Financial Close Transformation Lead

Responsibilities

• Lead finance transformation initiatives in SAP month end closing processes, from concept through delivery, aligning scope, priorities, governance and outcomes to Accounting Services and global finance strategy
• Develop and maintain transformation roadmaps, delivery plans, milestones, risks and dependencies across process, people, data and technology workstreams within the Financial Close Operations team
• Drive global standardisation, simplification and automation of close and accounting processes, ensuring solutions are scalable, controlled and aligned to global policy
• Partner with Financial Controllers, Technology and business stakeholders to identify improvement opportunities, define future-state processes and secure alignment on change impacts
• Establish robust programme governance, including status reporting, decision forums, issue management, stakeholder engagement and escalation routes
• Lead change adoption activities, ensuring the Close Operations team understand new processes, roles, controls and ways of working
• Define and track transformation benefits, performance indicators and control improvements to demonstrate measurable value and sustained outcomes
• Support delivery of digital enablement, system enhancements and data quality improvements that improve close efficiency, visibility and decision-making
• Provide leadership to 8 direct reports through coaching, prioritisation, resource planning and performance management
• Lead co-ordination and delivery of external and internal audit requests

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in Accounting, Finance or related discipline; MBA or other advanced degree in related field desirable
• Professional certification desirable (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)
• 5+ years' relevant experience in a multinational finance, shared services, transformation or change delivery environment
• 3-5 years' demonstrated leadership experience leading teams, projects or cross-functional workstreams
• Experience delivering finance process transformation, operating model change, continuous improvement or automation initiatives
• Experience in a global scientific/pharmaceutical industry or shared service environment highly desirable.
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders, influencing decisions and communicating transformation impacts across diverse global teams
• Experience with SAP and finance systems, with an understanding of process design, controls, data flow and system-enabled change
• Proven ability to deliver complex initiatives to tight deadlines while maintaining strong governance, risk management and stakeholder confidence