Who We Are

The Senior Cost Planner is responsible for managing financial planning, forecasting, governance, and cost control across a portfolio of technology and business programmes. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, Procurement, and Portfolio teams, the role provides financial insight, ensures strong governance, and supports investment decision‐making across Capital and Operational expenditure.

What You'll Do Key Responsibilities Financial Planning & Forecasting

- Lead budgeting, forecasting, and month‐end financial activities across multiple portfolios
- Develop and maintain financial plans covering Capex, Opex, capitalised overheads, and resource costs
- Monitor and analyse spend against budget and forecast, identifying risks, opportunities, and corrective actions

Cost Control & Governance

- Ensure compliance with financial policies, accounting standards, and governance requirements
- Manage project funding, purchase orders, accruals, recharges, and investment tracking
- Challenge financial assumptions and forecasts to improve accuracy and control
- Support audits through accurate, well‐documented financial records

Portfolio Financial Management

- Partner with Product, Engineering, Delivery, and Finance teams to provide financial reporting and insight
- Track costs against approved funding and investment plans
- Analyse variances, trends, and cost drivers, providing recommendations to leadership
- Maintain financial visibility across complex, multi‐million‐pound portfolios

Capitalisation & Compliance

- Act as a subject matter expert for Capex, Opex, and capitalisation policies




- Ensure costs are treated correctly in line with accounting requirements
- Review resource allocations and capitalisation activities to maximise value and compliance
- Provide guidance on financial governance and cost management best practice

Reporting & Insight

- Produce dashboards, reports, and executive presentations
- Turn complex financial data into clear, actionable insights
- Report on portfolio performance, forecast accuracy, risks, and opportunities
- Drive reporting automation and continuous improvement

Process Improvement

- Identify opportunities to simplify processes and improve financial controls
- Lead initiatives that increase efficiency and reporting quality
- Implement automation solutions to reduce manual effort and improve data accuracy
- Establish scalable processes that support business growth

Stakeholder Management

- Build strong relationships across Finance, Product, Engineering, Delivery and Procurement teams
- Serve as the key contact for financial planning and governance matters
- Influence senior stakeholders through insight‐based recommendations
- Support strategic planning and investment prioritisation

Team Leadership & Coaching

- Mentor and support other Cost Planners




- Share best practice and contribute to capability development across the team

Skills & Experience

- Strong experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and cost management
- Good understanding of Capex, Opex, capitalisation, and financial governance
- Experience supporting large technology, engineering, or transformation portfolios
- Strong analytical, problem‐solving, and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to present financial information clearly to senior stakeholders
- Experience using Accounting systems e.G. SAP/Oracle, reporting tools, and financial dashboards
- Track record of driving process improvement and automation

Typical Outcomes

- Accurate financial plans and forecasts
- Strong cost control and governance
- Improved financial visibility for decision‐makers
- Increased efficiency through automation and simplification
- Effective investment management and cost optimisation
- Audit‐ready financial documentation

Essential Qualifications & Experience

- Excellent written and spoken English
- Experience in a fast‐paced IT or Telecommunications environment
- CIMA/ACCA qualification, or significant experience in IT project accounting
- Experience managing budgets exceeding £50m
- Business Intelligence and reporting expertise

Desirable Qualifications

- Degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Information Management, or similar
- Knowledge of Agile, Lean Portfolio Management, PRINCE2, or P3O
- Experience with Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement methodologies

Direct Reports

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📌 Specialist Cost Planner (Madrid)
🏢 Vodafone
📍 Madrid