Southern, partnering with senior leaders.
• Lead and develop the finance team to deliver robust insight and business partnering.
• Drive financial performance, governance, risk management and value creation.
• Challenge and support senior leaders and business units on plans and performance.
• Shape long-term financial priorities and investment decisions for the region.
• Build strong relationships with customers, stakeholders and industry partners.

Skills

Strategic financial leadership

Commercial acumen

P&L management

Stakeholder management

Governance and risk

Leadership of teams

Customer focus

Change leadership

GBR transition experience

Chartered professional body

Education

Chartered membership of a relevant professional body

Job description

Key Information

Number of Positions: 1
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time
Location: London Puddle Dock, Blackfriars
Geographical Area: London (Inside M25)
Closing Date: 12-NOV-2026
Job Category: Exec/Board Member roles
Function: Southern Region
Organisation: CN Southern Region Directorate (114200) G1

Who We Are

Join the Southern Region – where your work truly matters.

Covering Wessex, Sussex, and Kent, the Southern Region is one of the busiest and most dynamic parts of the railway. Our teams keep some of the UK’s most vital passenger and freight routes moving every single day. This is a place where collaboration, innovation, and resilience are key-and where your contribution will directly impact millions of journeys. We are entering an exciting new chapter as we integrate with train operating companies under one national leadership, creating even greater opportunities to shape the future of rail. From supporting major modernisation programmes to improving performance for local communities and enhancing safety across complex operational environments, Southern offers a fast-paced, rewarding environment to grow your career and make a real difference. Click here to learn more.

ED&I Commitments

We’re committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments click here. We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we’ll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a senior finance leadership role at a pivotal time for the railway. As Regional Finance Director for Southern, you will be a key member of the senior leadership team, providing strategic financial and commercial leadership and helping to drive the performance of the business.

We are looking for an outstanding Finance Director who combines strong financial leadership with commercial acumen, P&L and business performance experience and the ability to operate as a strategic business leader.

You will provide constructive challenge and support to senior leaders and Business Units on their strategies, plans and performance, holding the business to account for delivery while helping identify solutions and opportunities for improvement.

A key focus will be on driving financial and commercial performance, increasing customer revenue and delivering value for money, alongside maintaining strong financial control, governance, risk management and assurance.

You will play a leading role in long-term strategic business planning, shaping future financial priorities and investment decisions and translating longer-term ambitions into robust, deliverable plans.

You will lead and inspire the finance team to provide high-quality insight, analysis and business partnering, enabling effective decision making and providing early visibility of risks and opportunities. You will also build strong relationships with key customers, stakeholders and industry partners.

Shaping the future

This appointment comes at an important point in the development of Great British Railways (GBR).

While the successful candidate will be appointed against the existing Regional Finance Director role and JD, the scope and responsibilities of the role may evolve as the future GBR operating model develops.

This creates a significant opportunity to help shape the future finance model and contribute to a more integrated, commercially focused railway.

Your experience and skills

What we are looking for

• Strong strategic financial leadership within a large, complex organisation
• Commercial acumen and experience of successfully managing business and P&L performance
• Experience of driving commercial performance, revenue and value
• The ability to challenge, support and hold senior leaders and Business Units to account for their plans and performance
• Strong leadership across financial planning, reporting, governance, risk and assurance
• Excellent influencing and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams through significant organisational change
• A strong customer focus and ability to translate financial insight into better business outcomes
• The leadership capability to operate successfully through the transition towards GBR
• Candidates will also need to meet the essential requirements set out in the Finance Director Region Job Description, including full chartered membership of a relevant professional body. (Full Job Description attached)

Location and working requirements

The role is based at London Puddle Dock, and you will be required to work from the office a minimum of three days per week. You must also be willing and available to travel across the route as required by the role.

Closing date

12 th November 2026. This vacancy is also being advertised externally.If we obtain enough candidates, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

We want to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity. Therefore, should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please do let us know by contacting [e-mail] , Resourcing Business Partner Support.

You can visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you’re unsure of the options available. Should you require any reasonable adjustments/modifications, please add a note to your application.