Senior Financial Partner, Capital Planning and Management - Canadian National Railway Company

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

Job Summary

The Senior Financial Partner, Capital Planning and Management is responsible for the planning and implementation of the CN capital plan in current and future years in accordance with operational needs, strategic objectives and the financial commitments of CN. The role focuses on multi-year planning of capital initiatives identifying capital needs and opportunities to facilitate the rapid deployment of capital to yield optimal outcomes.  Insights and reporting generated by the role are critical to decisions made by the executive leadership team and support meetings of the Board of Directors. The incumbent plays a pivotal role in the planning, execution, and administration of CN’s capital strategy.

Main Responsibilities

Capital Planning

·       Build, refresh, and maintain the 36-month rolling capital plan of projects

·       Track the 10-year capital needs and major multi-year capital initiatives

·       Prioritize projects based on key parameters important to the department and function as well as CN’s overall strategic areas of focus to facilitate trade-off discussions

·       Convey important details and calculating key metrics associated with the capital plan (e.g., Return on Invested Capital (ROIC), growth versus maintenance and regulatory)

·       Provide summary views to senior leadership of Financial Planning and other departments related to topics of interest regarding the multi-year capital plan

·       Report to the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership team related to the topics identified

·       Ensure that the capital plan meets guidance provided in addition to any overall envelope constraints

Capital Management

·       Track forecasts of Year-End Outcomes (YEOs) associated with projects and envelopes

·       Support the sign-off of the overall YEO for the capital envelope

·       Reconcile changes made by Financial Partners related to the capital requirements of ongoing projects

·       Anticipate and track additional capital needs or releases proactively in order to ensure timely and optimal deployment of capital resources

·       Provide summary views to senior leadership of Financial Planning and other departments related to the availability of capital, opportunities and exposures

·       Support and facilitate the financial partners updating of project scorecards related to capital project execution

·       Track in-year requests and ensure proper consideration of the proposals in light of other existing capital proposals and needs

Reporting and Auditing

·       Create presentations for executive leadership and the Board of Directors to serve as discussion and decision material regarding the planning and management of capital

·       Conduct Post Completion Audits (PCAs) of projects completed to clearly identify and communicate whether a project delivered on its identified benefits and scope within the parameters of its approved budget and timeline

·       Respond to questions from Internal Audit related to Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) key controls and related topics

·       Respond to External Audit inquiries related to SOX key controls, requests for documentation, and identified capital transaction sample testing

Governance

·       Perform SOX key controls related to capital administration as accountable or delegated

·       Ensure that processes and accountabilities related to Capital planning and management are clear and well communicated

·       Ensure compliance to all controls and guidelines (e.g., Delegation of Authority (DOA)) as defined in CN policies and procedures

·       Track board approval of capital for large capital projects and initiatives as well as communicate with CN Legal to ensure consensus view

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 10%) within Canada and the United States (U.S.).

Requirements

Experience

Analysis

·       Minimum 7 years of financial planning and analysis experience

o    Railroad operations, procurement, and Information and Technology (I&T) experience*

*Any experience for these above would be considered as an asset

Education/Certification/Designation

·       Bachelor’s Degree in Business, I&T or Engineering or equivalent experience

Competencies

·       Collaborates with others and shares information

·       Knows the business and stays current on industry needs

·       Applies critical thinking

·       Sets direction and inspires others

·       Communicates with impact

·       Demonstrates agility and drives change

·       Demonstrates active listening

·       Identifies needs and finds solutions to create value for all stakeholders

·       Identifies potential safety and security risks

Technical Skills/Knowledge

·       Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, SharePoint) and Essbase

·       Working knowledge of Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) and AFE360

·       Basic understanding of accounting principles and concepts

·       Knowledge of railroad operations  as well as CN Board of Directors and executive leadership concepts*

·       Knowledge of CN procurement processes or Structured Query Language (SQL)*

*Any knowledge for any of the above would be considered as an asset

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.

CN is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to fill vacant positions with qualified candidates without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability, assuming an individual can perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation. Only qualified candidates under consideration will be contacted. Please monitor your email on a regular basis, as communication is primarily made through email.