SAP Finance and Control Lead

Wiley•Hoboken, NJ

10d•$140,000 - $200,733

About The Position

Wiley is seeking an experienced SAP FI Functional Lead to lead the Finance workstream across its ECC Consolidation and S/4HANA Migration programs. This high-visibility role works at the intersection of Finance, Technology, and Innovation, serving as the primary functional authority for SAP Finance and engaging directly with Wiley executive and business leadership, system integrators, and technology vendors. The role leads end-to-end SAP FI delivery, including solution design, migration, integration, testing, cutover, and post-go-live support. It also leads evaluation and phased integration of SAP Business AI, Joule, and embedded S/4HANA intelligent capabilities to modernize financial processes and realize business value. The successful candidate ensures solution quality and architectural alignment, manages stakeholder and vendor relationships, and provides functional leadership and mentoring to SAP FI consultants and Business Analysts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
At least 10 years of hands-on SAP FI functional experience across multiple full-lifecycle implementations.
At least three full ECC or S/4HANA implementations (Greenfield, Brownfield, or Selective Data Transition), including at least one as a Finance Functional Lead.
Experience on large-scale ECC consolidation or systems rationalization programs; global, multi-entity experience is sought.
Experience in a global organization with complex Finance operating models, including multi-currency, multi-GAAP, and intercompany operations.
Demonstrated experience collaborating with C-level executives, Finance Controllers, and Shared Services leaders to drive technology-enabled Finance transformation.
Experience managing and holding system integrator and vendor partners accountable in program governance.
Deep S/4HANA Finance expertise, including Universal Journal, New Asset Accounting, Central Finance, Group Reporting, Multi-Ledger, and Advanced Payment Management.
Strong configuration proficiency in General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Asset Accounting, Bank Communication Management, and Electronic Bank Statement.
Experience with SAP Fiori Finance applications and Fiori-based process redesign.
Understanding of SAP integration patterns, including IDocs, BAPIs, ALE, and SAP Integration Suite (formerly CPI).
Familiarity with SAP BTP, particularly Integration Suite, Analytics, and AI/ML services.
Proficiency with SAP migration tools, including S/4HANA Migration Cockpit and Readiness Check, and third-party ETL tools.
Working knowledge of SAP GRC, segregation-of-duties management, and S/4HANA Finance audit-trail requirements.
Practical experience implementing SAP Business AI or Joule use cases in Finance.
Familiarity with AI/ML concepts for financial processes, including anomaly detection, predictive close, intelligent document processing, and cash application automation.
Experience with RPA tools such as SAP Build Process Automation, UiPath, Automation Anywhere, or equivalent.
Understanding of generative AI application patterns and the ability to translate them into Finance-related business use cases.
Strategic thinking, executive communication, influencing without authority, delivery excellence, stakeholder management, innovation, collaboration, and structured problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience in Media, Publishing, or Information Services, with knowledge of subscription revenue, rights management, royalty accounting, digital content monetization, and multi-channel distribution.
Experience with SAP IS Media, including Subscription Order Management, Rights & Royalties, Revenue Management, and Content Management integration points; understanding of IS Media interactions with FI during ECC-to-S/4HANA migration.
SAP Certified Application Associate — SAP S/4HANA Finance (any current release).
SAP Certified Application Professional — Financials in SAP S/4HANA.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Chartered Accountant (CA — ACA / ACCA / ICAI / equivalent).
Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
Equivalent demonstrated expertise may be considered in place of the preferred certifications.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end SAP FI workstream delivery for ECC Consolidation and S/4HANA Migration, from scope definition and blueprint through realization, testing, cutover, and hyper care.
Own Finance functional design across General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, Bank Accounting, Cost Centre Accounting, Taxes, and Profit Centre Accounting.
Lead the ECC-to-S/4HANA transition, using the Universal Journal architecture, simplified data model, and Fiori, AI, and Joule-based user experience.
Lead fit-to-standard and fit-gap workshops, document solution decisions, resolve issues within agreed timelines, and manage scope changes by assessing impacts on timeline, cost, and architecture.
Oversee Finance master-data and open-item migration strategy, cleansing, and reconciliation.
Define and validate integration designs between SAP FI, adjacent workstreams, and non-SAP systems.
Engage Wiley C-suite, Finance Leadership, and Business Process Owners to align solution direction, program milestones, and change impacts.
Prepare and present executive program updates, risks, required decisions, and escalations; represent the program in Steering Committee, Architecture Review Board, and governance forums.
Build relationships with Finance Leadership to support business readiness, user adoption, and post-go-live value realization.
Collaborate with system integrator and vendor technology leads, communicate requirements, review solutions, and hold partners accountable for quality and timelines.
Partner with SAP on product roadmap alignment, SAP Business AI strategy, and escalations; coordinate across infrastructure, integration, data, security, and change-management workstreams.
Evaluate, design, and phase delivery of SAP Business AI and Joule capabilities in Finance, including automation and intelligent features for close, AP/AR matching, cash-flow forecasting, and anomaly detection.
Assess and implement embedded S/4HANA Finance AI features, define a Finance AI roadmap, prioritize use cases, and promote responsible AI governance, auditability, and compliance.
Ensure SAP FI designs adhere to SAP Best Practices, architectural standards, and Wiley enterprise design principles.
Review and approve functional specifications, configuration workbooks, test scripts, and technical design documents; define and oversee unit, integration, regression, UAT, and performance testing.
Improve delivery methodology, tooling, and documentation standards.
Provide functional leadership, mentoring, and direction to SAP FI consultants and Business Analysts; establish team roles and expectations and support skills-gap and capability-development planning.