Assistant Finance Transition Manager

About DFTO

DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately‑owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027 - and deliver improvements in the here and now by unifying and integrating train operations under common public ownership. DFTO has over 23,000 employees, runs over 6,000 services a day and delivers over 450 million customer journeys across its networks every year. This accounts for 26% of total UK passenger journeys and 30% of passenger miles. Major improvements are being delivered by DFTO train operators (TOCs) that are already under public ownership - these are LNER, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE), Southeast, South Western Railway (SWR) c2c, GA and WM Trains.

Primary Purpose of Job

This role will play a pivotal part for integrating incoming Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to the DFTO Group whose purpose is to bring all currently privately‑owned train operators into public ownership. There are two arms to the role, the first is a focus on mobilisation and the other post transfer, both working alongside the incoming TOCs. The role will be more focused in one of the two arms below. However, the role will be flexible to work where required.

Key Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Senior Finance Transition Manager where needed.
• Support mobilisation requirements and be accountable for ensuring all documentation is completed and kept up to date.
• Manage other ad hoc projects and tasks as required.

Finance Mobilisation

• Be the Finance & Insurance workstream lead (POP) while working through a listed tracker and ensuring it is up to date. This includes preparing agendas for key finance meetings.
• Set up and provide assurance for banking arrangements with NatWest including the opening of bank accounts, cash collection, BACS, credit/purchase cards.
• Liaise with the incoming TOC and its third‑party merchant acquirers (e.g. fuel card providers, PayPal, etc.) to ensure relevant accounts, agreements, and processes are in place.
• Oversee the transfer and set up of HMRC‑related registrations.
• Understand the TOC’s finance teams, processes and finance systems to identify any gaps and implement plans to mitigate risk post transfer.
• Support for the TOC post transfer to ensure a smooth handover is carried out with the post transfer support team.
• Assist in preparation for any reporting to DFTO Finance Board on the Programme.

Post Transfer

• Act as the primary point of contact for TOC finance teams post‑transfer, providing timely support and responding to questions.
• Proactively identify and resolve issues, escalating to the Senior Finance Transition Manager as required.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with TOC senior stakeholders to foster a positive and collaborative transition experience.
• Provide financial and accounting guidance to ensure compliance with DFTO Group policies, internal controls, and current accounting standards.
• Support the TOC in understanding new centralised ways of working and adopting new processes across key areas such as inter‑company accounting, treasury and cash flow, management accounting, financial reporting, VAT compliance and returns.
• Become a subject matter expert in DFTO Group’s finance processes by studying and applying the DFTO Process Handbook as well as continually updating processes as required.
• Assist in the design and delivery of training sessions for TOC finance teams in line with DFTO’s process documentation and operational requirements.
• Act as a key link between the TOCs, DFTO Business‑as‑Usual Finance teams, and any relevant external providers (e.g., auditors, systems consultants, insurance brokers).
• Understand finance systems and help lead the set‑up of new processes as required for ease of reporting, while supporting TOC on process development where required.
• Facilitate effective knowledge‑sharing between all parties involved in the post‑transfer process.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Technical Qualifications

Essential

• Part qualified ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills at all levels.
• Ideally Project Management experience.
• Experience within multiple finance disciplines.

Desirable

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline.
• Knowledge and technical expertise of Government accounting and relevant financial governance.

Vacancy Details

• Duration: 2 year Fixed Term contract/secondment
• Location: Hybrid (main bases: DFTO satellite offices)
• Salary: up to £45,000
• Closing date: 24th February 2026

DFTO Benefits

• Annual Leave: Starting at 25 days and rising to an additional day per year of service completed within the first 5 completed years up to a maximum of 5 additional (30 days)
• DC Pension Scheme: 10% Employer contribution, 5% Employee contribution
• Opportunities to learn and network across the wider industry

Additional Information

Disclaimer: Candidates applying for this position on a secondment basis must inform their line manager prior to submitting their application. This is to ensure transparency and facilitate any necessary discussions regarding workload and responsibilities.

About our people and the recruitment process - We’re an inclusive employer of choice and we welcome applications from everyone! We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly, as we know traditional working patterns don’t always fit. If you want to consider working flexibly, just let us know and we’ll do our best to help and invest in your career with us, whilst you have a healthy work life balance.

Contact: If you have any questions or reasonable adjustments, please contact Name.Surname@dftoperator.co.uk. Please do not email any CVs to us, your application must be made by clicking the 'Apply' button.