Senior Finance Business Project Manager

Placement Role:        Senior Finance Business Project Manager  
Start:                           Immediate, initial 6 months (To be assessed)  

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The organisation has embarked on a business transformation programme which will be enabled with a new finance solution where five existing finance systems will be consolidated into one overall common standard design. The new solution will also support future growth and align to a new finance operating model.

In addition, the programme will enable the organisation to achieve its 6 strategic business objectives: 

1.   Provide a unified finance system for the whole enterprise which is flexible to meet the business needs providing a single source of truth.  

2.   Enable  adoption  of  finance  process  leading  practices –  standardised, efficient,  leverage automation and technology;  

3.   Finance move to a business partner role providing insight and challenging organisational decision making.  

4.   Delivery of the project on time within the budget to the required benefits realisation and enable Next Generation Ticketing (NGT) implementation within the agreed timelines.  

5.   Ensure robust controls and governance are incorporated in the project and new system while ensuring efficiency of operations, i.e. ensure we have controls at the right level; and  

6.   Align to the organisations Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy – cloud first mindset.  

As part of the new finance operating model, a new centralised finance centre of expertise has been established, with a requirement for a Senior Finance Business Project Manager to play a key role in the planning, design and implementing of the multiple finance projects undertaken with a focus on the finance business readiness for NGT and the establishment of robust financial governance and control.   

Our finance team will undergo significant transformation, moving from siloed operations to a more centralised  and  streamlined  operating  model,  enhancing  efficiency  and  consistency. Where previously we monitored from a distance the financial operations of our Service providers, we are changing strategy to be more involved at granular level of our payment operations. The consolidation into a single ERP and the integration of an advanced automated reconciliation tool   

will greatly improve financial controls and transparency. This shift is crucial for ensuring revenue assurance, particularly with the rise of contactless payments, enabling precise tracking and reconciliation of all transactions. Enhanced monitoring capabilities will also support proactive management of service providers and their performance, ensuring compliance and optimising revenue collection.  

Reporting directly to the Head of Technology Finance and Treasury, the individual will also work closely with Financial Controller and Finance System project director.  

The Senior Finance Business Project Manager shall undertake tasks including but not limited to those listed below to the highest standards:  

Role:

The Senior Finance Business Project Manager will have responsibility & accountability for: 

-    Detailed planning, developing and supporting delivery of the multiple finance projects with a  focus on the finance business readiness for NGT, through co-ordinating with the relevant  stakeholders across the finance projects;  
-    Responsible for planning and co-ordinating with the Process Design Authority and Finance  Design Authority;  
-    Assisting in defining future requirements for the finance team, job specifications and gap  analysis with responsibility for delivery of project information including business requirement  documentation, stakeholder analysis, timelines, budgets, resource allocation, scope and definition of projects;  
-    Support the production and delivery of quality finance documentation for presentation to the  Finance Design Authority and ensure that key finance (and non-finance) stakeholders have been  consulted and approved financial designs and proposals;  
-    Ensure finance dependencies and deliverables across all projects and workstreams are tracked  and managed;  
-    Ensure all financial risks and dependencies are identified, managed and monitored and   communicated to senior finance management;   
-    Ensuring clear open communication with multiple stakeholders including financial management  system project, financial reconciliations solution, external, NGT financial control environment,  vendors and other finance team members to ensure that all aspects of financial planning,  design and controls are incorporated and the finance operating model;  
-    Support the existing operational teams in planning for transition and drive process  improvement and efficiencies in the intervening period;    
-    Apply a structured methodology and lead the planning activities across finance projects,  enabling the NGT implementation within agreed timelines;  
-    Create clear and attainable project objectives and deliverables, building project requirements  and managing time and quality (scope);  
-    Manage all aspects from planning to implementation of projects from end to end including any  and all phases of the project life cycle while incorporating SDLC practices that are suitable for  each project;  
-    Work closely with relevant departments to manage assigned projects in line with business and  project objectives;  
-    Project cost management including effort estimating and managing baseline versus actual costs; 
-    Compile weekly Project Board reports for all ongoing projects to include tracking to deliverables and interdependencies;  
-    Compile bi-weekly Finance Management reports for all ongoing projects to include tracking to  deliverables and interdependencies across all finance projects and operations (including Global  Process Owners); and  
-    Assist on other ad hoc items as they arise.   

This person will report directly into the Head of Technology Finance and Treasury.  
 

Note: The functions and responsibilities initially assigned to the position are based on the current  organisational requirements and may be changed from time to time. The person appointed requires the flexibility to fulfil other roles and responsibilities at a similar level.   

The person:

 
We require an individual who has extensive project management working across multiple  interdependent finance projects. The individual needs to have experience working in complex, multi- priority and matrixed organisations, and expertise dealing with both technical and non-technical  stakeholders.  

-    5+ years’ satisfactory relevant experience working as a Senior Project Manager with a project  management accreditation (PMP, Degree, Dip, PMBOK, PRINCE2 or equivalent);  
-    A professional accountancy qualification and be admitted to membership of a recognised  professional body of accountants;  
-    Experience in leading multiple interdependent works teams, projects and finance  transformation;  
-    Well-developed leadership and management ability with exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal;  
-    Ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal and ability to clearly  articulate messages to a variety of audiences;  
-    Organised with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics and ability to influence  others and move toward a common vision or goal and ability to clearly articulate messages to a  variety of audiences;  
-    Demonstrated commercial acumen, and detailed knowledge of project financial management;  
-    Organised with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics; and  
-    Flexible and adaptable with an ability to work in ambiguous situations.