Head of Centre of Excellence (Finance)

ROLE: Head of Centre of Excellence (Finance) — reports to Group CFO. Executive Finance leadership role; the strategic planning, innovation, and value-realization engine driving the CFO's enterprise-wide technology and productivity agenda. Identifies, architects, and governs the next-gen AI-enabled technology portfolio across all Finance subdivisions: Accounting, FP&A, Treasury, Strategic Sourcing & Procurement, Supply Chain Finance, Internal Audit, AP, AR, GL, Fixed Assets, Taxation. Acts as strategic planning/governance authority ensuring all tech investments are vetted for ROI, TCO, and strategic fit, while collaborating with delivery partners/managed service providers who execute SLA-based "build and run" ops. Institutionalizes Activity-Based Costing, AI copilots, workflow automation, ITFM, and ZBB to cut Finance's Cost per Transaction (CPT), raise service levels, and drive bottom-line P&L value.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESA. Core ERP Strategy, Selection & Interim Bridging (RPA/Low-Code)Lead evaluation, benchmarking, and selection of next-gen Cloud/SaaS ERP (SAP, Oracle, MS Dynamics) across global entities; build RFP scoring matrices, capability mappings, multi-year TCO models for executive decisions.Architect pragmatic interim/tactical bridge solutions so Finance doesn't stall during multi-year ERP evaluation/deployment; deploy RPA bots and intelligent document processing as non-invasive bridges across legacy systems for high-volume data transfers, reconciliations, postings.Use low-code/no-code platforms and tactical cloud bolt-ons to rapidly stand up automated workflows, approval matrices, temporary integrations while core systems are built.B. Finance Innovation, Process Automation & AI IntegrationSpearhead AI adoption (AI agents, GenAI workflows, ML) across transactional/analytical Finance functions to speed decisions and automate operations.Deploy intelligent automation, workflow orchestration, process mining across AP, AR, Treasury, Financial Reporting to remove friction.Evaluate/pilot/scale innovations: modern treasury platforms, AI-driven spend analytics, digital assets infrastructure; drive self-service reporting, interactive executive cockpits, real-time dashboards — shifting from historical to predictive/prescriptive intelligence.Identify high-friction repetitive tasks and deploy RPA/AI to compress cycle times and cost per transaction.C. AI Governance, Risk & ComplianceEstablish and govern an enterprise AI Governance Framework (aligned to ISO 42001 and emerging AI regulation) for transparent, ethical, defensible AI use in Finance.Define fairness metrics, bias mitigation, accountability matrices for algorithmic models used in forecasting, credit scoring, fraud detection, spend classification.Build 3rd-party AI risk screening checklists, model card inventories, data-privacy safeguards for vetting AI/SaaS products pre-procurement; run continuous compliance monitoring to limit operational/legal/reputational risk.D. Application Portfolio Management (APM) & Technology RationalizationOwn/govern the global Finance Application Portfolio; map business capabilities to software across all entities for architectural coherence.Assess applications to find redundancies, eliminate duplicate instances, decommission legacy systems, cut technical debt.Set rigorous financial modeling standards (NPV, IRR, payback, multi-year TCO) for all tech business cases so every capital deployment is justified by verifiable efficiency/revenue gains.E. Finance PMO, Demand Management & Intake GovernanceDesign/enforce a centralized "front-door" intake process for all new tech, enhancement, and automation requests in Finance, preventing scope creep/unapproved software adoption; prioritize by strategic alignment, regulatory urgency, ROI.Lead the Finance PMO governing large digital initiatives (Core ERP selection, P2P automation, O2C optimization, S2C deployment), enforcing milestones, budget caps, business cases.Architect the digital backbone for Finance Shared Services/GBS from low-cost countries enabling standardized multi-entity processing with end-to-end digital tracking.F. ITFM, ZBB & Value RealizationEstablish/chair a Technology Spend Governance Council enforcing investment thresholds, linking tech spend to measurable value.Champion Zero-Based Budgeting across tech Capex/Opex, removing baseline assumptions, requiring full justification for annual tech spend.Design/execute Activity-Based Costing and IT chargeback/showback pricing for full cost transparency across BUs.Drive FinOps and Software Asset Management (SAM), rightsizing enterprise agreements (cloud compute, SaaS licensing), eliminating shelf-ware.Mandate post-implementation benefits tracking so projected headcount efficiencies, process savings, and working-capital gains show up in the P&L.G. Strategic Sourcing, Vendor Value Realization & SLA ManagementLead technology category sourcing/SaaS evaluations; standardize RFI/RFP, evaluation rubrics, SOW frameworks; use e-auctions for commercial leverage on ERP/major software buys.Manage relationships with global tech partners, vendors, system integrators; enforce SLA governance, penalty structures, performance scorecards over outsourced "build and run" providers.Benchmark tech unit costs, licensing, vendor rates against industry standards (e.g., Gartner) for top-quartile cost efficiency.H. Internal Controls, Risk Management & Change LeadershipEmbed internal controls, RACI, and Segregation of Duties into automated workflows/RPA/core systems; maintain audit readiness, zero major control deficiencies.Publish/maintain a Finance Technology Service Catalog with visibility into services, unit costs, baseline SLAs.Orchestrate change management and digital enablement across the global finance workforce, upskilling talent for high adoption of automation, RPA, analytics.EDUCATION MBA from a globally recognized business school; Bachelor's in Computers (honors preferred); continuous learning via an Executive Leadership/Digital Strategy/Advanced Management Program (Ivy League or equivalent). Preferred Certifications: ISO 42001 (AI Governance Lead Implementer), COBIT or related governance frameworks; Cloud (Azure/AWS/Oracle/Google) Practitioner/Fundamentals; SAM, ITIL Foundation/Practitioner; Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt)/Lean/RPA Practitioner.EXPERIENCE15+ years strategic leadership at the intersection of Finance, Technology Strategy, and Governance within large, diversified, multi-billion-dollar global corporations.Proven ERP strategy leadership (enterprise SaaS/Cloud ERP selection) plus interim bridge automation (RPA, low-code) to sustain operational velocity.Track record of multi-million-dollar Capex/Opex savings via demand rationalization, ZBB, license rightsizing, vendor negotiation.Hands-on delivery of GenAI applications, workflow automation, process mining, advanced analytics business cases.Expertise in technology investment councils, Activity-Based Costing, chargeback catalogs, Cloud FinOps, AI token economics.Deep experience in Tier-1 vendor/SI negotiations and SLA-driven outsourced delivery governance.Proven record establishing AI governance policies, risk control matrices (RCM), internal controls yielding clean audits.Industry recognition: awards or published thought leadership.SKILLS Strategic & Financial Governance: ITFM; Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB); Activity-Based Costing (ABC); Technology Investment Councils; Benefits Realization Tracking; Total Cost of Ownership (TCO); Application Portfolio Management; Risk & Control Matrix (RCM). Technology, AI & Automation: SaaS ERP Evaluation & Selection; Robotic Process Automation (RPA); Interim/Bridge Architecture; Generative AI & AI Copilots; AI Governance (ISO 42001); Process Mining & Workflow Tools; Cloud FinOps & SAM; Modern Treasury & Spend Analytics. Sourcing & Operational Delivery: Strategic Category Sourcing; Tier-1 Vendor Negotiations; SLA & Performance Governance; Outsourced Partner Management; Finance PMO Governance; Demand Intake Management; E-Auctions & Contract Lifecycle; Global Business Services (GBS). Leadership & Transformation: Executive Stakeholder Alignment; Large-Scale Change Management; Digital Upskilling & Enablement; Cross-Functional Orchestration; Talent Mentorship & Coaching; C-Suite Advisory & Influence; Culture Transformation; Data-Driven Decision Making.KPIs ("What gets measured gets improved")Cost per Transaction (CPT) Compression: YoY reduction in unit costs for core transactional processes via RPA/automation/core systems.Interim Value Delivery & Velocity: fast deployment of bridge solutions (RPA, low-code) removing critical pain points during ERP selection.Technology Value Realization & ROI: multi-fold ROI across the CoE portfolio; double-digit % savings in addressable tech Capex/Opex via ZBB, asset optimization, sourcing.Productivity & Cycle Time Reduction: >70% compression in manual processing, onboarding, month-end close latency via automation/AI copilots.Application Landscape Optimization: measurable reduction in redundant software, duplicate spend, technical debt.AI Compliance & Risk Mitigation: 100% adherence to ISO 42001 standards, zero critical compliance/ethical/security breaches.Vendor SLA Adherence & Commercial Realization: >95% SLA compliance; 100% realization of negotiated commercial concessions into P&L budgets.Governance & Audit Integrity: 100% of major finance tech investments through formal Investment Council review; zero significant audit deficiencies.