Financial Controller

**Financial Controller**

**York (Hybrid)**

Arriva is one of the largest transport services organisations in Europe, employing some 44,000 people and delivering more than 2.2 billion passenger journeys across 13 European countries every year. We provide a range of high quality, good value transport solutions, and we are always looking for new ways to improve our customer journeys, while reducing the impact of transport on the environment.

Grand Central is just one of the fantastic businesses within the Arriva UK Trains (AUKT) portfolio, Grand Central (GC) is an open-access train operator linking the North East and West Yorkshire with London. We provide the smaller communities on the East Coast Main Line with direct access to London, at affordable prices.
- Responding to the challenges of Covid, and showing our resilience, Grand Central are now looking to build back stronger, as such we have an exciting opportunity for a talented and ambitious Financial Controller to work with the senior leadership team to deliver the business recovery plan.

This role is strategically important to ensure that the business recovery plan is monitored and delivered through strong financial leadership, control and direction.

Reporting to the AUKT Finance & Business Development Director, this is a full-time permanent opportunity based in York with flexible working arrangements.
- In this role you will oversee and be fully accountable for the financial affairs of Grand Central ensuring all accounting, reporting, compliance, and audit work is completed accurately and on time.

Accountable for the delivery, development and monitoring of the GC Recovery Plan, strategically positioning GC to deliver a return to sustainable profit growth

Lead and partner with the Grand Central Senior Management Team to deliver the MTP and GC Recovery Plan

Work with the Senior Management team to identify strategic risks and opportunities and ensure plans are robust, monitored and delivered

Work closely with the AUKT Finance Director to carefully manage Arriva and DB stakeholders. Providing up to date, accurate and relevant management information

Lead the finance team, compliance and procurement activities to ensure appropriate and effective, compliance, controls, processes and procedures are in place to monitor, govern and drive business performance.

Oversee the financial planning and reporting cycles ensuring delivery of robust, timely and high quality annual and longer-term financial plans and periodic/monthly management accounts (P&L, BS and CF).

Anticipate and deliver clear, accurate, relevant and timely financial management information and KPIs to GC Management Board, GC Senior Management Team and Arriva UK Trains divisional team providing insight to underlying performance issues to support business decision making.

Oversee a comprehensive financial and corporate governance assurance process incorporating risk and opportunity management, audit (internal and external) and compliance and assurance.

Oversee strategic procurement, contract management, (re-tendering and contract variations) supplier accreditation, risk assessments, audits and benchmarking/value for money exercises as well as day-to-day procurement management and administration activities.

Partner with the Head of Business Development and Programs to create and execute the overall business development strategy to develop open access in the most commercially and operationally viable manner to include additional services, new routes and additional rolling stock.

Actively contribute to GC’s, AUKT’s and Arriva’s success by enabling reciprocal sharing of information and best practice and using knowledge and expertise to support cross Arriva projects and transformation to enhance the delivery of GC and Group objectives.

Continually develop and strengthen the Finance and Compliance teams to build capabilities, skills and resilience. Focusing on talent and succession planning, as well as team wellbeing

Strong leadership skills
- Ability to lead teams, influence decision making and deliver results
- A qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, ACMA or equivalent) with significant post qualification experience in senior finance roles

Commercially strong and technically competent in order to lead, support and respond to the demands and needs of the business, AUKT and Group

Detailed business understanding and a proven track record in financial accounting, planning, analysis and reporting.
- Experience of working in a commercial, operational environment

Strong working knowledge of the corporate financial regulatory and legislative environment and how it impacts on financial and governance procedures together with an intrinsic ability to deliver the required reporting standards

Demonstrable experience of business development, business leadership and change management

Excellent working knowledge of procurement and contract management matters.
- Ability to work in a pressurised team env