Financial Controller, UK Bus

Arriva is a leading European passenger transport partner, operating in 11 countries across the UK and Europe. With around 35,000 colleagues delivering more than 1.5 billion passenger journeys each year, we connect people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably. With strong roots dating back to 1938 and an ambitious growth and sustainability agenda, Arriva is focused on building a strong and sustainable future.

We are looking for a Financial Controller to join our UK Bus Finance team, supporting financial control and performance across a nationally distributed and operationally complex, multi-site business.

This role will play a critical leadership role in ensuring robust financial control, accurate reporting and strong governance across the UK Bus network. The successful candidate will oversee core financial control activities while ensuring compliance with group accounting standards and statutory requirements.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional who enjoys working in a complex, fast-paced environment and leading high-performing teams. The role requires someone who is detail-focused, commercially aware and confident providing insight and challenge to senior stakeholders.

Working closely with the UK Bus Finance Director, regional finance teams and operational leaders, the successful candidate will ensure financial processes, controls and reporting frameworks remain effective, scalable and aligned to business priorities.

Through strong leadership, sound financial judgement and a focus on continuous improvement, this role will help ensure financial stability, transparency and informed decision-making across the organisation.

This role will be on a hybrid working basis, a minimum of 3 days per week in either our Thurmaston or London office, with the remainder focused on where you can best deliver for your colleagues while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all financial control activities across the UK Bus business, ensuring compliance with group policies and statutory requirements.
• Maintain robust balance sheet controls, including reconciliations and financial risk management processes.
• Oversee month-end and year-end close processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and high-quality outputs.
• Ensure appropriate financial policies, procedures and control frameworks are in place and continuously improved.
• Manage budget and forecast processes, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Lead the annual audit process and act as a key liaison between Group technical teams and UK Bus leadership.
• Manage working capital, including oversight of liquidity and cash flow forecasting.

Financial Control & Reporting

• Ensure consistent and accurate financial reporting across a complex and evolving operating structure.
• Maintain strong governance and controls as business units onboard or exit the organisation.
• Provide clear visibility of financial performance, ensuring continuity and data integrity across the business.

Cost Management & Insight

• Lead cost reporting across the UK Bus network, ensuring consistency and transparency.
• Consolidate financial performance across regions and provide high-quality analysis of variances, trends and cost drivers.
• Support cost discipline and informed decision-making through actionable financial insight.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, develop and inspire a team of finance professionals, building capability and a strong performance culture.
• Provide clear direction and prioritisation within a demanding and evolving environment.

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with regional finance teams, shared services and operational leaders to ensure alignment and consistency.
• Provide credible financial insight and challenge to support business decision-making.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on financial control, risk and performance.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and deliver improvements to financial processes, systems and reporting.
• Support transformation initiatives, including system enhancements, automation and standardisation.

What we’d like from you

We welcome applications from individuals who are proactive, commercially aware and control-focused, with strong experience operating in a complex finance environment.

You will be someone who enjoys leading teams, managing competing priorities and providing insight that supports business performance and decision-making.

Candidates will preferably:

• Have experience operating at Financial Controller level or within a similar senior finance role.
• Hold a recognised professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Demonstrate strong financial control, reporting and governance experience.
• Have experience managing month-end, year-end and audit processes.
• Demonstrate strong leadership skills with experience developing and managing teams.
• Have excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Be comfortable working in a fast-paced, multi-site or operational environment.

It would also be beneficial if candidates:

• Have experience within a large, complex or regulated organisation.
• Have experience managing financial integration or organisational change.
• Have experience driving finance transformation or process improvement initiatives.
• Have strong systems knowledge and experience working with finance systems and reporting tools.

Finally, we are looking for candidates who align with Arriva’s values and who are motivated to contribute to a collaborative finance team, helping deliver strong financial control and insight that supports the wider business.

At Arriva, our people are at the heart of what we do. You’ll join a supportive and inclusive team where your contribution matters and your expertise will help shape financial performance across the organisation.

Maintain robust balance sheet controls, reconciliations, and financial risk management processes.  

Oversee month‑end and year‑end close processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and high‑quality outputs.  

Ensure appropriate financial policies, procedures, and control frameworks are implemented and continuously improved.  

Manage the budget and forecast processes for UK Bus.  

Take a leadership role in internal controls and balance sheet controls.  

Lead the annual audit process and act as liaison between Group technical team and UK Bus directors.  

Manage working capital for UK Bus including periodic liquidity forecasts. 

Financial control: 

Maintain clear and accurate financial control and reporting as business units, depots, and operations move into and out of the organisation. Ensure appropriate governance, processes, and controls are in place for newly integrated or exiting activities, with consistent treatment of costs, consolidation, and balance sheet positions. Provide clear visibility of the financial position of the ongoing business as the operating perimeter evolves, ensuring continuity, data integrity, and control are maintained throughout onboarding and offboarding activity. 

Cost Management: 

Lead cost reporting across the UK Bus network, ensuring consistency, transparency, and accuracy across a geographically dispersed and evolving portfolio. Consolidate financial performance from regional finance teams, maintaining clear and reliable reporting despite changes in operating scope. Provide high-quality analysis and insight into cost drivers, variances, and trends, driving cost discipline and informed decision-making across the business. 

Leadership & Team Management 

Lead, develop, and inspire a team of finance professionals, building capability, accountability, and a strong performance culture. Ensure clear prioritisation and delivery across a demanding workload, supporting both operational requirements and ongoing change, while fostering continuous development and engagement within the team. 

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement 

Work closely with regional finance teams, shared services, and operational leaders to ensure alignment and consistency of financial information across the organisation. Provide clear, credible financial insight and challenge to support operational decision-making, acting as a trusted advisor to the UK Bus Finance Director on financial control, risk, and performance matters. 

Continuous Improvement 

Identify and deliver improvements to financial processes, systems, and reporting to enhance efficiency, control, and insight. Support transformation initiatives across the finance function, including system enhancements, process automation, and standardisation, ensuring the function evolves in line with business complexity and scale