Commercial, Policy & Finance

Good written and verbal communication skills, the ability to explain technical accounting issues to none finance members of staff.

Be able to build lots of relationships across the business with various departments whilst maintaining a level of professional scepticism

Be able to dig into data to discover reasons for change

Office based

Completion of AAT followed by completion of ACCA or ACA whilst working in a relevant role

University degree followed by completion of ACCA or ACA

I have A-Levels which allowed me to commence level 3 AAT (funded by my employer at the time)

The best things about this role are getting to be involved in all areas of the business and there’s always lots going on. Most things require some level of finance input be that technical advice or payment advice.

There are also lots of opportunities to get involved with things outside of finance and learn more about the railway such as volunteering at stations, going on tours around the depot, fundraising and much more.

There is always something new to learn and every week there is a new request, question or challenge that I need to complete, there’s definitely no time to be bored.

The most challenging parts of the role is that to the wider business, me and members of the team should know and understand how everything works and advise accordingly and quickly, this role is essentially many things to many people. Quite often requests and deliverables are highly time pressured and juggling multiple deadlines can be challenging.

That said that is how I get to be involved in so many different areas and I can always rely on the support of my team to help with knowledge and ideas.

Public Procurement knowledge, supply chain management, negotiation, contract management, cost management financial analysis, leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Project Management and Business acumen are key into the mix.

Dynamic, fast paced, office-based environment, often requiring travel to supplier sites and events. The role involves interacting with various departments/stakeholders (internal and external), including finance, legal, and operations, to ensure alignment with business goals.

Professional certifications, such as those offered by CIPS, Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) or Certified Purchasing Professional (CPP) significantly helps to be a part of bigger Procurement Pool.

A bachelor's degree, especially in a related field like business, supply chain management, logistics or economics, is often a prerequisite. A master's degree can provide a competitive edge.

CIPS-Accredited Programs are mandated in a few organisations already.

Best Things – Networking, managing various relationship keeps the job engaging and exciting, enhance strategic thinking from time to time, lead on cost savings initiatives brining direct benefit to the organisation, driving risk mitigation and seen as a problem solver.

This field is experiencing significant growth and offers competitive salaries and career advancement opportunities.

Most challenging thing – The job can get monotonous from time to time i.e. repeating same procurement process over a period, face unforeseen challenges to uplift underperforming suppliers, reliance on inaccurate data at times, budget constraints to deal with and contract leakage is common if the contract is not managed well.