Head of Finance - 14 Month FTC (will involve travel to Edinburgh)

About us

We are champions of rail, inspired to build a greener, more sustainable future of travel. Trainline enables millions of travellers to find and book the best value tickets across carriers, fares, and journey options through our highly rated mobile app, website, and B2B partner channels.Great journeys start with TrainlineToday, we''re Europe’s number 1 downloaded rail app, with over 125 million monthly visits and £5.9 billion in annual ticket sales. We collaborate with 270+ rail and coach companies in over 40 countries to create a world where travel is simple, seamless, eco-friendly and affordable.We are a FTSE 250 company driven by our team of over 1,000 Trainliners from 50+ nationalities, based across London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Edinburgh and Madrid. With a focus on growth in the UK and Europe, now is the perfect time to join us on this high-speed journey.Purpose of the Role

We are hiring a Head of Finance in a key leadership position covering teams in our London and Edinburgh offices. You will be responsible for overseeing and optimising the core operational finance functions, with regular travel to the Edinburgh office (approximately 2 times per month) as you lead a team of 20, mostly based in Edinburgh.Functions you will lead:Finance TransformationFinance SystemsProcurementFinance Data and ControlsAccounts Payable and Accounts ReceivableThis role is critical in driving financial efficiency, governance, data integrity, and systems improvement across Trainline’s finance operations. You will work closely with senior finance leadership and key business stakeholders to ensure effective financial operations aligned with strategic business goals.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

Provide strategic and operational leadership across the finance function in our Edinburgh officeLead, inspire, and develop a multidisciplinary team with a strong focus on people management, team performance and engagementSet clear objectives, manage team capacity and capability, and create a collaborative environment that supports professional growth and high performanceAct as a senior point of contact for finance operations and transformation initiatives, building trusted relationships across Finance, Technology, and the wider businessPrepare and present regular updates, insights, and recommendations to key stakeholders, including the CFO and senior leadership, on operational finance performance, transformation progress, and strategic initiativesFinance Transformation

Lead the end-to-end delivery of finance transformation initiatives aimed at optimising operational efficiency, scalability, and automation across core finance processesDefine and drive the finance transformation roadmap in alignment with Trainline’s broader strategic goals, presenting to key stakeholdersEmbed a continuous improvement culture by introducing KPIs, automation, and self-service tools to reduce manual effort and improve accuracy and controlEnsure that transformation projects are delivered on time, within scope, and with strong stakeholder engagement throughoutFinance Systems

Own and oversee the strategic direction and day-to-day management of Trainline’s finance systems landscape, ensuring systems are scalable, secure, and aligned with business needsSupport the team in acting as the business owner for core finance platforms, ensuring ongoing performance, compliance, and continuous improvementEnsure systems support strong internal controls and compliance standardsSupport training and change management initiatives to drive adoption, accountability, and effective system use across finance teamsProcurement

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of Trainline’s procurement function, ensuring it delivers commercial value, cost efficiency, and supports the company’s growth objectivesSupport the team in driving initiatives to improve spend visibility and purchasing discipline across the organisationCollaborate cross-functionally to ensure procurement processes are well integrated into broader systems and workflowsFinance Data and Controls

Provide strategic oversight and leadership to the team, ensuring delivery of high-impact financial and operational dashboards that support decision-making and evolving business needsMaintain robust financial controls, reporting standards, and data governance frameworksEnsure accuracy, transparency, and compliance across all finance data and operational processesAccounts Payable (AP) and Receivable (AR)

Provide oversight and guidance to the AP/AR teams to drive accurate, efficient, and well-governed processing, reconciliation, and reportingDrive improvements in AP and AR processes, leveraging automation, system enhancements, and best practices to reduce manual effort, increase efficiency, and strengthen controlsMonitor key metrics and proactively manage performance against targets to support working capital optimisationExperience and Qualifications

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) with minimum 5 years PQEProven senior finance leadership experience, ideally in a fast-paced, tech-enabled environmentDemonstrated success managing diverse operational finance functionsSkills and Attributes

Strong people management skills, with a proven track record of leading, motivating, and developing high-performing teams across multiple disciplinesStrong systems and transformation experience (ERP, finance automation, data tools)Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skillsHighly analytical with a process improvement mindsetResilient and adaptable, with the ability to hit the ground running and lead through changeMore information

Enjoy fantastic perks like private healthcare and dental insurance, a generous work from abroad policy, 2-for-1 share purchase plans, an EV Scheme to further reduce carbon emissions, extra festive time off, and excellent family-friendly benefits.We prioritise career growth with clear career paths, transparent pay bands, personal learning budgets, and regular learning days. Jump on board and supercharge your career from day one!Our values represent the things that matter most to us and what we live and breathe everyday, in everything we do:Think Big

- We\''re building the future of railOwn It

- We focus on every customer, partner and journeyTravel Together

- We\''re one teamDo Good

- We make a positive impactWe know that having a diverse team makes us better and helps us succeed. And we mean all forms of diversity - gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, nationality and diversity of thought. That\''s why we\''re committed to creating inclusive places to work, where everyone belongs and differences are valued and celebrated.Interested in finding out more about what it\''s like to work at Trainline? Why not check us out on LinkedIn, Instagram and ..... full job details .....