D365 F&O System Administrator - London

The Howard de Walden Estate is one of London's largest and most prestigious estates, comprising over 800 properties across 95 acres of Marylebone. The Company owns, manages and leases its buildings to a diverse customer base across five sectors: healthcare, office, residential, retail and education. The property portfolio is managed through an in-house team with a strong focus on long-term stewardship, operational excellence and continuous improvement.

The Company is embarking on a business-wide modernisation programme, to revitalise ways of working, data, systems and processes. Project Elevate has been initiated to replace the current Property Management and Accounting system (MRI Platform X), in place for nearly three decades. The programme will deliver a unified, scalable and supportable SaaS platform covering finance, property management, procurement, project accounting and reporting. It is a strategically important initiative that will fundamentally change how the organisation operates and how colleagues interact with core systems.

Project Elevate is a multi-year transformation programme to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management as the organisation's core ERP platform, integrated with existing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and M-Files Document Management applications. The project will also incorporate specialist Independent Software Vendor (ISV) solutions, including Yavica's FlexProperty and SignUp's ExFlow products.

The D365 F&O System Administrator role is permanent, reporting to the Head of IT. The role forms part of the core team supporting the delivery of Project Elevate and the long-term operation of the ERP platform. The role will provide in-house ownership of system administration, security, access control and platform governance, supporting both the implementation phase and ongoing business-as-usual operation post go-live. This position offers the opportunity to play a key role in a business-critical transformation programme and to take long-term ownership of a modern SaaS ERP platform that underpins core finance and operational processes across the organisation.

What you will do:

• Project Elevate Responsibilities:
• Act as the internal D365 F&O system administrator throughout the implementation lifecycle, working alongside external delivery partners.
• Support the setup, management and governance of all D365 environments.
• Manage system security, user access, role mapping and segregation of duties, aligned to standard D365 security models and internal governance requirements.
• Support configuration management and controlled promotion of configuration and code across environments.
• Assist with data migration activities, including validation, reconciliation and cutover support.
• Support testing activities (SIT and UAT), including environment readiness, defect triage and resolution support.
• Contribute to go-live readiness, cutover planning and hypercare activities.
• Support governance, control and audit requirements, including access reviews, environment controls and change assurance.
• Business-as-Usual Operation & Platform Ownership:
• Act as the primary administrator for D365 F&O post go-live, owning system configuration, security and access controls.
• Manage user provisioning, role changes and ongoing access reviews.
• Support month-end and year-end activities from a system administration perspective.
• Own release and change management processes for D365 F&O, including Microsoft updates and coordination with business stakeholders.
• Act as a point of escalation for system issues, working with internal IT, Microsoft and support partners as required.
• Maintain system documentation, administration procedures & knowledge-transfer materials.
• Drive awareness, reinforcement, and education of best practices to ensure consistent user behaviour and compliance.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives & optimisation of business processes in D365.
• Contribute to the long-term strategic objectives & direction of the IT architecture.
• Facilitate workshops and training as required.

Key Relationships:

• Head of IT
• IT Project Manager
• Director of Operations
• Internal Business Analysts
• Heads of Asset Management, Property Management, Facilities Management, Finance and Procurement teams
• External System Integration and Change Management partner (Avanade)
• Microsoft and ISV partners (Yavica, SignUp)
• Incumbent partners (MRI, Redirect Consultancy, KingswaySoft Middleware, M-Files)

What you will need:

Essential:

• Proven experience administering Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O in a live environment.
• Strong understanding of D365 security roles, user management and segregation of duties.
• Experience managing D365 environments and supporting releases, patches and updates.
• Practical experience supporting ERP implementations or major system upgrades.
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps or similar tooling for issue, change and release management.
• Good understanding of finance and operational processes within an ERP context.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot system issues.
• Confident stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues across multiple business functions.

Desirable:

• Experience in Real Estate or similar asset-based environments.
• Experience working with D365 ISVs, particularly property or finance-related solutions.
• Experience of integration landscapes involving D365 (e.g. Azure Integration Services, DualWrite).
• Experience supporting data migration activities and reconciliation.
• Experience and knowledge of the broader Microsoft architecture.
• Proficient understanding of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous agents, and automation.

Personal Attributes:

• Comfortable working in an environment with mixed change maturity levels.
• Adaptable and pragmatic when handling and managing evolving requirements.
• Detail-oriented, with a strong focus on control, quality and system integrity.
• Collaborative and able to work effectively with both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Willing to take ownership and accountability for a critical business system.
• Curious and proactive, with an interest in continuous improvement and learning.

The role requires a flexible working approach, with a requirement to work out of hours. This role description reflects the current requirements of the position. As Project Elevate progresses, responsibilities may evolve to reflect the needs of the business and the maturity of the platform.

What we offer you:

• 25 days holiday per year, plus statutory holidays and 3 discretionary days to cover the Christmas office closure.
• Private medical insurance with Bupa.
• Defined contribution pension scheme with 12.5% employer contributions.
• Discretionary bonus.
• Life assurance at 7x salary.
• Group Income Protection Scheme.
• Interest free season ticket loan.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and wellbeing app.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Onsite gym with 7 weekly classes and 2 Wattbikes.
• Regular staff socials and an annual company away day.
• Free fruit and breakfast cereals.
• Hybrid working arrangements: 155 days in the office per year with minimum of 2 days (not fixed) per week in the office.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave policies (12-month qualifying period).
• Volunteering opportunities aligned with the HdWE Community Investment Programme.