Project Finance Lead - Capital %26 Investment

BAE Systems; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense and aerospace company is looking for a Project Finance Lead to join their hybrid team in Warton. This role involves driving business performance through financial analysis and reporting, maintaining financial integrity across projects, and developing team members. Candidates should be fully qualified accountants with strong communication and Excel skills. The company also offers a competitive benefits package including health plans and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Discounted health and lifestyle benefits

Annual incentive eligibility

Qualifications

• Must be a fully qualified accountant, CIMA, ACA, ICAEW, or ACCA.
• Strong influencing and communication skills with stakeholders.
• Experience in team support and development.

Responsibilities

• Produce timely financial actuals and insightful business intelligence.
• Support accurate reporting including management reports.
• Maintain robust financial control and ensure integrity.

Skills

Fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACA, ICAEW, or ACCA)

Ability to influence and communicate effectively

Experience in supporting and developing teams

Advanced Excel and MS Office proficiency

Tools

Power BI

Power Query

Job description

Job Title: Project Finance Lead - Capital & Investment

Location: Warton - We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: £56,766+

What you’ll be doing:

• Drive business performance by producing timely financial actuals, insightful interpretation, and business intelligence to support strategy-making and deliver remarkable project performance
• Support accurate and timely reporting, including monthly management reports, capital and investment project outputs, quarterly performance reviews, and balance sheet updates, providing specialist interpretation and insight
• Support the full project lifecycle, from initial setup and forecasting through to reporting, analysis, and project closure, ensuring financial integrity throughout
• Maintain robust financial control in line with governance frameworks and finance policies, working closely with Finance Control and Governance teams, and supporting both internal and external audits.
• Advocate process improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline project finance operations and contributing to Finance Modernisation and digital reporting measures
• Support system enhancement and digital adoption, helping shape the UK Finance Systems strategy, ensuring project finance requirements are met, and promoting a data-driven culture
• Develop and coach team members, fostering collaboration, aligning skills with business needs, and building relationships across Finance, Capital & Investment teams, and wider functional areas

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Fully qualified accountant (CIMA, ACA, ICAEW, or ACCA – AAT not accepted)
• Ability to influence and communicate effectively with stakeholders and cross-functional teams
• Experience in supporting and developing teams
• Advanced Excel and MS Office proficiency

Desirable Skills:

• Experience using Power BI or Power Query for analysis and reporting
• Background in project accounting or financial project support

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Air Project Finance Capability Centre Team:

Join our Air Project Finance Capability Centre, a cornerstone of financial excellence within BAE Systems Air Sector. The team of around 150 finance professionals provides end-to-end project finance support across the Air portfolio, from advanced technology contracts to major production and world-class support programmes. Working at the heart of a through-life business, the team delivers best-in-class financial planning, analysis, and insight to enable effective strategy-making and drive sustainable performance. With a focus on consistency, digital transformation, and continuous improvement, the team is shaping the future of project finance through smarter data use, modernised systems, and a culture of “right first time” delivery.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Closing Date: 12th January 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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