Functional Lead - FI/CO/Group Reporting/Treasury

Job description

About Accenture Accenture helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 786,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $70 billion in FY25 revenue. Visit us at accenture.com. Role OverviewWe are seeking an experienced SAP Finance (FI) Lead to join our Reinvention Services team at Manager level. In this role, you will serve as the principal Functional Subject Matter Expert across SAP Financial Accounting (FI) and related sub-ledgers, leading end-to-end delivery or defined components of complex finance transformation programmes for some of South Africa's most prominent organisations. You will be accountable for functional correctness, team decisions, and delivery quality across multiple workstreams. You will engage directly with CFOs, Finance Directors, and senior business stakeholders to validate solutions, shape financial process design, and ensure that SAP FI implementations create measurable, lasting value. This is a career-defining opportunity for a seasoned SAP Finance specialist who combines deep technical expertise with the strategic advisory and leadership capability required at Manager level. Key ResponsibilitiesFunctional SME Leadership & Delivery Accountability Serve as the primary Subject Matter Expert for SAP Financial Accounting (FI) — including General Ledger (GL), Accounts Payable (AP), Accounts Receivable (AR), Asset Accounting (AA), and Bank Accounting — ensuring functional correctness and alignment with real-world financial business processes. Lead end-to-end delivery or defined components of SAP Finance transformation engagements, meeting all operational, contractual, and financial commitments with accountability and rigour. Apply deep knowledge of financial business processes and expected SAP system behaviour to validate requirements, configurations, and workflows with client finance stakeholders. Ensure solutions are functionally sound, audit-ready, and aligned to both Finance objectives and broader enterprise strategy throughout the project lifecycle. Take responsibility for team decisions within the Finance workstream and provide effective solutions to problems that span both the immediate team and multiple delivery teams. Drive the adoption of delivery best practices, quality standards, and SAP Activate governance frameworks across all engagements. Solution Design & Finance Process Improvement Lead the analysis and redesign of financial business processes — including period-end close, financial reporting, intercompany accounting, and treasury operations — aligning them with SAP S/4HANA and SAP FI system capabilities. Define detailed functional and technical specifications to guide configuration, development, and integration teams across the Finance workstream. Drive continuous improvement initiatives by identifying functional gaps, anticipating design risks, and proposing innovative, scalable financial solutions. Develop and support proof of concepts, solution estimates, and conceptual designs to validate approaches and secure CFO-level stakeholder confidence. Identify opportunities for finance process automation, real-time reporting enhancements, and intelligent ERP capabilities within the SAP S/4HANA ecosystem. Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Advisory Engage directly with CFOs, Finance Directors, Group Controllers, and project sponsors to align delivery objectives with financial performance goals and enterprise strategy. Lead finance design workshops, process walkthroughs, and solution validation sessions with senior Finance and business stakeholders. Communicate effectively with stakeholders throughout the delivery lifecycle — providing transparent progress updates, managing expectations, and resolving escalations with confidence. Influence delivery strategies across multiple Finance and cross-functional teams to optimise efficiency, integration, and overall programme outcomes. Identify and develop opportunities for follow-on value delivery, advisory extensions, or cross-functional up-selling within existing client relationships. Support change management efforts to facilitate smooth adoption of new finance processes, S/4HANA capabilities, and self-service reporting tools. Team Leadership & Practice Contribution Take accountability for team performance within the Finance workstream, providing clear direction, functional mentorship, and cross-team problem resolution. Provide advanced guidance to the delivery team, shaping functional approaches and configuration decisions to enhance overall project quality and outcomes. Mentor and develop junior Finance consultants, elevating functional knowledge, SAP configuration standards, and delivery capability across the practice. Contribute to Accenture's SAP Finance practice through thought leadership, go-to-market positioning, accelerator development, and finance methodology improvement. Engage with multiple delivery teams simultaneously, contributing to key cross-functional decisions with commercial awareness and technical authority. Skills & ExpertiseCore Technical Skills Expert proficiency in SAP Financial Accounting (FI) — General Ledger (New GL / S/4HANA Universal Journal), Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Asset Accounting, Bank Accounting, and Special Purpose Ledger. Advanced proficiency in SAP S/4HANA Finance — including Universal Journal, Central Finance, Group Reporting, and Fiori-based financial applications. Strong understanding of SAP Controlling (CO) integration — cost centres, profit centres, internal orders, and profitability analysis (CO-PA). Proficiency in financial close processes, intercompany reconciliation, foreign currency revaluation, and period-end procedures within SAP. Experience with SAP FI integration to MM (Procure-to-Pay), SD (Order-to-Cash), HR/Payroll, and Treasury modules. Strong capability in requirements gathering, functional and technical specification writing, and solution documentation for finance transformation programmes. Experience with SAP S/4HANA migration methodologies — including system conversion, new implementation, and selective data transition. Enabling & Advisory Skills Advanced proficiency in Finance Business Process Analysis — translating complex financial accounting challenges into structured, implementable SAP configuration and design solutions. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills — ability to engage and advise CFOs, Group Finance teams, and external auditors on SAP Finance design and compliance. Intermediate proficiency in Change Management — guiding finance teams through ERP transformation, process change, and self-service adoption. Understanding of financial reporting standards applicable in South Africa — including IFRS, South African GAAP, and Companies Act reporting requirements. Awareness of South African tax compliance requirements — VAT, withholding tax, and SARS e-filing integration within SAP — advantageous. Foundational proficiency in Data Analytics and SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) for financial reporting advantageous. Qualifications & ExperienceMinimum 8 years of hands-on SAP FI experience, with significant involvement in full-cycle SAP ECC or S/4HANA F