Position Overview:

• As part of the Group Finance Transformation department, the Head of Applications – Finance plays a pivotal role in ensuring the stability, performance, and evolution of Finance applications across the Group.
• This role supports operational efficiency and strategic transformation of Finance by leveraging technology on a scale.
• The incumbent will lead a central team in charge of the administration, support, and continuous improvement of the Finance applications landscape.
• This includes core and extended tools such as EPM, Expense Management, P2P solutions, and other key systems.
• The incumbent will act as a bridge between Finance, IT, and business functions, and serve as a key point of contact for strategic projects involving Finance applications and data.

In this role, the incumbent will:

• Ensure robust governance and oversight of Finance applications, defining standards and best practices for system administration and usage across entities.
• Drive the harmonization of application management practices with the ambition to reach best-in-class performance in support, user experience, and operational reliability including JIRA tool.
• Lead initiatives in continuous improvement, acting in project mode to evolve tools and processes in line with Finance’s transformation roadmap.
• Be the primary liaison for Finance application-related projects, including system upgrades, rollouts, integrations, and enhancements.
• Act as a key stakeholder on data-related topics, ensuring data consistency, availability, and alignment with reporting and analytics needs.
• You will report to the Central Finance Director of Projects & Applications, and will work closely with senior Finance stakeholders, Group IT, and external partners to shape and execute the vision for Finance technology across the organization.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Applications Management & Operations

• Lead the central administration team for Finance applications (core and non-core systems).
• Oversee daily operations to ensure system availability, performance, and service continuity.
• Coordinate with IT and external providers for maintenance, upgrades, and incident resolution.

2. Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Serve as the primary interface between Finance and other departments on application-related topics.
• Ensure system functionalities align with Finance process needs and business requirements.
• Promote data consistency, integration, and system harmonization across entities.

3. Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor user satisfaction and gather feedback to drive enhancements.
• Lead system optimization and automation initiatives are in line with the broader transformation roadmap.
• Identify and address operational pain points through technology-driven solutions.

4. Testing Strategy & Execution

• Design, lead, and supervise testing campaigns (unit testing, integration testing, UAT) during system updates, system improvement or new deployments.
• Ensure test plans are properly documented, executed, and traceable.
• Coordinate with users, IT, and support teams to validate functionality and performance.
• Ensure testing activities are aligned with risk management and quality assurance standards.

5. KPI Tracking & Reporting

• Define, implement, and maintain performance dashboards and KPIs.
• Track quality of service, incident resolution times, system reliability, and project delivery status.
• Provide regular updates to leadership and support decision-making with data insights.