Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations – Mechanical

at  Canadian National Railway

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations – Mechanical is responsible for overseeing operating and special capital budgets for all levels of Network Operations management. The role acts as a trusted business advisor and a point of contact for financial services and fosters strong relationships with stakeholders and budget owners to remain informed about their work and needs. The incumbent instills and maintains a culture of ongoing communication between Finance and Operations as well as nurtures a culture of cost consciousness, control, simplification, and continuous improvement. Furthermore, the position prepares budgets and forecasts, as well as promotes understanding of budget issues by creating meaningful segmentation of the operating budgets. The incumbent supports the functional leadership team with key financial insights and operational analytics as well as identifies, understands, and addresses deviations from the plan, drives immediate action when needed, and promotes behavioural change.

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION/DESIGNATION

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting or equivalent business qualification or equivalent experience

TECHNICAL SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of rail transportation and logistics industry
• Knowledge of CN’s financial and accounting reporting system
• Knowledge of relevant systems such as Systems Applications and Products (SAP), Business Warehouse (BW), Structured Query Language (SQL), Essbase, and Tableau
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word)
• Knowledge of Procurement and Engineering concepts and processes

Manage Budgeting and Planning Processes — 40%

• Provide complete end-to-end financial support by planning, budgeting, monitoring, and forecasting
• Ensure budget and planning processes are dynamic, aligned with business needs, and properly communicated to each budget owner
• Create and communicate periodic Year-End Outlook (YEO) based on actual results and spending trends and drive targeted cost control
• Communicate risks and opportunities in the forecast to functional stakeholders, including the Vice President Mechanical (VP), Chief Mechanical Officers, and Financial Planning
• Ensure stakeholder buy-in on preview and budget, using clearly communicated reasoning on key elements and assumptions
• Identify gaps and provide recommendations to strategically enhance financial performance and business opportunities, as well as provide financial solutions
• Create budgets and forecasts for special capital projects and initiatives, ensuring that they adhere to the envelope established by CN’s leadership team and are reviewed by key project stakeholders to promote efficient and effective planning
• Guide the Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) through project life cycle, including creation, approval, and post-completion audits
• Make sure that variances to budgeted amounts are clearly explained and documented
• Ensure that effective controls and good governance are in place and apply CN’s best practices compliant with Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Award of Business (AOB), and Purchase Orders (PO)

Management Reporting and Financial Management Processes — 30%

• Ensure management reporting and financial management processes are dynamic, relevant to the business, and drive business performance
• Provide financial guidance to key stakeholders such as VP Mechanical, Chief Mechanical Officers, as well as insight to enable smart business decisions
• Create relationships with the Company’s leaders and become a trusted Financial Advisor in the attainment of their strategy and objectives
• Take hands-on lead in implementing and maintaining comprehensive financial forecasting systems
• Direct and translate the corporate business plan into financial plans for the Function
• Manage changes and transfers within the Operating budgets
• Coordinate and validate the preparation and distribution of weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports on expenditures and key performance metrics
• Monitor, analyze, and explain monthly results against budget
• Drill down on unexpected variances to provide explanations to key stakeholders and establish corrective actions through discussions with Senior Management
• Pursue opportunities to deliver cost savings and efficiency gains proactively

Improve Processes, Controls and Day-to-Day Support — 30%

• Ensure that effective controls are in place, including monitoring and reporting
• Influence stakeholders such as Mechanical and Finance, including VP levels on potential improvements with a data-driven approach
• Review proactively and implement new processes triggered by new accounting pronouncements, new systems, and others
• Provide recommendations and procedural improvements for financial audit issues and controls
• Manage accrued liabilities in compliance with corporate accounting rules
• Ensure the integrity of financial transactions created by the department
• Foster collaboration, exchange of information, and accountability
• Leverage data to highlight and quantify issues, as well as improve reporting and controls, which may include database and tool development
• Document improvement opportunities in existing systems and processes and coordinate collaborative resolution
• Play a key role in developing, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of corporate strategy