Job Description: Senior SAP S/4HANA Finance Architect
Job Title: Senior SAP S/4HANA Finance Architect
Experience: 12+ Years
SAP Version: SAP S/4HANA 2023
Employment Type: Contract / Full-Time (As Applicable)
Work Location: San Jose, CA (Onsite)
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Senior SAP S/4HANA Finance Architect to lead finance solution architecture, organizational design, and implementation activities for establishing a new legal entity within SAP S/4HANA 2023.
The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in SAP S/4HANA Finance architecture, legal entity design, financial reporting, taxation, treasury, project accounting, product costing, and SOX compliance. This individual will work closely with business and technical stakeholders to evaluate critical architectural decisions, including New Legal Entity vs. New Plant, and develop a scalable, compliant, and efficient SAP solution.
The role requires strong business acumen, hands-on SAP architecture experience, and the ability to communicate complex technical and financial concepts to executive leadership.
Key Responsibilities
1. SAP Finance Architecture and Solution Design
Lead the end-to-end SAP S/4HANA Finance solution architecture for establishing a new legal entity.
Design and validate the target-state finance architecture in alignment with business, legal, tax, treasury, and accounting requirements.
Evaluate and recommend the appropriate organizational structure, including the creation of a new legal entity, company code, or plant.
Ensure the architecture supports scalability, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and future business growth.
Align the solution with SAP S/4HANA 2023 capabilities and enterprise architecture standards.
2. Legal Entity and Organizational Structure Design
Lead the design and configuration strategy for new legal entities and company codes.
Assess the financial, operational, tax, and reporting implications of establishing a new legal entity versus a new plant.
Define organizational structures and integration requirements across company codes, plants, and other relevant SAP organizational units.
Support complex, multi-company environments and intercompany business processes.
3. SAP Finance and Controlling
Design and oversee SAP Finance and Controlling solutions covering:
General Ledger and financial accounting
Financial reporting and period-end closing
Tax compliance and statutory reporting
Treasury and cash management
Product costing and cost accounting
Project Systems and project accounting
Material Ledger and inventory valuation
Intercompany accounting and reconciliations
Ensure appropriate integration between Finance, Procurement, Manufacturing, and other business functions.
Establish financial processes and controls that support accurate reporting and operational requirements.
4. Implementation and Deployment
Lead finance architecture activities for Greenfield SAP S/4HANA implementations.
Translate business requirements into functional architecture, solution designs, and implementation roadmaps.
Collaborate with functional consultants, technical teams, and business stakeholders to validate solution designs.
Oversee architecture decisions throughout implementation, testing, deployment, go-live, and post-go-live stabilization.
Identify architectural risks, dependencies, and potential gaps, and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.
5. Compliance, Controls, and Audit Support
Ensure SAP finance architecture supports internal controls, SOX compliance, and financial governance requirements.
Support internal and external audits by providing relevant system design documentation, control evidence, and process explanations.
Partner with Internal Audit, Finance, Tax, and Compliance teams to address audit findings and control requirements.
Ensure financial processes are designed to meet applicable statutory, regulatory, and corporate reporting standards.
6. Stakeholder and Executive Collaboration
Work closely with Finance, Tax, Treasury, Legal, Procurement, Manufacturing, Internal Audit, and IT leadership.
Present architecture recommendations, solution alternatives, risks, and business impacts to senior leadership.
Facilitate decision-making on complex finance and organizational design topics.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between business objectives and SAP architecture.
Provide architectural guidance and mentorship to project teams.
Required Qualifications
12+ years of experience in SAP Finance, including SAP S/4HANA Finance.
5+ years of experience in SAP S/4HANA solution architecture.
Proven experience delivering at least 3 legal entity implementations.
Experience with at least 2 Greenfield SAP S/4HANA deployments.
Demonstrated experience supporting external audits.
Strong understanding of SAP Finance organizational structures, including company codes, plants, and intercompany relationships.
Expertise in financial accounting, tax, treasury, product costing, Project Systems, Material Ledger, and financial reporting.
Strong knowledge of SOX controls, financial governance, and compliance requirements.
Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to present to executive leadership.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in the semiconductor industry.
Experience supporting fab manufacturing environments.
Experience with complex, multi-entity and multi-company SAP landscapes.
Experience leading large-scale ERP transformations.
Exposure to AI-based solution design, architecture modeling, or AI-enabled enterprise processes.
Experience collaborating with global Finance, Tax, Treasury, Manufacturing, and IT teams.
Key Success Criteria
The successful candidate will be able to:
Deliver a scalable SAP S/4HANA Finance architecture for a new legal entity.
Provide a clear, business-driven recommendation on New Legal Entity vs. New Plant.
Support successful Greenfield implementation and deployment activities.
Establish robust financial reporting, intercompany processing, and compliance controls.
Ensure audit readiness and alignment with business and regulatory requirements.
Communicate architectural decisions effectively to senior executives and cross-functional stakeholders.
Ideal Candidate: A senior SAP S/4HANA Finance Architect with a strong combination of finance domain expertise, proven legal entity implementation experience, Greenfield deployment leadership, and the ability to guide executive-level architectural decisions.
Never miss an opportunity! Create an alert based on the job you applied for.