Finance Project Manager
Start date: ASAP
Duration: 9 months
Full time, 5 days p/w.
*PLEASE NOTE: This role will require you onsite in Cheltenham 1 day p/w.*
Our client, a major Cheltenham based manufacturing company, are looking for a Finance Project Manager on a contract basis for approx 9 months. The current project is a single ‘Group’ effort to drive commonality, standardisation, and synergy across the enterprise to align three business units into a single ERP.
Delivery‑driven leader: Owns the integrated Finance plan, critical path, and dependencies into neighbouring streams (SCM, Manufacturing, Data, Integrations, Testing, PMO).
ERP‑savvy: Comfortable translating finance process and control needs into D365 F&O scope (GL/COA, AP, AR, Bank, Fixed Assets, Cash & Treasury, Tax, Projects, Reporting).
Governance‑minded: Operates through Design/Change Authority, keeps risks/issues visible, escalates early, and protects milestones.
Vendor smart: Holds SI partners (e.g. KPMG) accountable for outcomes, quality, and cadence.
Behavioural Attributes:
Decisive
Structured communicator
Collaborative and inclusive across BUs
Pragmatic and outcomes‑oriented
Calm under pressure
Challenges constructively
Key Responsibilities:
Plan & Control: Build and manage the Finance work-stream plan (milestones, dependencies, resources), feeding into the Programme IMS. Track scope, RAID, and change control.
Process & Controls: Coordinate build of standardised E2E finance processes and G3 controls (record‑to‑report, order‑to‑cash, procure‑to‑pay, asset‑to‑report, tax). Ensure segregation of duties and control design is embedded.
D365 Finance Build: Orchestrate configuration, extensions, and integrations across GL/COA, AP/AR, Banking, FA, Cash/Treasury, Tax, Projects/Costing, and Reporting.
Data Enablement: Ensure finance data migration objects (COA, suppliers, customers, bank accounts, assets, opening balances, tax setups) meet quality thresholds; plan mock loads and reconciliations.
Testing: Shape Finance scope for SIT/UAT, define scenarios, entry/exit criteria, defects triage, and sign‑off.
Stakeholder & Vendor Management: Drive weekly cadences with SI/vendor; hold owners to dates; escalate blockers. Provide clear reporting to Programme and Steering forums.
Compliance & Audit: Embed group policies, statutory/regulatory requirements, and auditability into design and ways of working.
Core Experience:
ERP Delivery: 7+ years in large ERP programmes with 2+ full lifecycles on D365 F&O (or AX) across Finance.
Finance Depth: Strong working knowledge of core finance processes, COA design, period close, inter-company, tax, cash, and controls.
Planning & RAID: Proven integrated planning, dependency mapping, critical path management, and RAID control.
Cross‑stream Integration: Familiar with touchpoints to SCM, Manufacturing, Projects, Reporting/BI, and external systems.
Vendor Management: Hands‑on experience directing SIs/partners to plan, deliver, and remediate.
Preferred Experience:
Professional qualification (ACCA/ACA/CIMA) or equivalent experience.
Experience with DevOps/Azure Boards, Power Platform, and D365 DMF for finance data loads.
Prior work in manufacturing/industrial environments.
Familiarity with GxP/SOX‑style controls and audit.
Big 4 consulting experience.