Financial Systems Manager

National Cooperative Bank•Arlington, VA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Systems Manager provides strategic leadership and governance oversight for the financial systems that enable the Finance organization to meet its operational excellence objectives. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance Manager, this leader shapes the Finance technology agenda, advises executive stakeholders, and directs a multi-year roadmap that aligns investments with business priorities, regulatory expectations, risk management, and scalable growth. The role is accountable for the effectiveness of the Finance systems portfolio, and leads cross-functional delivery across Accounting, Treasury, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Internal Audit, Information Technology (IT), Information Security, Project Management Office (PMO), Vendor Management, Risk Management. The Business Systems Analyst is a direct report to this position.

Requirements

Ten or more years of progressive experience across Finance, Accounting, and Financial Systems, preferably within a regulated financial services environment.
Demonstrated success leading Finance technology strategy, systems governance, and enterprise technology initiatives supporting Finance functions.
Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial close, financial and regulatory reporting processes, budgeting, forecasting, and controls, and adept at translating business requirements into technology solutions.
Proven experience serving as a strategic liaison between Finance stakeholders and technical teams and leading cross-functional project portfolios.
Working knowledge of application lifecycle management, project governance, enterprise architecture governance, information security controls, data governance, vendor risk management, and change management practices within a regulated financial services environment, including the ability to coordinate effectively across multiple governance and control functions.
Knowledge of enterprise accounting systems, financial reporting applications, planning and budgeting solutions, data integration, and workflow automation.
Knowledge of vendor risk management practices, SOC 1 and SOC 2 reports, IT general controls (ITGCs), application controls, and control frameworks relevant to financial systems.
Excellent executive communication, stakeholder management, business acumen, strategic thinking, and a hands-on, solution-oriented approach to execution.
Proficient in productivity, business intelligence, automation, and AI-enabled tools, with an understanding of AI use cases, governance considerations, operational risks, and controls applicable to Finance processes and systems.
Prior supervisory or people leadership experience.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in Business, Information Systems, Finance, and/or Business Analytics is preferred.
Professional certifications in Finance, Treasury, Accounting, and/or Project Management are preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and continually refine a multi-year roadmap of future enhancements and/or version upgrades, along with project priority rankings and projected start, milestone, and end dates for all systems supporting the Finance team.
Serve as business lead for Finance system implementations, upgrades, enhancements, integrations, vendor-supported changes, and technology initiatives while making sure they are appropriately reviewed, assessed, documented, tested, approved, and implemented in coordination with IT, Information Security, PMO, Vendor Management, and other applicable governance functions.
Closely coordinate with the Business Systems Analyst on managing and prioritizing projects and initiatives.
Collaborate with vendors and Finance team members to identify and evaluate the costs, benefits, and potential operational efficiencies associated with implementing currently unused features within deployed systems.
Evaluate existing systems for overlap in functionality and identify opportunities to retire redundant applications as core systems introduce new features and capabilities.
Prepare the annual budget and financial forecasts for Finance system projects and partner with IT to assess whether third-party project assistance is required.
Serve as a trusted advisor to Finance and technology leaders; provide guidance on Finance technology priorities, investments, risks, operational improvements, and modernization opportunities; and translate complex technology, data, risk, and investment considerations into clear explanations and recommendations for executive and non-technical audiences.
Serve as the business lead for Finance applications and represent Finance in governance, architecture, security, project, change management, vendor management, business continuity, and risk management activities involving Finance systems.
Coordinate with Finance team leaders, Vendor Management, and Legal for contract renewals and amendments for the suite of Finance systems.
Serve as Finance’s point of contact with Vendor Management and Internal Controls for periodic vendor compliance assessments, including review of System and Organization Controls (SOC) reports for Finance systems.
Coordinate with Finance team members on enhancing or developing new system-generated reports, and with improving the user experience, productivity, and cost effectiveness of Finance systems.
Work directly with vendors and IT to resolve any performance issues.
Lead continuous improvement and innovation initiatives within Finance systems by leveraging intelligent automation, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced data analytics, and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency, reporting, and decision-making.