About Network Rail

At Network Rail, our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter. Watch our video to find out more!

Scotland's Railway is part of this large family, and it covers a large geographical area from the Borders to Thurso at the far tip of the North East of Scotland, accounting for almost 20 per cent of the UK rail network. We provide rapid access along busy commuter routes to our seven cities, servicing the varied needs of our business and leisure commuter services, including cross border services and rural services. We have up to 50 freight services operating every day and we are steadily building capacity for this to grow. Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users, drives us every day and we're empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues and protecting safety and wellbeing.

Our colleagues are encouraged to work flexibly as we know that busy lives don't always fit around a traditional working pattern, if you need flexibility to complete your role just let us know and we will do our upmost to help you to invest in your career with us while balancing other aspects of your life.

We're also a Disability Confident Leader employer and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles.

We want to help deliver a railway which is safe, reliable, affordable and that provides great customer service to everyone. For more information about Network Rail click here

Brief Description

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of Scotland's Railway as we move into a new business funding cycle. As part of Network Rail's regional finance function, you will be part of a driven team at the very heart of the business whose impeccable standards ensure our ultimate success. We have several fantastic opportunities to join our team as a finance business partner, with roles available in support of several different arms of our organisation. As an organisation we have established hybrid and flexible working arrangements to make your work life balance more enjoyable. Your experience in delivering business partnering services will mean you can support business decisions regarding the costing and execution of projects as well as day-to-day operational running costs, delivering excellent value for money for the taxpayer and inspiring confidence in our regulator and funder. Applying scrutiny to expenditure, you will interrogate costs, integrate efficiency targets to planning and spending decisions, and identify opportunities to maximise revenue. You will be supporting our business leadership team, under the direction of the financial controller/senior finance business partner, to deliver professional finance and accounting advice.
As one of our finance business partners you will have the opportunity to be involved in analysing operational expenditure as well as capital projects to ensure the portfolios are in line with Network Rail's policies on governance, particularly regarding reporting on costs, volumes, and accruals. You will positively challenge senior leaders, budgets, and business activities to enable the best business outcomes are delivered.

About the role (External)

Here are some of the duties your role will include: -

• Lead and provide financial advice and guidance to senior budget holders in understanding the impact of the period results and forecasts against budges so they can understand their business better.

• Be the expert in the function on accounting practices and advise on financial results and forecasts for budget holders, including preparing period accruals, transfers and adjustments to validate accounts are reflective, relevant.

• Manage corporate governance throughout the cost centres they manage, conducting deep dives and reviewing compliance with financial regulations to protect the business from legal or negative consequences.

• Deliver expert and accurate business review information and reporting and highlight any significant issues with financial and other business results to enable informed decision making by the business area.

• Engage and influence senior members of the team to help them understand their financial position and use professional expertise to guide in initiatives to improve business performance.

• Build bottom up, detailed plans to manage and develop the production of business plans and budgets to enable good corporate governance and value add analysis for senior leaders

• Identify and proactively manage commercial risks, including the financial suitability of new customers or suppliers reducing the potential risk impact on the business area and influencing decision makers.

• Manage the performance of central accounting functions to deliver for the cost centre area to enable an efficiently and effective accounting service.

• Collate, investigate and make recommendation for investment appraisals and business case analysis to aid business decisions.

• Model and analyse cost base and identify and drive opportunities and efficiencies to achieve area targets.

What you will bring to the role: -

• Demonstrate strong understanding of business needs and relevant application of accounting standards

• Membership (Or working towards a membership) of a relevant accounting body (CIMA/ACCA)

• Expert knowledge and experience of creating and maintaining accounts and annual budget

• Significant experience within relevant finance disciplines

• Strong excel skills and use of data manipulation

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

• Ability to interpret technical accounting regulations into everyday language

• Demonstrable effective influencing skills at a senior level

• Significant understanding of financial control and risk

• Excellent technical finance and accounting knowledge

It's desirable if you have it to help give you context to the role: -

• Understanding of project management principles and experience of managing complex projects

• Membership of a relevant accounting body

• Extensive experience of Oracle based systems

• Degree or equivalent qualification in finance and accounting or business management or experience

How to apply (External)

Salary: Starting at £43,588 and rising to £49,037 per annum.

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

Closing date: 30.04.2025.

Please get your application in as soon as possible, we may close the advert before the listed closing date if we receive enough applications. Late applications will not be accepted.

Click 'apply now' to apply.

We're dedicated to creating an inclusive environment and we welcome applications from everyone!

Network Rail is a Disability Confident Leader and we'll try our best to adapt the process and offer a reasonable alternative to help support people with disabilities access, apply and interview for roles. You can visit Evenbreak's 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.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information

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 demonstrate your personal dedication to safety on your application.

Network Rail operates, maintains and develops Britain's railway infrastructure managing 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and thousands of signals, level crossings and stations.