Assistant Finance Manager

Job Title: Assistant Finance Manager

BUSINESS FUNCTION: Finance
SALARY: £40,000
ROLE TYPE: Permanent
LOCATION: Manchester, Leeds, York
HOURS: 37 per week

Behind every train that runs, every service that improves and every decision that shapes our railway, there’s a financial picture to understand. That’s where you come in.

As an Assistant Finance Manager at Northern, you’ll turn financial information into something people across the business can really use. Working alongside our Senior Finance Business Partner and wider Finance team, you’ll help the teams you support understand their performance, plan ahead and make informed decisions that get the most from every pound we spend.

This is more than producing reports and balancing the books. You’ll get close to the operation, build relationships with people across the business and help uncover opportunities to work smarter, control costs and improve the railway for our customers. With scope to influence investment decisions and shape better ways of working, you’ll see how your financial expertise makes a difference beyond the spreadsheets.

What you’ll be doing

• Turning numbers into insight. You’ll help prepare accurate, timely management accounts and financial reports, explaining what the figures mean and how they connect to the day-to-day running of the business.
• Planning for what’s ahead. You’ll support annual budgets, quarterly forecasts and financial planning, helping managers understand where they stand and what needs to change.
• Making better decisions possible. You’ll produce financial analysis, business cases and investment appraisals, giving stakeholders the information they need to weigh up options and understand the financial impact.
• Finding smarter ways to spend. You’ll use your analysis to spot opportunities to improve efficiency, manage costs and make better use of resources, constructively challenging decisions where needed.
• Building financial confidence. You’ll help colleagues who aren’t finance specialists understand their budgets, take ownership of their costs and see how their decisions affect business performance.
• Keeping things accurate and compliant. You’ll support balance sheet reconciliations, maintain strong financial controls and ensure reporting follows the right accounting standards and internal processes.
• Making finance work better. You’ll look for ways to simplify processes, use automation and improve reporting so the business gets reliable information sooner, with less time spent on manual tasks.
• Working as one team. You’ll build relationships across Finance and the wider business, share knowledge and support the development of more junior colleagues. You’ll also deputise for the Finance Business Partner or Finance Manager when required.

About you

You’re curious about what sits behind the numbers. You want to understand why costs change, what drives performance and how financial information can help people make better decisions. You’re comfortable working with detail, but you can also step back and explain the bigger picture in a way that makes sense to people outside Finance.

You’ll bring:

• Experience of producing and analysing accurate, timely financial information, with a sound understanding of accounting practices and processes.
• A commitment to developing your professional expertise, ideally through studying towards a recognised professional accountancy qualification.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to explain financial information clearly and challenge constructively when needed.
• Good organisation and the ability to manage your own workload, work independently and meet tight deadlines without losing sight of the detail.
• Strong information technology (IT) skills, including Microsoft Office. You’ll ideally be confident using Excel to analyse information and make reporting more effective.
• An interest in improving processes, including exploring automation to reduce manual work and get better information to the business.
• A collaborative approach and the confidence to support colleagues, share knowledge and help others build their financial understanding.

A degree in accounting and finance would be useful, but what matters most is your financial knowledge, analytical thinking and desire to turn insight into action.

What’s in it for you?

At Northern, we don’t just value our people - we go the extra mile to support them. Here’s a taste of what you can look forward to:

Free Travel: Unlimited free travel for you, your partner, and your dependents on Northern services. Plus up to 75% discount on other networks in the UK and Europe.

Generous Pension Scheme: We top up your contributions by 1.5 times.

Enhanced Family Benefits: We offer 9 months of full pay for maternity leave and 2 weeks for paternity leave.

Cycle to Work Scheme: Save up to 42% on a bike and spread the cost.

Electric Car Scheme: Lease a brand new electric or plugin hybrid car.

Exclusive Discounts: From shopping to wellbeing, Northern Perks has you covered.

Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for family, lifestyle, and more.

Training and Career Development: We offer tailored training to our colleagues and opportunities to gain recognised qualifications. Plus enhanced career pathways no matter what part of the business you’re in.

Recognition: We know how important it is to show how much we appreciate our people. That’s why we have our Northern Lights and Northern Sparks Awards, recognising and celebrating brilliance every day.

Why Northern?

We’re more than just a train operator. We’re the heartbeat of the North – connecting communities, creating opportunities, and driving sustainable growth. With 2,650 trains running daily, we’re on a mission to improve rail travel and enhance the customer experience while protecting the environment.

Back in 1825, the first passenger train set off in the North of England, beginning a journey that would transform travel across the world. We’ve recently celebrated 200 years of the modern railway and, as we reflect on that legacy, our focus is now on the future as Great British Rail takes shape. Join us at this pivotal moment in rail history and play your part in our journey.

A place for everyone

The best journeys happen when everyone feels welcome on board.

At Northern, we don’t just move people from A to B - we’re building a team where everyone feels they belong. Our talent team can make reasonable adjustments to the process if that’s something you need. We're also a Level 2 Disability Confident employer, so if you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we’ll always offer an interview.

We automate parts of our screening process to remove any unconscious bias and to make sure every application is treated fairly. All successful offers will be subject to a DBS check and a medical assessment.

No matter your background, experience, or whether you call it a bap, barm, or cob… there’s a place for you here in the railway.