Head of Financial Control and Reporting

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

Your main responsibilities will be:

Areas of responsibility

• Through the Senior Financial Operations Manager responsible for the areas of Accounts Recievable, Accounts Payable, Treasury, UK SoX and Internal Audit, Retail Accounting (FSS), indirect and direct tax compliance and Financial Systems Development and management.
• Through the Financial Reporting Manager responsible for the areas of management accounting (balance sheet & cash flow), Accounting judgements and implementation of accounting policies, financial planning activities on the balance sheet and cash flow, Financial Accounting, External audit and Statutory reporting.

Accounts Receivable

• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that all supplemental revenue / income streams are converted into cash.
• Responsible for delivery of accurate and timely reporting on our Debtor ledger and facilitating the actions of the team to resolve issues.
• Responsible for promoting the profile of the accounts receivable team within the business and facilitating stakeholder relationship development.
• Responsible for ensuring that the sales order to cash receipt process is clearly understood by the team and stakeholders and that the organisation is kept up to date of changes to said process.

Accounts Payable

• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that purchase to pay policy is adhered to.
• Responsible for delivery of accurate and timely reporting on our Creditors ledger and facilitating the actions of the team to resolve issues. For example, supplier payment terms reporting etc.
• Responsible for delivery of accurate and timely reporting on our GRIR ledger and facilitating the actions of the team to resolve For example, aged items, invoice discrepancy and matching issues.
• Responsible for delivery of accurate and timely reporting on open purchase order and facilitating the actions of the team to resolve issues. For example, non-receipt, incorrect coding (GL, Profit Center, IWO, Asset code etc).
• Responsible for promoting the profile of the accounts payable team within the business and facilitating stakeholder relationship development.
• Responsible for ensuring that the purchase to pay process is clearly understood by the team and stakeholders and that the organisation is kept up to date of changes to said process.

Treasury

• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that treasury policy is adhered to.
• Responsible for ensuring bank mandate holders and authorisation limits are held in line delegation of authority.
• Overseeing the management of the placement of cash deposit to maximise SWR's interest  gain.
• Responsible for promoting the profile of the treasury team within the business and facilitating stakeholder relationship development.
• Responsible for ensuring that the treasury process is clearly understood by the team and stakeholders and that the organisation is kept up to date of changes to said process.

Internal Audit and SOX

• Responsible for developing and maintaining all UK SoX documentation, Process Flows, Process Notes, RACMs, control matrices etc.
• Responsible for the development, management, administration and communication of Delegation of Financial Authorities.
• Responsible for the management of the programme and delivery of internal Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for management of the programme and delivery of UK SoX control checks and self assessment. Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for the delivery of accurate and timely UK SoX reporting to stakeholders.

Retail Accounting (FSS)

• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that retail accounting policy is adhered to.
• Responsible for the management of the programme and delivery of station Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for the management of the programme and delivery of envoy Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for the management of the cash collection Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for the management of the payment card information compliance Including development and oversight of process improvement to address actions.
• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that transactions through LENNON are processed correctly.

Indirect and Direct Tax Compliance

• Responsible for embedding a robust and efficient control environment that ensures that compliant with indirect and direct tax legislation.
• Working closely with First Group Tax team to evaluate our indirect and direct tax positions.
• Responsible for reconciliation of Corporation Tax accounts.
• Responsible for reconciliation of VAT accounts.
• Responsible for the preparation of the PSA submission.

Financial Systems Development and Management

• Responsible for maintenance and development of the SAP ECC system.
• Responsible for maintenance and development of the Concur system.
• Responsible for maintenance and development of the Neptune system.
• Responsible for maintenance and development of the SAP BPC system.

Financial Reporting

Management Accounting

• Responsibility for preparation of the Company level Balance Sheet and Cash Flow on a periodic basis.
• Responsible for preparation of Balance Sheet and Cash Flow presentations to the Board, Finance Executive Steering Group.
• Responsible for preparation of Balance Sheet and Cash Flow presentations to the First Rail Holdings and MTR. Ensuring the results are submitted into the Group reporting system (Hyperion or Onestream).
• Responsible for managing preparation of periodic Balance Sheet and Cash Flow presentations to the Department for Transport.
• Responsible for managing preparation of the Annual Financial Information submission to the Department for Transport.
• Responsible for managing preparation of Balance Sheet and Cash Flow variance analysis and bridging.

Accounting Judgements

• Responsible for ensuring that appropriate support is provided for accounting judgements and that judgmental areas are reviewed and updated every quarter.

Financial Planning

Annual Business Plan

• Responsible for managing the preparation and delivery of forward looking plans for working capital requirements, cash flow and balance sheet.
• Responsible for ensuring that the assumptions on which have forward looking forecasts have been based are appropriate and clearly documented.

Quarterly Forecasting

• Responsible for managing the updates to the forward looking plans for working capital requirements, cash flow and balance sheet
• Responsible for ensuring that the assumptions on which have forward looking forecasts have been based are appropriate and clearly documented.

Weekly Cash Flow Forecasting

• Responsible for managing the preparation of the 13 week daily cash flow forward look forecast.
• Responsible for managing the preparation of the weekly cash flow reporting to FRH Division.

Group Reporting Submissions

• Ensure the Budget / Forecasts are submitted into the Group reporting system (Hyperion or Onestream).

Forecasting & Budgeting Tools

• Responsible for managing the implementation of the Cash Flow and Balance Sheet BPC Module and its continued development.

Financial Accounting

• Ownership and monitoring of adherence to the period close timeline.
• Periodic review of trial balance and key balance sheet accounts before the closing down of period end.
• Manage the preparation of the balance sheet and cashflow for period end.

Balance Sheet Reconciliations

• Responsible for managing the balance sheet reconciliation review process.
• Responsible for managing the preparation of the periodic balance sheet checklist and exceptions listing.
• Responsible for managing the preparation of balance sheet reconciliations, and reconciliation of semi-automated interfaces (Payroll, Lennon, Infor).

Intercompany

• Responsible for management of the intercompany process, ensuring all intercompany charges received or raised are supported by affiliate agreements, within budget and coded to the correct intercompany general ledger codes.
• Responsible for ensuring all intercompany invoices, accruals and other transactions are reconciled with the counterparty and that reconciling items are resolved promptly.
• Work with the Financial Controlling Team to ensure that all Intercompany purchase invoices received have been raised on purchase orders with the correct coding (GL, PC, IWOs).
• Work with the Financial Controlling Team to ensure that all Intercompany sales invoices have been raised with the correct coding and that these are being settled by the counterparty.

NRC Creditor / Debtor Account Management

• Responsible for management of the NRC Debtor / Creditor account. Reconciling cash received / paid versus the DfT payment letters. Ensuring cash allocation per the payment letter is correct and in line with our Advise the credit control and treasury assistant on account allocations. Posting periodic PADJ journal to correct Cost Subsidy and Revenue Payments from the latest escrow schedule of payments to the actual costs incurred / revenues received in accordance with the funding mechanism.

Inventory

• Responsible for overseeing the reconciliation of Inventory per SAP versus Inventory per Working closely with the engineering team, management accounting team and the Finance Business Partner team to understand and resolve reconciling differences.

External Audit

• Management of the External Audit and Statutory Reporting Processes.
• Production and delivery of the Statutory accounts, ORR Levy, AAR and other external financial reporting.

Other

• Support the department to deliver purchase order management and goods receipting training to all Directorate budget holders.
• Guide and assist the business on compliance with and implementation of Financial Policies.
• Supplementary reports and ad-hoc analysis requests.

You'll need to be:

• Fully Qualified accountant with significant PQE in a similar role.
• Sound financial accounting experience and people management experience.
• A self-starter with finance experience.
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills.
• Effective and proven negotiation skills with ability to influence decision making.
• Confident in Excel, Word and SAP/SAP BI/SAP BPC an advantage.
• Qualified Accountant CIMA &/or ACCA.

Solving Problems and Making Decisions – Level 4

• Makes complex decisions for which there may not be set guidelines.
• Tackles difficult problems and takes the right action to resolve them.
• Recognises the type of decision to be made in the situation and tailors approach accordingly.
• Perseveres in solving a problem despite possible setbacks.
• Provides guidance and suggested courses of action to others that are responsible for decision making.
• Shares lessons learned from experiences in order for others to develop.
• Leads others to solve problems and encourages innovative thinking.

Leadership Capability – Level 4

• Demonstrates that they are a positive leadership role model in the business across a number of business goals.
• Leads the development of strategy for their business area and engages the team in achieving it.
• Creates an environment where people want and feel able to do their best.
• Creates a culture of empowerment that enables teams to lead and deliver through their people or others.

Communicating with and Understanding Others – Level 4

• Presents information that influences others to accept key conclusions and frequently persuades others to take action.
• Adapts content, style, tone and medium to suit target audience.
• Takes other perspectives into account and proactively adapts communication to consider them.
• Encourages an open environment where feedback is given and received positively and constructively.
• Demonstrates a keen ability to recognise when others are not understanding messages and adapts style accordingly.
• Delivers potentially unpopular messages to teams or groups with sensitivity.
• Takes a strategic view on what communications are required within their role or project.

Building Effective Teams – Level 4

• Develops strategies for managing poor performance and developing talented people to deliver continuous improvement for the team.
• Understands the benefits of building a balanced team and takes appropriate steps to achieve this.
• Identifies positive opportunities to implement resource changes across teams.
• Proactively manages succession in order to maintain consistency as a minimum but ideally to improve team output.
• Creates structures that enables and encourages teams to interact and work together.

Efficiency – Level 4

• Actively ensures overall business efficient deliver in their business area'
• Participates in planning of budgets and influences strategic decisions that affect the efficiency of the business.
• Empowers others to be creative and efficient in managing their resources.
• Coaches others to improve efficiency in their area.
• Proactively identifies and implements business affecting changes.
• Considers whole life impact of local initiatives on their and other business areas.
• Creates compelling business cases, even if the benefit is not immediately obvious (e.g. financial).

Collaborative Working – Level 4

• Leads by example in building and managing relationships, supporting and encouraging others to achieve objectives.
• Manages conflict in a positive manner, breaking down barriers between teams and and individuals.
• Provides honest, respectful and constructive feedback to strengthen relationships.
• Seeks opportunities to enhance functional reputation with stakeholders (internal and external).
• Provides guidance and advice where appropriate. 
• Encourages others to share experience, knowledge and best practice amongst teams and colleagues.

Managing Risk – Level 3

• Proactively undertakes risk assessments and identifies and manages potential risk.
• Determines appropriate mitigations for risks.
• Identifies trends in the risk profile and puts in place actions for effective management.
• Offers guidance and support to help others manage and resolve risk.
• Monitors controls and compliance, taking action when needed.
• Formulates contingency plans.
• Monitors trends in close calls to proactively reduce risk.

Application of Policies and Procedures – Level 4

• Provides advice and support to others on policy and procedure.
• Seeks opportunities to use it to improve their business area.
• Works in partnership with subject matter experts to ensure policy is applied correctly.
• Ensures that team understand policy and procedure and consistently apply it when required.
• Reviews the application of policy and procedure in their business area.
• Provides feedback to others on their application of policy and procedure.

Customer Focus – Level 3

• Leads customer service delivery in their business area.
• Monitors and feeds back on customer service delivery.
• Adjusts their approach based on customer and business needs.
• Considers their customer as part of their decision making and encourages others to do the same.
• Encourages others to consider the customer in their decision making.
• Learns and shares lessons learned from customer feedback.
• Innovates and thinks creatively to meet customer needs.
• Ensures that there is a consistent customer message.
• Implements and develops customer services strategy in their area.
• Challenges and influences others to consider the customer in their decisions.
• Identifies trends in customer feedback and takes action to improve.
• Takes a longer term view on customer service delivery to influence strategy.
• Identifies local risk to the customer experience.

Continuous Improvement – Level 4

• Influences others to make positive change.
• Proactively uses data, trends, feedback or momentum to come up with new approaches.
• Creates a local culture in which change for the better is viewed positively and readily accepted.
• Innovates and stretches current boundaries and delivers change through others.
• Motivates others to think creatively, encourages innovation in others.
• Takes a whole system approach to planning - plan, do, review.
• Sets local improvement strategies and delivers tactical plans.
• Shares best practise and lessons learned with peers and upwards.
• Seeks personal feedback and uses it to evaluate own performance.
• Seeks varied stakeholder feedback and uses this to inform local strategy.
• Evaluates their own performance to make positive changes and improve.

Working pattern

Monday to Friday - office hours.

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/