Finance Transformation Programme Manager

Aer Lingus; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aer Lingus is seeking a Finance Transformation Programme Manager to lead the next phase of the finance roadmap, post SAP S/4HANA stabilisation. You will translate strategic aims into a structured, well-governed programme across technology, processes and data, with a focus on adoption and benefits across finance.

You will own governance, drive end-to-end delivery from business case to benefits realisation, and manage interdependencies and budget across multiple workstreams.

Qualifications

• Finance background with post-qualification experience or equivalent
• Formal project management qualifications (PRINCE2, PMI, APM) preferred
• Experience delivering multi-workstream transformation programmes in finance
• Change management capability on large-scale programmes
• Experience post-ERP transformation and SAP/related implementations
• Fluent in English; EU work eligibility
• Airside security pass eligibility

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the Finance Transformation roadmap and governance across processes and technology
• Lead end-to-end delivery of transformation workstreams from business case to benefits realisation
• Manage programme governance, RAID log, milestones and benefits realisation tracking
• Oversee interdependencies, budgets and resource allocation
• Proactively surface risks, decisions and blockers
• Advance strategy for further state EPM solution

Skills

Effective communication

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Documentation

Change management

Team work / initiative

Education

Qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Celonis

SAP Signavio

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Your role Finance Transformation Programme Manager is a senior programme delivery role within the Finance Transformation & Data team. With the SAP S/4HANA implementation now stabilised, this role owns the next phase of the finance transformation roadmap translating the strategic ambition into a structured, well-governed programme of work over the next 18-month period that delivers measurable benefits and capability improvements across finance. The role sits at the intersection of programme management & organisational change, recognising that technology and process improvements only deliver value when people adopt them. This role will play a key role in planning, designing and managing the delivery of the next phase of the Finance transformation programme, across a number of workstreams spanning technology, processes, systems and data transformation. They will be responsible for effective governance via steering committees and provide clear direction to all stakeholders in finance on the delivery of the various projects.

Principal Accountabilities

• Own and maintain the Finance Transformation roadmap translating strategic priorities into a sequenced, resourced, and governed programme of initiatives across process and technology.
• Lead the end-to-end delivery of transformation workstreams, from business case through design, build, testing, deployment, and embedding, ensuring each initiative delivers defined benefits.
• Establish & run effective programme governance, maintaining a consolidated programme plan, RAID log, milestone tracker and benefits realisation tracker.
• Manage programme interdependencies and budget & resource allocation.
• Proactively manage upwards, surfacing risks, decisions, & blockers early.
• Drive the strategy for further state EPM (Enterprise Planning Management) solution.

Process Efficiency

• Identify, prioritise, and deliver opportunities across finance and ensure clean, efficient streamlined processes are in place with clear accountabilities prior to commencing opportunities.
• Drive a structured pipeline: opportunity assessment, business case, solution design, build, UAT, & release.
• Evaluate & recommend emerging technologies for inclusion in the transformation roadmap, building the business case.

Change Management & Adoption

• Lead the change management strategy for its implementation, covering stakeholder analysis, change impact assessment, communications planning, training design, & adoption measurement.
• Build & maintain a network of change champions across finance sub-functions to support local adoption of new processes, tools, & ways of working.
• Develop & deliver targeted communications and engagement that bring finance teams on the journey moving people from awareness through understanding to active adoption.

Essential Qualifications/Experience

• Finance background, ideally a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with significant post qualification experience (or equivalent experience gained in a large industry environment).
• Formal project management qualifications such as PRINCE2, PMI, APM or similar is preferred. Proven experience delivering complex, multi-workstream transformation programmes in a finance environment end to end, from business case through to benefits realisation.
• Formal change management capability and demonstrated experience leading structured change on large-scale programmes. Proven experience in delivering major continuous improvement projects in a finance area.
• Experience in the analysis, definition, design and deployment of optimised finance through the latest design thinking/agile methods.
• Experience of post-ERP implementation transformation, understanding the landscape of stabilisation, optimisation, and automation that follows a major SAP or equivalent implementation.
• Strong finance domain knowledge; comfortable with end-to-end finance processes.
• Exposure to process mining tools (e.g. Celonis, SAP Signavio) as a mechanism for identifying and evidencing automation opportunities.
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
• Eligible to live and work in the EU.
• Be in possession of or be able to obtain an airside security pass.

Essential Competencies/skills

• Effective communication skills being able to manage messaging both to wider teams and to Executive level.
• Strong analytical skills, with ability to analyse issues and their root causes.
• Ability to formulate solutions to problems and present recommendations for approval.
• Strong personal credibility eg to facilitate building and maintaining external relationships, with a view to identifying best-in-class finance processes.
• A strong background and understanding of business process improvement, systems implementation and controls.
• Ability to document and support complex business systems flows.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work under pressure often to strict deadlines.
• Flexible, adaptable and able to work on their own initiative and as part of a team.

Desirable Criteria

• Tableau or PowerBI certified.
• Databricks/dimensional data modelling experience.

At Aer Lingus, we embrace diversity and believe in providing equal opportunities to all qualified individuals. We are dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and respectful work environment that values employees' unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We do not discriminate based on race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected status. If you have any questions or require any accommodations to support you in your application, please contact us at [e-mail].

Division / Department

Finance - Finance Operations