Finance Delivery Lead in Swindon

The opportunity is a 12-month fixed term contract, hybrid position with the requirement to be in the office 3 days a week. There will also be travel required to our Leeds office. As the Finance Delivery Lead, you will be responsible for the Finance Systems Replacement and Technology Enablement project. You will manage all aspects of a finance system replacement, from vendor selection to implementation in our Finance function.

The role requires proven experience in general ledger system replacements and strong knowledge of Finance processes, data and reporting requirements. You must have extensive experience in a Finance function within a medium or large organisation and subsequently moved into Finance systems transformation. You will bring deep functional Finance expertise (ledger, reporting, FP&A, controls, AP/AR) combined with hands-on experience implementing end-to-end Finance systems, data and MI solutions. You will understand how Finance teams operate, how processes work in practice, and how to guide people through change.

A critical aspect of the role is leading the Finance team through process documentation, process re-engineering, definition of roles and controls, data ownership, and creation of operating procedures — ensuring the target Finance Operating Model is fit for purpose and fully aligned to the capabilities of the new platform.

The benefits include:

• Salary – up to £100,000
• Car allowance - £5,486
• Bonus scheme - on target bonus – 17.5%
• Pension scheme - contribute up to 5% of your salary and Openwork will match you and put in an extra 5%
• Critical illness cover
• Income protection
• Death in service - 4x salary
• 27 days holiday + bank holidays, with the opportunity to buy up to an additional 10 days.
• Up to 3 working days per year of paid time to participate in volunteering activities
• A range of other flexible benefits to include private medical insurance, dental insurance and much more.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading our Finance teams through documenting current processes, identifying inefficiencies, designing future-state processes, and ensuring these align to good practice and system capabilities.
• Own the development of Finance SOPs, RACI definitions, control frameworks and end-to-end workflow design.
• Provide expert functional guidance to ensure the new system supports core Finance requirements in general ledger structure, reporting hierarchies, FP&A processes, PO/AP workflow, and data quality management.
• Coach and guide Finance colleagues to adopt new processes, tools and data-driven ways of working; and identify areas where upskilling within the Finance Team is required.
• Work closely with Change Management to embed new behaviours, establish ownership across Finance teams, and ensure the operating model is sustainable for BAU.
• Lead the full lifecycle of the project, including requirements gathering, process and data future state design, vendor selection and subsequent delivery.
• Act as the liaison between the Finance function, Openwork group technology and data teams, vendors and any existing and new third parties.
• Drive engagement and Change Management across the Finance function including supporting the team to take on small change opportunities within Finance.
• Jointly with the Finance Leadership Team, identify and support design of Target operating model changes brought about by new systems capabilities.
• Lead project governance and reporting, including RAID management and managing the project through its lifecycle (Discovery, Business Case, Technical approvals, Delivery, Go-Live and Transition to BAU).
• Working closely with the Business Owner in Finance, the Executive Sponsor (the Chief Financial Officer) and the Head of Portfolio Delivery for Corporate Services.

What will you need to succeed?

• Significant experience working within a Finance function (e.g. Financial Control, FP&A, Financial Reporting, Commercial Finance) in a medium-to-large organisation, ideally within a regulated Financial Services environment.
• Strong Finance knowledge, particularly across General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Financial Reporting and Commercial Finance.
• A background as a qualified accountant or equivalent experience, with strong understanding of Finance processes, month-end, controls, reconciliations, and reporting cycles.
• Practical, hands-on experience delivering Finance system implementations (e.g. GL, AP/AR, PO workflow, Planning/MI tools) as a Finance business lead rather than as an IT/technical project manager.
• Experience leading Finance teams through process mapping, redesign and definition of operating models, with the ability to challenge existing practices and introduce best-practice Finance processes.
• Demonstrable experience translating Finance functional requirements into system and data designs and ensuring these are delivered effectively.
• A positive track record of working with and leading finance workstreams that learn together and develop new ways of working that transform the finance operating model and capabilities.
• Ability to act as the “voice of Finance” across technology vendors, implementation partners and internal data teams.
• Experience with NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics.
• Extensive experience in coordination and delivery of complex programmes and projects, which may cross multiple business functions, ensuring consistency with company strategy, commitments and goals and benefits measurement.

Why us?

At The Openwork Partnership, we’re a dynamic, fast paced, and growing business with huge ambition. This is all made possible by the brilliant people who are part of The Openwork Partnership family. We’re investing heavily in our colleagues, continuously striving to give them the platform to develop personally and professionally and reach their full potential.

We’re also very proud of our culture, as one of the Best 100 Large Companies to work for in 2022. The Openwork Partnership values, and respects individuality and we are committed to building an inclusive culture and environment which truly recognises and celebrates our colleague’s individual differences and identities – just like our financial advice, for us, it’s personal. We believe everyone can make a difference and your race, religion, disability, and gender will never be a barrier. At Openwork, we have a strong ethic of care for each other where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will bring your best self to work if you are trusted to choose when, where and how you do it.