Senior Manager, Finance Transformation, Expense & Operational Finance

DLA Piper•Washington, DC

1d•$149,276 - $237,355•Hybrid

About The Position

Join a high-impact finance leadership role at the center of operational excellence and transformation. The Senior Manager, Finance Transformation, Expense & Operational Finance is a strategic and hands-on leader who will help shape the future of finance operations by leading core functions such as Accounts Payable, expense operations, process optimization, finance systems transformation, and data-driven decision support. This is more than a traditional finance operations role—it is an opportunity to drive meaningful change, influence how the business scales, and partner directly with executive leadership and operational business owners on initiatives that improve efficiency, strengthen controls, enhance visibility, and deliver measurable business value. The successful candidate will bring expertise across operational finance, procure-to-pay, finance transformation, automation, budgeting and forecasting support, and stakeholder partnership. As part of a growing and established team, this role offers exceptional exposure, advancement potential, and the opportunity to contribute to global transformation efforts. You will join a cohesive, high-performing group that values collaboration, targeted professional development, and mentorship designed to support long-term career progression. If you are energized by building scalable finance operations, modernizing processes, and making a visible impact across the enterprise, this is a compelling opportunity to do career-defining work.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or a related field.
10+ years of progressive experience in finance transformation, operational finance, FP&A, controllership support, shared services, procure-to-pay, or related finance leadership roles, including experience leading large-scale initiatives, cross-functional programs, process improvement efforts, systems implementations, and stakeholder-facing transformation work.
Strong operational finance and finance transformation experience with the ability to influence across functions and levels of the organization.
Strategic mindset, strong execution discipline, and a track record of improving finance operations through process redesign, automation, systems implementation, analytics, and change management.
Executive presence, excellent communication skills, strong business partnership capabilities, and the ability to translate complexity into clear actions and measurable outcomes.
Expertise in operational finance, Accounts Payable, expense management, procure-to-pay processes, FP&A partnership, financial analysis, vendor management, KPI development, process optimization, finance systems, reporting and dashboarding, and leading cross-functional transformation initiatives in complex organizations.
Collaborative people leader who develops talent, embraces innovation, and thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
Effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with clients, lawyers, business professionals, and third parties.
Produce deliverables, answer phone calls, and reply to correspondence in an efficient and responsive manner.
Provide timely, accurate, and quality work product.
Successfully meet deadlines, expectations, and perform work duties as required.
Foster positive work relationships.
Comply with all firm policies and practices.
Engage in both physical and sedentary activity, such as (a) working at a computer for extended periods of time, including on-screen reading and typing; (b) participating in digital/virtual conference calls; (c) participating in meetings as needed.
Ability to work under pressure and manage competing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Perform all other duties, tasks or projects as assigned.
Embrace and uphold firm values.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Business Administration or related field.

Responsibilities

Lead modern finance operations with a focus on scalability, service excellence, and strong financial controls.
Oversee day-to-day operational finance functions, including Accounts Payable and key elements of expense management.
Ensure accuracy, timeliness, compliance, and a strong control environment across transactional finance processes.
Establish, monitor, and continuously improve service levels, KPIs, and operational performance metrics.
Identify and resolve process bottlenecks, control gaps, and inefficiencies that affect service delivery and business outcomes.
Drive process improvement, standardization, and continuous optimization across finance operations.
Lead process reengineering efforts that reduce cycle times, improve quality, and create more efficient end-to-end workflows.
Standardize policies, procedures, and operational workflows across teams, functions, and geographies.
Implement automation and streamline manual processes to improve productivity, scalability, and user experience.
Partner with stakeholders to elevate service delivery, strengthen operating discipline, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
Partner with FP&A and business leaders to strengthen insight, planning, and decision support.
Collaborate with FP&A to support budgeting, forecasting, expense management, and financial planning activities.
Translate operational drivers into financial insights, recommendations, and business cases that inform better decision-making.
Analyze cost drivers, headcount trends, vendor spend, and operating metrics to identify optimization opportunities.
Improve visibility into financial performance through enhanced reporting, dashboards, and actionable analytics.
Lead targeted finance transformation initiatives from strategy through execution.
Own and execute finance transformation initiatives with a focus on practical, measurable outcomes and sustainable business value.
Lead RFP processes for finance systems, tools, and service providers, including requirements gathering, vendor evaluation, scoring, recommendation development, and executive presentations.
Oversee end-to-end implementation of new tools, systems, and workflows, ensuring delivery against scope, timeline, budget, and business requirements.
Manage external vendors and implementation partners to drive accountability, execution quality, and alignment to transformation goals.
Support development of scalable operating models, including shared services, centralized support structures, and global process alignment.
Drive change adoption across teams by building readiness, communication, and engagement around new processes and technologies.
Advance technology, analytics, and data enablement across the finance organization.
Partner with IT and Finance teams to implement and enhance finance systems, reporting tools, and digital workflows.
Help define and maintain a finance operations technology roadmap aligned to business priorities, transformation objectives, and future scalability.
Leverage analytics, reporting, and data insights to improve decision-making, transparency, and operational performance.
Support introduction of automation, AI-enabled tools, and modern finance capabilities where they create clear operational benefit.
Build trusted partnerships across Finance, Operations, and executive leadership.
Act as a strategic finance partner to operational leaders, business owners, and executive stakeholders.
Provide proactive insights that support cost management, investment prioritization, budgeting decisions, and operational planning.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Procurement, IT, HR, and other business teams to align priorities and deliver enterprise-wide improvements.