FP&A Transformation Lead / Project Manager
Location: Manchester – 2 days per week onsite (Thursday's needing to be one of those days)
Day Rate: £400–£500 per day
IR35 Status: Outside IR35
Contract Length: 3-4 Months
Role Overview
Essential Consulting are working with a Rail Transportation client who are seeking an experienced FP&A Transformation Lead / Project Manager to lead the internal delivery of a Vena implementation.
This role combines project leadership with hands-on FP&A expertise, overseeing the implementation while helping to design and develop forecasting models, financial processes, workflows and reporting solutions.
You will work closely with Finance, IT, business stakeholders and an external implementation partner to ensure the solution meets business requirements and is successfully delivered.
Key Responsibilities
Project Management & Delivery
- Own and manage the project plan, milestones, dependencies, risks and deliverables throughout the Vena implementation.
- Coordinate internal Finance teams, IT resources, business stakeholders and external implementation partners.
- Maintain project governance, including RAID logs, action tracking, change control and senior stakeholder reporting.
- Manage project risks, resolve issues and ensure key decisions are documented and communicated.
- Lead requirements, design, testing and implementation workshops, ensuring stakeholders provide timely and accurate input.
FP&A Transformation & Solution Design
- Define and improve budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning and management reporting processes.
- Translate Finance requirements into financial models, data structures, dimensions, hierarchies, calculations, templates and workflows.
- Review existing spreadsheet-based processes and identify opportunities for improvement through Vena.
- Work with the implementation partner to review solution designs, configurations and prototypes.
- Support the development of future-state FP&A processes and operating models.
Implementation, Testing & Business Readiness
- Undertake basic Vena configuration, financial modelling and analysis where appropriate.
- Coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT), defect resolution, business sign-off and go-live readiness.
- Support training, communications and user adoption across Finance and wider business teams.
- Ensure effective handover into business-as-usual operations, including product ownership and ongoing model maintenance.
- Establish a benefits-realisation plan to track improvements delivered through the implementation.
Essential Experience
- Qualified accountant or equivalent senior-level FP&A experience.
- Strong experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and management reporting.
- Proven experience delivering finance transformation projects or FP&A system implementations.
- Ability to translate Finance requirements into practical system solutions, data models and workflows.
- Strong understanding of forecasting drivers, financial dimensions, hierarchies and approval processes.
- Experience managing project plans, risks, dependencies, governance and senior stakeholder reporting.
- Confident working with Finance teams, IT stakeholders and external implementation partners.
- Advanced Excel and financial modelling skills.
- Strong communication, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.
- Willingness and ability to undertake basic Vena configuration and model maintenance.
Desirable Experience
- Previous experience implementing Vena or similar EPM/FP&A platforms, such as Anaplan, Oracle EPM, OneStream or Workday Adaptive Planning.
- Experience with rolling forecasts, driver-based planning and scenario modelling.
- Knowledge of Power BI and financial data structures.
- Project management or change management qualifications.
- Previous experience as an FP&A Manager, Finance Transformation Manager or Finance Systems Manager.
Role Breakdown
- 45% – Project Leadership & Implementation: Managing delivery, stakeholders, governance and implementation activities.
- 35% – FP&A & Solution Design: Designing financial processes, forecasting models, workflows and reporting requirements.
- 20% – Hands-on Delivery: Supporting analysis, basic Vena configuration, testing and implementation activities.
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