Finance Manager

Who are we?

First Customer Contact sits at the heart of First Group's commitment to delivering outstanding customer experiences. As an established, multi‑brand contact centre, we support millions of passengers across First Rail's operations, including Great Western Railway, Avanti West Coast, Hull Trains and Lumo. Our teams play a vital role in helping customers travel with confidence across intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services

We use industry‑leading systems and a continually evolving service model to ensure every customer receives timely, accurate and empathetic support. From compensation and complaints handling to group travel, assisted travel services, retail sales, fraud prevention and quality assurance, our specialist teams manage a wide range of customer needs with professionalism and care.

As part of First Group, the UK's largest rail operator and one of the country's biggest transport employers, First Customer Contact contributes to a wider mission: making travel simpler, more reliable and more sustainable. With circa 30,000 colleagues across the UK and Ireland, First Group is committed to reducing environmental impact and delivering transport services that help people move better every day.

• As Finance Manager, you will provide accurate and consistent financial reporting and forecasting.
• You will contribute to the annual business planning process and ensure all financial reporting is accurately carried out.
• You will provide insight and in-depth analysis to monthly results, comparing plans and forecasts to results.
• You will enable all team members to adhere to regulatory and company policies.
• You will also liaise with various management personnel providing financial support where necessary.

• Ensuring all processing is carried out to budget and within service level agreements
• Producing management accounts and budgets and reporting these at group level
• Managing balance sheet and associated reconciliations
• Managing the delegated authority process
• Reconciliation of all customer payments across business units
• Preparing reports on performance levels, customer contact trends and business planning
• Ensuring effective monitoring is in place in line with agreed standards and volumes
• Providing constructive feedback on budgeting and quality to advisors and supervisors
• Ensuring all procurement, budgeting and processes are fully compliant and up to date
• Owning key governance documents, updating as required and communicating changes
• Managing financial relationships across businesses for AR, AP and Banking and Treasury
• Managing tax transactions with Group tax plus providing relevant associated information, such as PSA, P11d
• Managing payroll relationship with Group Payroll and dealing with queries
• Monitoring of cash flow to ensure required funds are available
• Monitoring of Fraud and system controls with exception reporting at Group level

• Passionate and driven for delivering an excellent customer experience
• Demonstrate excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• A strong work ethic and adaptable to manage in a changing environment
• Credibility to contribute at the management team level
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast‑paced environment, with deadlines
• Initiative to identify and investigate variances, then develop appropriate solutions
• Ability to work as part of a team, dealing with all levels of the organization
• Drive to achieve personal, local and departmental objectives
• Confidence with strong commercial sense
• Set the standard with an excellent communication

• Fully qualified accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA) with post qualification experience. Part / newly qualified will also be considered dependent on skills and experience.
• Knowledge gained in a Finance Management role
• Financial system management skills
• Performance management skills
• Detailed knowledge of industry compliance requirements
• Ability to conduct risk assessments and develop appropriate mitigations
• Able to coach colleagues and feed into training design
• Leading understanding of how customer support centre operations provide business value in the retail or the…