Finance Lead

Finance Lead

National Salary: £61,940 - £68,959 & London Salary: £66,748 - £73,442

Location :Birmingham, Leeds, London

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Do you enjoy building and establishing relations with a wide range of senior stakeholders?

Are you an excellent communicator that confidently breaks down financial messages into understandable terms?

Would you like the opportunity to work and negotiate with high value contracts that have political interest?

If so, we are looking for an experienced finance professional to join our team, and we would love to hear from you!

Job description

As Finance Lead, you will utilise your financial expertise to provide day to day commercial and financial advice to commercial teams who plan, specify, procure and manage rail contracts.

You will be supporting two Passenger Services commercial teams and leading on the financial aspects of the commercial management of current contracts and projects including analysis, assessment and forecasting.

This senior finance role involves extensive stakeholder management with senior leaders, Ministers, legal, technical, and financial specialists and leading virtual, multidisciplinary teams.

The Covid-19 pandemic completely altered the financial landscape of the rail industry. Revenues are now only a fraction of their pre-COVID levels.  The normal financial mechanics of franchise contracts were suspended under Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs), and subsequently Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs), between the Department for Transport (DfT) and train operators. These are now being replaced with directly awarded National Rail Contracts.

Although revenues are recovering, the focus of our Passenger Service directorate has shifted to:

• Supporting the rebuilding and redevelopment of rail services and the return of passengers to the network
• Implementing the reforms outlined in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail
• Developing new contracts focused on the passenger and restarting competitive procurement of the former rail franchises with the new Passenger Service Contract model.

In this role, your key responsibilities will include:

• Utilising data on the financial aspects of the commercial management of current contracts and projects
• Developing, modelling, and contributing to the long-term forecasting of rail contracts and related projects across the Rail portfolio
• Providing full financial due diligence across a range of submissions and business cases
• Developing and presenting financial findings and analysis at DfT board level meetings and approval committees
• Active interrogation of the Annual Business Plan / Quarterly Forecasts and understanding how this interface and manifest in the financial outcomes in commercial models
• Responsible for the day-today relationship with the Train Operating Companies Finance Directors
• Line Management responsibilities for a team of four.

You will have the option to be based either in London attracting the London pay scale, or in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the national pay scale. Occasional travel will be required to attend meetings with Train Operating Companies (TOC) and at our London Office.

Person specification

About you

You will be a fully qualified financial professional with experience of collecting, analysing and interpreting commercial and technical information, and presenting results in a meaningful way to a range of audiences. You will have a broad understanding of key financial metrics to apply accurate assessment and forecasting.

You will be an engaging leader with excellent interpersonal skills to build positive relationships with internal teams, specialist advisers and senior leaders within and outside of the Department.

You will demonstrate an understanding of market and commercial drivers and the ability to develop strategies to exploit these, considering financial, legal and commercial implications.

You will have a high degree of personal resilience, and the capability to maintain performance levels under challenging circumstances.

Additional information

A minimum of 40% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. 

Qualifications

You will be fully qualified with CCAB, CIMA or IFAC equivalent, and you will need to provide evidence that you meet this criteria during the application process.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

For more information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button below.