Enterprise Applications & Finance Transformation Lead

Job Purpose / Summary

Lead the delivery, management and evolution of enterprise applications supporting finance and core business processes across the Group. Establish a coherent applications and integration roadmap, strengthen supplier performance and ensure that technology solutions are well-governed, supportable and aligned with business priorities.

The role focuses on enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise performance management (EPM), finance transformation, application integration and business process improvement. It works closely with Finance, business owners, entity IT teams and other technology functions to deliver reliable, secure and cost-effective applications within a federated Group operating model.

Key Responsibilities

1. Enterprise Applications Roadmap

• Develop and maintain the Group's enterprise applications roadmap, covering ERP modernisation, Oracle EPM, procurement systems, HR interfaces and finance integrations.
• Coordinate application roadmaps across Group entities and identify practical opportunities for standardisation, rationalisation and reuse.

2. Business Requirements and Finance Transformation

• Collaborate with Finance and business stakeholders to gather requirements, simplify processes and define solution outcomes.
• Establish clear ownership, benefits baselines, success measures and acceptance criteria for application initiatives.
• Respect Finance's ownership of accounting policies and business processes.

3. Application Delivery and Solution Governance

• Lead enterprise application delivery workstreams and critically assess solution designs, implementation estimates and technical assumptions.
• Review significant application proposals from Group entities against approved architecture and integration standards within the Group's governance mandate.
• Ensure solutions are fit for purpose, maintainable and aligned with agreed business requirements.

4. Project Coordination and Dependency Management

• Coordinate delivery sequencing, resources and dependencies with the Project Management Office (PMO), entity IT teams, Cybersecurity and Data & AI.
• Identify and manage cross-system dependencies, delivery risks and implementation constraints.
• Escalate material delivery risks and decisions requiring Group-level intervention through established governance channels.

5. Application Integration and Master Data

• Establish and govern application integration designs, master-data interfaces and reconciliation processes across enterprise systems.
• Reduce unnecessary data duplication, fragile integrations and manual processing.
• Promote consistent data flows, reliable system interoperability and clear ownership of information exchanged between applications.

6. Controls, Security and Compliance

• Incorporate access controls, segregation of duties, audit trails, security and resilience requirements into application design, configuration and testing.
• Work with cybersecurity, Finance and other relevant control owners to address application risks and compliance requirements.
• Support the implementation and documentation of appropriate application controls.

7. Testing, Migration and Business Acceptance

• Oversee data migration, end-to-end testing, user acceptance testing, cutover planning, post-implementation support and operational handover.
• Ensure business and technology requirements are validated before solutions are deployed.
• Obtain documented acceptance from authorised business and technology owners before completing relevant delivery milestones.

8. Supplier and Commercial Management

• Monitor supplier delivery quality, application support performance and agreed corrective actions.
• Provide technical and functional input to procurement activities, contract reviews, renewals and commercial evaluations.
• Challenge supplier recommendations, delivery estimates and proposed solutions to ensure value for money, quality and long-term supportability.
• Operate within approved procurement procedures and delegated financial authority.

9. Application Lifecycle and Service Management

• Maintain visibility of application ownership, lifecycle status, technical documentation and controlled change practices.
• Collaborate with the IT Service Manager to establish clear support arrangements, service responsibilities and escalation procedures.
• Support application upgrades, enhancements, maintenance and lifecycle decisions to maintain system reliability and business continuity.

10. Federated Group Technology Governance

• Establish and apply approved Group application standards while coordinating assurance and shared expertise through entity IT leads.
• Respect local entity leadership, implementation responsibilities and business ownership.
• Ensure business owners retain responsibility for process decisions and financial acceptance.
• Escalate material exceptions and cross-entity decisions through agreed governance channels without duplicating local management responsibilities.

Role Specifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Engineering, Finance or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.

Qualifications and Certifications

Relevant qualifications in ERP, Oracle EPM, business analysis or project delivery are preferred. Professional accounting qualifications are advantageous.

Work Experience

• Typically 10 or more years of experience in enterprise applications, business systems or related technology functions.
• At least 5 years of experience delivering finance systems, ERP/EPM implementations or finance transformation initiatives.
• Strong experience in SAP ERP and/or Oracle EPM delivery, with sufficient breadth to oversee a diverse enterprise applications landscape.
• Demonstrated experience in application integration, data migration, testing, deployment and post-implementation support.
• Experience working with Finance stakeholders, business process owners, external vendors and cross-functional technology teams.
• Experience coordinating technology initiatives across multiple business units, subsidiaries or operating environments is preferred.

Technical Competencies

• Finance processes and finance systems transformation
• ERP and EPM solution architecture and delivery
• Enterprise application integration and interface management
• Master data management and reconciliation
• Data migration, testing, cutover and business acceptance
• Application access controls and segregation of duties
• Application support, maintenance and lifecycle management
• Vendor performance, contract coordination and commercial evaluation
• Application governance, documentation and change management
• Project delivery, dependency management and risk assessment