SAP Finance Functional Architect

Our client is seeking a senior SAP Finance Functional Architect, with a strong accounting background and proven expertise in migrating from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA.

This leadership role requires a seasoned finance business architect who is both technically proficient and skilled at partnering closely with Finance leadership including the CFO and Controller to guide them through complex transformation decisions and their associated business and technical impacts.

The successful candidate will have a detailed hands-on understanding of the topics and provide end-to-end leadership across finance process design, solution architecture, data migration, system configuration, and cutover planning to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Stakeholder Engagement & Business Leadership:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO and Controllers for aligning accounting practices, reporting requirements, and internal controls with the new system.
• Serve as a bridge between business and IT, educating stakeholders on key changes, required actions, and the impact of the S/4 transformation.
• Lead strategic workshops with executive stakeholders to align on S/4HANA capabilities, finance transformation vision, and roadmap.
• Conduct business workshops to define and document finance processes, data structures, and reporting requirements under S/4HANA.
• Guide the organization through key transformation decisions, such as the Universal Journal and data structure implications, New Asset Accounting design, Material ledger, Margin Analysis, explaining financial, operational, and compliance implications in a business-friendly manner.
• Facilitate decision-making by presenting options, pros/cons, and SAP-recommended best practices.

Solution Architecture & Process Transformation:

• Translate business requirements into functional specifications and work closely with technical teams to realize them.
• Work with our SI and business leaders to define and own the end-to-end SAP S/4HANA Finance (FI/CO) solution architecture, including Universal Journal structure, Asset Accounting, Margin Analysis (CO-PA), Material Ledger, and integration with Enterprise Performance Management (EMP) tools for consolidations and planning/forecasting.
• Ensure solution designs meet compliance and internal control requirements.
• Provide oversight and mentorship to IT configuration teams, finance SMEs, and business analysts during the implementation of the S/4HANA solution.
• Partner with other architects and process owners to ensure consistency of process design, configuration standards, and integration across SAP modules (e.g., MM, SD, WM).

Data Migration, Cutover, and Program Leadership:

• Determine, in cooperation with business leaders and PMO, the best timing to tackle S/4 migration preparation tasks e.g. Material Ledger conversion, Chart of Accounts mapping, data cleanup, and lead any related workshops and POCs.
• Provide leadership on S/4 financial data migration strategy, required data cleansing, reconciliation processes, and cutover planning for the finance track.
• Partner with internal audit, IT finance and business teams to ensure reconciliation integrity and audit readiness for migrated data.
• Advise on the best ways to approach existing financial reporting impacted by ECC to S/4 data model changes. Lead finance reporting reconciliation activities in preparation for S/4 migration.
• Participate in program governance structures and represent the Finance workstream in cross-functional steering committees.
• Drive issue resolution and escalation management for all finance-related topics.

Key Skills:

• A deep understanding of both accounting principles and SAP technical architecture, combined with a strategic vision and hands-on ability to execute.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management abilities, including working with the CFO, Controllers and finance team leaders. Demonstrated ability to bring structure to ambiguity and influence decision-making.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to adapt communication style to a nontechnical audience.
• Ability to lead cross-functional workshops and clearly explain ECC to S/4 changes, options and their implications on FI/CO operations.
• Proven experience guiding finance organizations through complex transformation decisions, managing both business and technical impacts.

Deep SAP FI/CO expertise with hands-on experience in S/4HANA Finance including:

• Universal Journal (ACDOCA),
• New Asset Accounting,
• Margin Analysis and Profitability Segment design,
• New GL with segment reporting and document splitting,
• Parallel Accounting Options,
• Material Ledger including multiple valuations
• Business Partner Integration impact on Finance,
• Integrations with EMP (consolidation and planning /forecasting tools), and
• supporting data model, Fiori apps, APIs and reports.
• Experience with at least two SAP ECC to S/4HANA system conversions in large complex organizations with a lead role focused on Finance transformation.
• Experience with global rollouts, compliance frameworks, segregation of duty, tax, and audit/regulatory reporting requirements. Experience with U.C. Canada and Mexico regulations preferred.
• Experience with adjacent architectural areas such as Data, Infrastructure, Security, and Cloud architecture.
• Open mind to adopt SAP best practices but also utilize 3td party tools and modified processes as appropriate for the business.
• Demonstrated leadership of IT configuration teams and data/process migration efforts.
• Working knowledge of SAP Activate methodology and supporting tools.
• Bachelor s degree in accounting, finance, or a technical field.
• 15+ years of experience with SAP Finance (FI/CO) including multiple ECC and S/4HANA, business analysis, and architecture design.

Salary: $180,000- $195,000 per year ( depends on experience level)

Benefits: Medical Insurance, PTO, 401 (k) and more