Product Owner- Finance Transformation

The Finance Transformation Product Owner will act as the voice of Finance within a major programme moving the organisation from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA. The role will bridge Finance, Technology, the wider business, systems-integrator partners and third-party implementation partners, translating finance requirements into deliverable outcomes and ensuring the future solution works operationally.

This is a business-side product ownership and assurance role, not an SAP configuration position. The successful candidate will own the required outcomes, help shape future-state finance processes, challenge proposed solutions and provide confidence and sign-off that delivered capabilities meet business, reporting, control and regulatory needs.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the voice of Finance throughout the finance transformation programme.
• Support the migration from SAP ECC to S/4HANA and shape future-state finance processes and capabilities.
• Bridge Finance, Technology, business teams, systems integrators and third-party implementation partners.
• Translate business requirements into clear, prioritised and deliverable outcomes.
• Ensure solutions meet operational reporting, financial-control and regulatory requirements.
• Own business acceptance and sign-off, providing constructive challenge where a proposed solution does not meet the required outcome.
• Work with Finance to remove process inefficiencies and drive adoption of the new capabilities.
• Lead and contribute actively in workshops with finance subject-matter experts and process owners.
• Manage dependencies and collaborate closely with the Core Branch/Lot 1 programme.
• Maintain ownership of the business outcome while delivery partners undertake implementation activity.

• Strong practical knowledge of SAP S/4HANA; direct experience of an ECC-to-S/4HANA transformation is the ideal background. Alternatively, substantial experience of a major ERP transformation or finance-modernisation programme.
• Good knowledge of finance technology and day-to-day finance operations.
• Strong understanding of core finance processes, including the general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, period-end activity and financial controls.
• Experience shaping future-state processes and converting finance needs into workable technology outcomes.
• Experience working effectively with systems integrators and third-party implementation partners.
• Understanding of operational reporting, controls and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to operate within a complex accounting landscape involving organisational, branch and supplier accounts.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across finance, business and technology audiences.

Desirable experience

• Previous ownership of finance outcomes within an SAP-led transformation.
• Experience modernising a complex finance estate that includes SAP alongside other platforms and products.
• Evidence of improving finance processes and supporting successful business adoption.
• Experience managing dependencies between finance transformation and wider enterprise-platform or operational change programmes.
• Work closely with finance subject-matter experts, process owners,
• Comfortable navigating a complex finance landscape and multiple programme dependencies.