Finance Lead

This is a critical leadership role responsible for designing, mobilising and stabilising Finance and Procurement services for a major strategic transformation programme. We are seeking an experienced finance operations leader with a proven track record of mobilising complex services within high-volume operational environments. This is not purely a programme management or finance systems role. Instead, it requires someone who can successfully bridge service design, operational readiness and live service delivery. The successful candidate will combine strong finance operations expertise with practical mobilisation experience, enabling them to shape effective service models, challenge process design where necessary and lead confidently through ambiguity, competing priorities and demanding delivery timelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, mobilisation and early-life stabilisation of Finance and Procurement service operations.
• Translate business, operational and system requirements into an effective, scalable service operating model.
• Ensure finance processes, controls, governance, operating procedures and service hand-offs are designed for high-volume delivery.
• Work collaboratively with operational, technology, finance, procurement, testing, training and transition teams to ensure operational readiness ahead of go-live.
• Lead the resolution of Finance and Procurement issues throughout mobilisation, cutover, go-live and hypercare.
• Develop and embed service blueprints, operating models, process documentation, standard operating procedures and training materials.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, providing clear leadership, informed decision-making and practical delivery expertise.
• Balance operational performance, risk, quality and commercial considerations to deliver successful service outcomes.

About You

Essential Experience

• Significant experience leading Finance and Procurement operations within a high-volume shared services, outsourced services, business process outsourcing (BPO) or large-scale back-office environment.
• Proven experience mobilising or transitioning operational services, taking them from design through readiness, cutover, go-live and early-life support.
• Strong practical understanding of finance operations, including process controls, reconciliations, service levels, exception management, risk management and operational governance.
• Experience designing and implementing service operating models, service blueprints, process maps, standard operating procedures and operational documentation.
• Ability to work effectively across complex stakeholder groups, including clients, third-party suppliers, technology teams and operational delivery functions.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance pace, quality, risk and cost throughout complex mobilisation programmes.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively where required.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with Oracle Fusion or other enterprise ERP platforms supporting Finance and Procurement operations.
• Experience within public sector, regulated or highly controlled operational environments.
• Previous experience working alongside systems integrators, ERP implementation partners or within multi-supplier delivery models.