HS2 is Britain’s new high-speed railway connecting London and Birmingham. It is the first new intercity railway to be built north of London in more than a century.
At HS2, we offer a three-year rotational graduate finance programme that is designed to provide graduates with the opportunity to learn, grow and develop across various areas of finance.
We have two graduate opportunities available within our Finance Team based at our Snow Hill Offices in Birmingham. These roles offer the chance to undertake placements, attend events and participate in activities activities at other HS2 offices/sites, therefore travel will be required.
The Finance Team partner with the business to balance funding constraints to schedule needs, with financial control which is at the heart of HS2 decision-making. The team is responsible for developing and manging the entire end-to-end financial cycle, providing strategic advice and insight at both corporate and project level, creating and managing a framework of financial governance, controls, and delegations; and for the processing and management of day-to-day transactions, including prompt payment of invoices.
Graduate placement opportunities will be available across the four pillars of our finance function, including but not limited to:
Financial Control:
Financial Governance and Treasury: Managing and maintaining the framework for financial governance, controls, and delegations. Including the management of our financial system (Oracle), submission of tax returns, operating the Purchase to Pay process and delegated authorities, implementation of HS2’s travel policy and expenses claims, and HS2’s banking and treasury.
Financial Accounting: Maintaining financial control through ensuring adherence to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) regulations and internal governance policies. The Financial Accounting team are responsible for keeping account of all transactions and preparing year-end Financial Statements for the Annual Report and Accounts.
Accounts Payable: Processing and paying invoices in line with HS2’s payment terms and reviewing and approving expenses incurred by HS2 employees.
Analysis and Insight:
Financial Planning and Analysis: Providing accurate, analysis, reports and forecasts to inform effective decision making, encouraging a value for money mindset across HS2, engaging with the wider business in the preparation of key forecasts.
Finance Partnering:
Finance Business Partners: Trusted advisors, working closely with directorates to provide clear interpretation of financial information to enable effective business decisions to benefit the delivery of HS2 Programme in a controlled and cost-effective manner. Ensuring all spend is within the approved envelope issued by the DfT, is appropriately validated via governance, is appropriately transacted in the systems with the results reported on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis against the forecast spend agreed with the DfT and that our financial activity is within NAO & Financial Standard requirements.
Strategic Finance: Facilitating the support of the vision and priorities of HS2 Programme and CFO Directorate through Finance’s vision, strategy and key objective themes.
Skills:
- Ability to build effective and collaborative working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and with a variety of stakeholders
- Ability to compile, assess and analyse information, data and reports
- Planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and deliver day to day tasks to agreed deadlines and agreed standards
- Ability to communicate effectively using a range of mediums, including presentations
- Ability to evaluate complex issues and problem solve
Knowledge:
- On track to achieve or already hold a minimum of a 2:2 bachelor’s degree (or non-UK equivalent) in a Finance or equivalent discipline
- Knowledge of IT software such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint (or equivalent)
Does HS2 offer sponsorship if I do not have the Right to Work in the UK?
To be eligible to apply to the HS2 Graduate scheme for our September 2025 in-take, any applicant will need to already have the on-going Right to Work in the UK, that is not time-bound in any way.
Due to the nature of our organisation, HS2 are not able to sponsor any applications as we do not hold the required sponsorship license from the UK Home Office and candidates are not allowed to sponsor themselves.
We appreciate the Right to Work question can be complex to understand, so if you are unsure of your Right to Work status in the UK, please email us at HS2Jobs@hs2.org.uk and we will be happy to advise further. Please note, to enable HS2 to comply with UK Home Office policy, your Right to Work status will be checked early in the recruitment process.
Our graduate programme salaries:
Salaries are currently pending pay review however please see below figures based on 2024;
Outside of London
Basic £23,750 + 15% Flexible allowance
Please note the rotational placements may vary and are subject to business requirements.
