Your newpany
You will be joining a large andplex Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) undertaking a critical transformation of its finance function through the implementation of Sage Intacct. The organisation operates across multiple entities and ismitted to strengthening financialernance, improving automation, and reducing manual processes and associated control risks.The Trust is currently working with a delivery partner on the system build but is seeking an experienced, independent client-side specialist to provide assurance, leadership and programme recovery support. This is a high-impact assignment with strong senior stakeholder visibility and a clear focus on delivering a robust, audit-ready finance system.
Your new role
As Interim SAGE Intacct Implementation Lead, you will take ownership of a live, in-flight implementation that requires diagnostic review, course correction, and delivery discipline through to go-live and stabilisation.This is not a standard implementation role — you will act as the client-side design authority, providing independent oversight, challenging the implementation partner where required, and ensuring that the system delivers best practice financial processes and controls.
This is a 4–6-month contract with an immediate start. The role is remote, but you must be able to travel to Blackburn to meet with the team and stakeholders.
You will:
1. Conduct a rapid diagnostic of the current system build and configuration
2. Benchmark the solution against best practice and contracted functionality
3. Define “what good looks like” and ensure this is delivered
4. Challenge and influence the implementation partner where necessary
5. Strengthen financial controls, particularly across P2P, payments, supplier and bank controls, and access/segregation of duties
6. Implement programme discipline including planning,ernance, and RAID management
7. Support delivery through go-live and initial post-implementation stabilisation.
This role requires both strategic oversight and hands-on delivery capability to bring pace, clarity, and structure to a programme requiring course correction.
What you'll need to succeed
To be successful in this assignment, you will bring strong expertise in both Sage Intacct and finance transformation withinplex organisations.
Essential experience:
8. Proven track record leading Sage Intacct implementations
9. Strong Finance Background and use of finance systems
10. Good technical skills in project management
11. Experience recovering or resetting in-flight ERP implementations
12. Deep understanding of: Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes, financial controls, audit requirements, fraud risk mitigation, segregation of duties and access control design
13. Experience working client-side alongside implementation partners
14. Ability to operate at both a strategic design level and hands-on delivery level
15. Experience within Multi-Academy Trusts, education, or public sector environments
16. Knowledge of multi-entity finance structures
17. Understanding of VATplexity and banking/payment integrations
Personal attributes:
18. Credible and confident in challenging suppliers constructively
19. Strong focus on controls, quality, and assurance
20. Pragmatic, delivery-focused, and oues-driven
21. Able to bring clarity and structure to ambiguity at pace
What you'll get in return
22. Outside IR35 contract
23. Immediate start with a critical, high-profile transformation programme
24. Initial 4–6 month engagement with potential extension
25. Opportunity to lead programme recovery and shape a best-in-class finance system
26. Senior stakeholder exposure and genuine impact on organisational controls andernance