Senior Finance Business Partner (York, London or Derby)

Network Rail; York; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

A major transportation authority is seeking a Senior Finance Business Partner to join their Eastern finance team. You will lead finance processes and provide strategic financial guidance while engaging with senior stakeholders. Candidates should have a strong financial background, experience in managing risks and budgets, and be educated in accounting or finance. This position offers a salary between £55,596 and £65,966 per annum, with excellent benefits including flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

28 days annual leave + bank holidays

75% discount on rail leisure travel

Healthcare package

Qualifications

• Membership of a relevant accounting body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW).
• Experience working in a complex financial environment.
• Ability to interpret commercial and financial landscapes.

Responsibilities

• Review and provide guidance on financial results and forecasts.
• Give professional recommendations on accounting guidelines.
• Develop, understand and influence relevant cost drivers.

Skills

Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills

Managing business risks

Budget management

Decision-making skills

Technical financial knowledge

Education

Degree in accounting, finance, or business management

Tools

Oracle systems

Job description

About Network Rail

Join Our Team at Network Rail!
Vacancy: Senior Finance Business Partner
Location: York, London or Derby (Flexible within Eastern Region)
Salary: £55,596 to £65,966 per annum
Role Type: Permanent, Full time

Are you ready to make a difference in people\'s lives? At Network Rail, we connect passengers and freight customers, ensuring safe and efficient transportation across the country. We\'re an organisation where people truly matter, and when you join us, you matter to us and millions of others. Click here to watch our inspiring video to learn more about us!

We\'re dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the passengers we serve. To achieve this, we\'re committed to becoming an open, diverse, and inclusive workplace, leveraging the skills and expertise of our talented workforce. Together, we strive to create a safe and accessible railway for everyone. Discover more about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion at Network Rail by clicking here.

Investing in our people is key to enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our railway system. If you\'re passionate about making a meaningful impact, then this opportunity is for you!

At Network Rail you will also have a clear development path with access to training and additional qualifications. In joining Network Rail, you\'re not only joining an organisation with a vital role to play for the country, but also a team of more than 40,000 people, and a business dedicated to being one of Britain\'s best employers.

Network Rail Benefits

• 28 days annual leave + bank holidays
• 75% discount on rail leisure travel for you and your family
• 75% subsidised Season Ticket for work travel (includes Underground)
• A range of pension options
• Annual Performance Related Pay package
• Flexible and agile working arrangements
• Healthcare package
• Discounts on shopping
• Discounted Gym memberships and much more

For the full range of our fantastic benefits click here.

Brief Description

Exciting opportunity to be an integral part of Eastern finance team, leading the 4 Routes and Capital Programme finance teams through the Rolling Forecast process and period end process.

Bit about the role:

• A chance to be part of the Region finance team, providing support and challenge to Route and Capital Delivery finance teams and liaising with Group Finance colleagues to set the Eastern framework for reporting and delivering these key business processes.
• Opportunity for high exposure within the role to Eastern Exec, preparing and presenting financial results as well as representing Eastern in multiple Group Finance forums.
• Role is also uniquely positioned to devise innovative and insightful analysis to drive improved business performance across the Region.

This is a great role for those who want experience working in the Region that comes with a lot of wider business exposure and those who enjoy setting a structured environment for others to work in.

About the role (External)

Key Accountabilities

1. Consolidate, critically review and provide technical advice and guidance on periodic financial results and forecasts to identify and monitor risks, opportunities and efficiencies to minimise the financial and legal impact on the business area.
2. Provide robust professional recommendations and financial guidance on accounting guidelines and standards to enable the business to be financially and legally compliant.
3. Provide technical and professional oversight of the periodic accounts, relevant analysis and preparation of business plans and budgets to enable the business to make effective decisions.
4. Develop, understand and influence the cost and income drivers relevant to the business area to deliver the yearly business plan and manage to the overall settlement by effective decision making.
5. Influence, coach and challenge senior budget holders in understanding the impact of their period results and forecasts against budgets in order to manage their business more effectively and manage within budgeting limits.
6. Proactively challenge budget holders plans and budget submissions to understand the overall plan, providing advice and new initiatives to save costs and be more efficient as an organisation.
7. Drive, adapt and deliver key KPI\'S and deliverables for the function, highlighting any significant issues and trends with financial and other business results to aid decision makers to make efficiencies.
8. Lead in budget holder key meetings on financial performance to provide professional financial advice and guidance to drive business decisions, minimise risk and deliver good corporate governance.
9. Develop, drive and implement investment decisions and new business activities, working collaboratively with senior leaders to explore new opportunities and drive business performance.

Essential

• Membership (or working towards membership) of a relevant accounting body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW) or equivalent experience
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills all levels. This should include Customers; 3rd party representatives, other business & functional leaders and key support personnel.
• Successful relevant experience working in a complex financial environment including demonstrable experience in managing business risks, professional financial control and forward planning.
• Demonstrable record of budget management, governance and ability to understand and interpret commercial and financial landscapes (budgets, forecasts, actual status).
• Significant experience in managing ambiguity in a financial environment with strong evaluation and decision-making skills.
• Excellent technical Financial and Accounting knowledge and application of that knowledge in a complex and commercial environment.
• Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline, for example accounting and finance, business management or equivalent demonstrable experience in finance

Desirable

• Full membership of relevant post graduate professional body (CIMA/ACCA/ICAEW)
• Experience of Oracle based systems
• Substantial experience within multiple finance disciplines
• Knowledge and technical expertise of Government accounting and relevant financial governance
• Understanding of project management principles and experience of managing complex projects to successful conclusion.

Please note: Applicants must provide proof of essential qualifications and/or competencies where required, or demonstrate active progress toward obtaining them, or evidence their applicable experience as a condition of employment.

External how to apply

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor.

We are a Disability Confident Leader employer! We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

We are here to support you through every step of the recruitment process and to enable you to perform to the best of your ability. If you require any adjustments or modifications please contact Mark Holt (Resourcing Business Partner) at [e-mail]. You can also visit Evenbreak\'s Career Hive for advice on accessibility support if you\'re unsure of the options available.

We positively embrace flexible working, recognising that employees may wish to balance work with their family and home life.

Network Rail Benefits - To find out about what benefits we offer, click here

Network Rail is required to comply with UK Government standards when carrying out pre-employment checks for all new starters; this includes a basic criminal record check. In addition to the basic criminal record check, in accordance with the UK Government we are also required to verify your identity, right to work in the UK and previous three years employment history.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information. Please ensure you have the appropriate Right to Work status when applying for this role.

Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety and awareness of our safety vision.

Network Rail can offer you a rewarding career with competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of contributory pension schemes, a generous annual leave package, a bonus scheme and an annual 75% subsidy on season tickets costing up to £3,333 (to a maximum amount of £2,500). You will also be entitled to 28 days annual leave

Salary: £55,596 to £65,966 per annum.

*Employees will be entitled to a 75% discount off leisure travel, this includes off peak and super off peak tickets*

***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.****

Closing date: 10th October 2025. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.