Job Description

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 Director, Financial Planning is responsible for leading all aspects of CN's corporate budgeting and forecasting processes, including the development of the long-term financial plan, current year forecasting, and revenue planning. The position leads executive reporting initiatives such as Board materials and consolidated budgets and forecasts, and provides analysis on the evaluation of changes and drivers, assessment of risks and opportunities, the development of "what if" scenarios, and recommends appropriate action. Moreover, the position oversees the Sales and Operations resource planning, develops, monitors and evaluates the implementation of corporate initiatives driving financial performance and supports the development and communication of the Company's performance to the Board of Directors and the Senior Leaders.

Main Responsibilities

Current Year Forecasting

Lead current year and year-end outlook-related issues, driving monitoring, analysis and communication of financial performance and strategic projects

Translate financial data into actionable information

Drive transparent reporting of financial results that link market insights and past performance with future outlook

Ensure stability and predictability in results

Provide key Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) control checks on numerous underlying processes

Oversee and manage the internal financial reporting including systems development and maintenance

Consolidate all internal financial forecasts and support the Vice President Financial Planning (VP FP) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), including preparation of board presentations and associated backup information.

Update Profit and Loss (P&L) and cash flow outlook for balance of the year with rigorous monthly cycle to review and update all financial forecasts

Provide up-to-date earnings guidance for the CFO allowing early action and communication

Oversee the production and execution of regular board financial updates.

Long-term Planning

Support the development and communication of the Company's strategic agenda to the Board of Directors and Senior Leaders

Support the Vice President (VP) Finance and CFO in the development of the long-term financial plan

Oversee the preparation of the 3-year financial plan for Board approval on Bonus and Long-term Incentive (LTI) compensation plans

Assist on other ad hoc strategic elements, including guiding Street Analysts on earnings, other key external or internal communications, identification of cost savings or productivity opportunities, and guiding other functions in their Board communications

Revenue Planning

Lead demand forecasting and planning processes, including consolidated revenue budget and current year outlook, demand and workload plan, car fleet and Marketing Capital Plan, same-store price and Sales incentive plan

Act as a link between Marketing and the Financial Plan, working with the Business Unit (BU) VPs to interpret and communicate demand changes to VP FP and CFO as well as other key stakeholders

Continuous update of demand outlook, analyzing variances versus preview, budget and prior year, and linking to full P&L forecasting for holistic view of corporate financial performance

Oversee service provided to other functions including Marketing BUs and Investor Relations, all Revenue Planning systems and databases, and the seamless integration of linehaul, non-linehaul and non-rail revenues into the overall outlook

Resource Planning Lead

Lead and ensure Sales and Operations Planning process, which is responsible for the right-sizing of key assets (e.g., crews, locomotives, railcars and plant infrastructure), is conducted well

Economics

Lead the monitoring, analyzing, and assessing the impact to CN of changing economic conditions

Monitor various economic indicators to ascertain future expectations on key commodity volume levels

Take complex issues and events and distill them into an easy-to-understand CN impact such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), US-China trade tensions, fiscal and monetary policy

Discover emerging fast growth economic pockets, mapping against existing CN volumes to determine if it is currently a business or a future opportunity

Talent Development

Lead, inspire, coach, and develop team of professionals

Partner and engage with cross-functional peers and other stakeholders, establishing collaborative and productive dotted line relationships

Accelerate depth, execute succession plans and advance key employee development plans

Ensure professional well-being of all team members

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 manage stress.

Requirements

Experience

Minimum 10 years of experience in progressively responsible financial leadership roles

o Between 3 to 5 years of experience managing direct reports as well as leveraging non-reports for required information to complete deliverables

o Experience communicating and presenting financial information to C-suite executives including Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

o Experience as a financial partner and working as a key contact for various departments across the company

o Operational experience (e.g., LINK)*

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

Education/Certification/Designation

Bachelor's Degree in Commerce with Statistics, Economics, Finance or Accounting specialization

Postgraduate Degree in Economics or Finance

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Professional Accountant Canada (CPA-CA) or Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation

Competencies

Knows the business and stays current on industry needs

Communicates with impact

Sets direction and inspires others

Collaborates with others and shares information

Innovates

Solves problems to create value

Delegates and empowers others to create accountability

Demonstrates agility and drives change

Applies critical thinking

Demonstrates active listening

Technical Skills/Knowledge

Deep knowledge of Railway Operations business, processes and metrics

Knowledge of finance, accounting, budgeting and cost control principles including Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)

Extensive knowledge of CN's financial and accounting reporting system

Advanced data manipulation skills using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, and Microsoft Structured Query Language (MS-SQL)), relevant Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP) systems, and Essbase

Capacity to quickly synthesize large amounts of data into meaningful insight and to translate financial jargon into simple and clear terms

Solid understanding of CN business and traffic flows (e.g., customers, corridors, commodities)

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 employment equity employer and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. Please monitor your email on a regular basis, as communication is primarily made through email.