Head of Group Reporting - 6 Month FTC

Trainline; London (KY); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Dental insurance

Work from abroad policy

Share purchase plan

EV scheme

Festive time off

Family benefits

Learning budgets

Learning days

Job summary

Trainline is seeking an experienced Head of Group Reporting for a 6‑month contract to own IFRS annual and half‑year statements and oversee the external audit process.

You will lead subsidiary accounts across UK and international entities, manage cashflow forecasting, and act as the technical accounting authority on complex areas while guiding cross‑functional projects.

Qualifications

• Qualified accountant with post-qualification experience in a listed business.
• Extensive IFRS expertise and strong technical accounting grounding.
• Experience advising listed groups on complex technical matters (Director level or above).
• Experience researching and implementing new accounting or reporting standards.
• Proven people management and leadership skills.
• Strong analytical and thorough approach to financial information.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to Paris and Edinburgh.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of producing the Group's IFRS annual and half-yearly statements and annual report.
• Lead the year-end and half-year external audit processes and prepare Audit Committee papers.
• Oversee subsidiary statutory accounts across UK and international entities.
• Own the Group's cashflow forecasting and provide liquidity insights to senior stakeholders.
• Serve as the Group's technical accounting authority on complex areas and new standards.
• Lead cross‑functional projects and support monthly reporting and budgeting.
• Build external relationships with auditors, lenders and banking partners.
• Maintain and develop accounting policies and strengthen the control environment.

Education

Professional accounting qualification

Job description

About us

We are champions of rail, inspired to build a greener, more sustainable future of travel. Trainline enables millions of travellers to find and book the best value tickets across carriers, fares, and journey options through our highly rated mobile app, website, and B2B partner channels.

Great journeys start with Trainline

Now Europe’s number 1 downloaded rail app, with over 135 million monthly visits and £6.3 billion in annual ticket sales, we collaborate with 270+ rail and coach companies in over 40 countries. We want to create a world where travel is as simple, seamless, eco-friendly and affordable as it should be.

Today, we’re a FTSE 250 company driven by our incredible team of over 1,000 Trainliners from 50+ nationalities, based across London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Edinburgh and Madrid. With our focus on growth in the UK and Europe, now is the perfect time to join us on this high-speed journey.

Introducing the Trainline Group Reporting Team

As a fast moving FTSE 250 business, we’re looking for an experienced and technically excellent Head of Group Reporting to join us for a 6 month contract. This is a senior role at the heart of our external reporting and financial control framework, calling for deep IFRS expertise and the confidence to navigate complex and judgemental accounting areas. It’s a role that goes beyond a typical Group Reporting position, suited to someone who thrives in a varied, fast paced environment, is always ready to get involved, and loves learning new things. Our business changes daily, so we need someone who stays close to the operational side of things and can help us respond quickly and effectively.

Technical rigour is non‑negotiable here. You’ll be the go‑to person for complex and judgemental accounting questions, expected to research positions thoroughly, form a clear view, and defend it with auditors and advisors, while translating that thinking into clear, accessible communication for senior non‑financial stakeholders. You’ll also bring commercial awareness, particularly around cashflow, liquidity and capital, along with the analytical instinct to spot when the numbers don’t add up.

In this role as the Head of Group Reporting, you will…

• Take ownership of producing the Group's IFRS annual and half yearly listed financial statements and annual report.
• Lead the year end and half year external audit and review processes end to end, keeping key stakeholders informed and preparing and presenting Audit Committee papers.
• Oversee the production and filing of subsidiary statutory accounts across our UK and international entities.
• Own the Group's cashflow forecasting process, providing insight and analysis on liquidity, capital allocation and capital structure to support CFO and Board decision making, working closely with treasury on execution.
• Act as the Group's primary technical accounting authority, researching and forming well reasoned positions on complex and judgemental areas, implementing new standards, and presenting conclusions to senior management, the Audit Committee, auditors and advisors.
• Take the lead on one off projects, partnering with teams across the business, while contributing to monthly reporting, annual budgeting, and ownership of specific balance sheet, cashflow and working capital areas.
• Build and support strong external relationships, including with auditors, loan providers and banking partners, and work closely with legal and CoSec to ensure reporting requirements are met on time.
• Lead Finance's contribution to the Group's material controls framework under Provision 29, maintain and develop the Group's accounting policies including for acquisitions and legal structure changes, and guide reporting systems and process change to protect the integrity of our control environment.

We'd love to hear from you if you have…

• You’re a qualified accountant with significant post qualification experience, including meaningful time spent in industry within a listed business, and are comfortable with the reporting obligations and scrutiny that come with that environment; you have a consistent record of delivering to deadline.
• You bring extensive IFRS expertise and a strong technical accounting grounding, confident researching and forming defensible positions on complex areas such as multi‑currency consolidations, share based payments, EPS, impairment, revenue recognition, leases and business combinations.
• If you’re currently in practice, you’d be operating at Director level or above, with substantial experience advising listed groups on complex technical matters and be ready to step into a senior in‑house leadership role.
• You have experience researching and implementing new accounting or reporting standards.
• You’re analytical and thorough when reviewing financial information, quick to spot errors in accounting treatment or anomalies that don’t add up.
• You have proven people management experience, with a track record of leading, motivating and developing high performing teams across multiple disciplines.
• You’re an excellent project manager, organised in your own workload while confident delegating and developing others, equally comfortable working independently or as part of a team.
• You’re ambitious and driven, energised by a fast paced environment, always ready to get involved in team projects and try new things; it would be helpful if you’re open to occasional travel to our Paris and Edinburgh offices.

More information

• private healthcare & dental insurance
• a generous work from abroad policy
• 2-for-1 share purchase plans
• an EV Scheme to further reduce carbon emissions
• extra festive time off
• excellent family-friendly benefits
• personal learning budgets
• regular learning days

Enjoy fantastic perks like private healthcare & dental insurance, a generous work from abroad policy, 2-for-1 share purchase plans, an EV Scheme to further reduce carbon emissions, extra festive time off, and excellent family-friendly benefits.

We prioritise career growth with clear career paths, transparent pay bands, personal learning budgets, and regular learning days. Jump on board and supercharge your career from day one!

We’re operating a hybrid model and ask that Trainliners work from the office a minimum of 60% of their time over a 12-week period. We also have a 28-day Work from Abroad policy.

Our values represent the things that matter most to us and what we live and breathe everyday, in everything we do:

• Think Big - We’re building the future of rail
• Own It - We focus on every customer, partner and journey
• Travel Together - We’re one team
• Do Good - We make a positive impact

We know that having a diverse team makes us better and helps us succeed. And we mean all forms of diversity - gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality and diversity of thought. That’s why we’re committed to creating inclusive places to work, where everyone belongs and differences are valued and celebrated.

Interested in finding out more about what it’s like to work at Trainline? Why not check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and Glassdoor!