Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations – Mechanical

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. 

Main Responsibilities 

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 

Working Conditions 

The role has standard working conditions in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure, and stress. The role requires minimal travel (up to 20%) within Canada and the United States (U.S.). 

Requirements 

Experience 

Finance and Operations

Between 5 to 7 years of leadership experience in financial or operational roles 

Experience with CN Financial systems and data tools 

Experience in building financial data models  

Education/Certification/Designation 

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

Competencies  

Knows the business and stays current with industry needs 

Identifies needs and finds solutions to create value for all stakeholders 

Sets direction and inspires others 

Collaborates with others and shares information 

Demonstrates agility and drives change 

Applies critical thinking 

Fluently bilingual, both written and verbal (English, French)* 

*Any skills/attributes for these above would be considered as an asset 

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 

Organizational Impact 

Decision Making & Impacts 

The Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations - Mechanical has autonomous authority to establish forecasts of financial results. The incumbent works independently to advise and recommend actions to clients based on data analysis. The role impacts corporate financial results through providing updates internally on performance in comparison to goals, as well as future expected performance. Additionally, the position indirectly impacts actual expenses by offering guidance and advice to field leaders to manage and control expenses. The role influences senior levels within the Company.   

Level of Interaction/Influence 

The Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations - Mechanical primarily interacts with individuals internal to CN. More specifically, the incumbent liaises with senior leaders, including the Vice President level.   

Employees Supervised/Organizational Structure 

The Senior Financial Partner, Network Operations - Mechanical reports to the Senior Manager, Financial Planning and has no supervisory responsibility. 

About CN  

 CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the Southern tip of the U.S. through a 19,500 mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. At CN, we work as ONE TEAM, focused on safety, sustainability and our customers, providing operational and supply chain excellence to deliver results.