The Finance Transformation and Financial Systems Director will lead strategic initiatives to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and scalability of the finance function. This role is responsible for overseeing financial systems, driving process improvements, managing transformation projects, and ensuring seamless integration with other business units. A key focus will be implementing a shared services center in a low-cost footprint to centralize transactional finance activities and optimize resource allocation. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of finance, financial systems, project management, and change management to implement cutting-edge solutions that align with the company's strategic goals.
Duties and Responsibilities
Finance Transformation Initiatives:
Design and lead finance transformation programs that optimize end-to-end finance processes, focusing on automation, standardization, and operational efficiency.
Evaluate current finance processes and identify opportunities for process improvement and cost reduction.
Develop a roadmap for financial transformation initiatives, prioritizing projects that offer the highest value.
Shared Services Implementation:
Lead the design, setup, and implementation of a finance shared services center in a low-cost location to centralize and streamline Finance activities.
Identify and transition finance activities, such as accounts payable, receivable, payroll, and general ledger functions, to the shared services center.
Define and establish service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for shared services, ensuring consistent performance and high-quality delivery.
Financial Systems Management:
Oversee the implementation, integration, and maintenance of financial systems, leveraging OneStream and other tools while ensuring alignment with the company's evolving business needs.
Collaborate with IT and other departments to enhance the financial system architecture and data integration capabilities.
Act as the primary liaison for finance systems, handling inquiries, troubleshooting, and coordinating upgrades or customizations.
Project Management and Execution:
Manage and execute large-scale finance transformation projects, including ERP implementations, system upgrades, and process optimization projects.
Establish project plans, timelines, and resource allocation while monitoring progress to ensure timely and on-budget project completion.
Lead project governance, including steering committee presentations, progress reports, and risk mitigation plans.
Data Management and Reporting:
Ensure financial systems capture and report accurate, timely, and compliant data for internal and external reporting.
Work closely with the financial planning and analysis (FP&A) team to develop and refine management reporting tools.
Implement analytics and dashboarding capabilities to enable real-time decision-making for senior leaders.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Partner with finance, accounting, IT, HR, procurement, and other departments to drive alignment on transformation initiatives.
Ensure finance systems and processes support regulatory compliance and align with overall business objectives.
Lead change management efforts, communicating effectively with stakeholders to foster adoption of new systems and processes.
Team Leadership and Development:
Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing finance transformation team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Provide guidance and training to team members, encouraging development of skills relevant to finance systems and process improvement.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Strong background in financial systems, such as ERP (e.g., SAP, Oracle), EPM, and financial reporting tools.
Proven track record of leading and delivering large-scale transformation projects within finance.
Solid understanding of finance and accounting principles, including US GAAP.
Demonstrated expertise in project management methodologies.
Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong leadership abilities, with experience building and developing teams.
Strategic and analytical mindset with a focus on business process optimization.
Ability to influence cross-functional teams and lead change effectively.
High adaptability and problem-solving skills in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for interaction with senior management.
Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or Master's degree preferred.
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in finance transformation, financial systems, or a similar role within a large organization.