Technical Product Owner, SAP RTR/RAR

Cengage requires a Technical Product Owner possessing proven experience in SAP Record-to-Report (RTR), Revenue Accounting & Reporting (RAR), and deep familiarity with SAP S/4 Finance. This role oversees advancements across our enterprise financial systems. You will work alongside Finance business leads and multifunctional peers to guarantee all solutions implement to Cengage's process standards, architectural frameworks, and strategic ERP roadmap.

This role is crucial to strengthening our RTR/RAR capabilities and ensuring a stable, scalable, compliant, and audit-ready financial foundation for the business.

What You'll Do

As the Technical Product Owner, you will be accountable for the advancement and optimization of our financial systems. Your knowledge will link finance and technology, providing seamless integration and reliable functionality.

Drive RTR/RAR Strategy, Standards, and Requirements

• Collaborate with Controllership, Revenue Accounting, FP&A, Finance, and Technology leaders to collect requirements, validate business needs, and ensure alignment with standard RTR/RAR processes and enterprise build principles.
• Translate business needs into clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and functional specifications that safeguard system integrity and compliance.
• Ensure solution suitability by verifying that all RTR / RAR modifications follow SAP guidelines, internal controls, accounting standards (GAAP/ASC 606/IFRS 15), and global templates.

Lead the RTR/RAR Product Roadmap and Governance

• Lead and prioritize the product backlog for SAP RAR, RTR, GL accounting, financial close, and revenue workflows.
• Build and maintain a multi-quarter roadmap that improves financial accuracy, automation, controls, audit readiness, and operational scale.
• Ensure that backlog items align with Finance leadership priorities, compliance requirements, and Cengage's broader ERP transformation strategy.
• Facilitate establishing authority and conducting development governance reviews, ensuring all RTR/RAR solutions meet the necessary quality and compliance standards.

Ensure Delivery of High-Quality SAP Finance Improvements

• Partner with SAP functional analysts, developers, and architecture teams to deliver improvements across revenue recognition, contract asset/liability calculations, GL posting logic, period-end close processes, reconciliations, and reporting structures.
• Confirm functional builds and test outcomes to guarantee financial accuracy, data integrity, and alignment with RTR/RAR standards.
• Lead root-cause analysis, defect management, and long-term stabilization of RTR and RAR processes.

Lead Agile Execution

• Own sprint planning, backlog refinement, and release readiness in partnership with IT delivery teams.
• Ensure visibility, clear prioritization, and timely delivery across internal IT teams and external implementation partners.
• Champion quality and accountability across all stages of composing, building, testing, and releasing cycles.

Optimize End-to-End RTR & RAR Workflows

• Identify and address problems affecting revenue accuracy, subledger/ledger alignment, period-end close schedules, and maintaining consistency in financial policies.
• Drive cross-team problem solving and ensure remediation plans deliver durable process improvements.
• Support ongoing development tied to Cengage's enterprise-wide finance modernization initiatives, including simplification and automation of financial processes.

Improve Integrations and Data Continuity

• Partner across platforms to optimize integrations between SAP, revenue engines, data platforms, consolidation tools, and downstream reporting systems.
• Ensure consistent and accurate data flow from order to revenue, subledger, and general ledger workflows.

Stay Ahead of SAP and Finance Technology Trends

• Monitor SAP feature updates, changes in regulations, and revisions to accounting standards (ASC 606/IFRS 15).
• Apply findings from large-scale ERP transformation programs to improve decision-making, risk mitigation, and solution reliability., This position has a direct effect on the reliability of Cengage's financial reporting system. You will contribute to accurate revenue recognition, credible financial statements, smooth period-end close, and consistency with changing accounting standards. Your efforts will improve financial controls, lower operational risk, and increase clarity within a complex global setting. Join us and take an important part in advancing the monetary functions of Cengage!

• Proven background of 10-12 years as a Technical Product Owner, Business Analyst, or functional lead supporting SAP RTR, RAR, or financial ERP processes.
• Strong expertise in SAP S/4HANA Finance-including FI/CO, RAR, financial posting logic, and close processes.
• Demonstrable experience maintaining alignment with finance process standards, accounting policies, and SAP guidelines.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to diagnose system, process, and data issues affecting financial accuracy.
• Agile delivery experience using Jira, Monday.com, or similar tools.
• Superb interpersonal and communication skills-capable of working with Finance and Accounting leaders to convert needs into scalable technical specifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience with SAP S/4HANA RAR, ompliance frameworks, and financial controls.
• Experience supporting multi-entity, multi-product, or global financial operating models.
• Background supporting ERP transformation, stabilization, or financial modernization programs.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Information Systems, or equivalent experience.
• SAP Finance certifications.

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here (https://www.cengagegroup.com/news/perspectives/2024/cengage-group-total-rewards-philosophy/) to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy .

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

In this position, you will be eligible to participate in the company's discretionary incentive bonus program. This position's bonus target amount, which is not guaranteed and is dependent on individual performance and overall company results among other factors, is provided below.

15% Annual: Individual Target

$77,100.00 - $100,200.00 USD

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose - driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education. Cengage's portfolio of businesses supports student choice by providing a range of pathways that help learners achieve their goals and lead a choice-filled life. Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-belonging/ ., Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education., Cengage, a global edtech company, supports learners, educators and institutions across more than 100 countries. With products serving nearly 16 million digital users across the Higher Education, School, Work and English Language Learning markets, we've built a learning ecosystem that connects education to employment. We combine trusted content, AI-powered insights and scalable digital platforms to power learning for every future and drive meaningful outcomes at every stage of the learning journey. Warning: Be aware, there has been an increase of targeted recruitment scams perpetrated by bad actors falsely providing job offers on behalf Cengage Group to candidates as a means of obtaining personal information. Note that Cengage will always interview candidates via live in-person meetings, phone calls and video calls before an offer would be extended. Also, be sure to check that communication is coming from an @cengage.com email address.