Global Financial Systems & ERP Director (13 Month FTC)

Reporting to the Vice President, Record to Report, the Global Financial Systems & ERP Director is accountable for the leadership, governance, performance and transformation of National Grid’s Financial Systems Maintenance and ERP Security teams. The role leads multi-disciplinary teams across the UK, US offshore locations, requiring flexibility to operate across time zones in support of critical business activity, close cycles, major programmes, and operational escalations.

As a member of the Record to Report Leadership Team, the Director defines and delivers the global Finance Systems strategy, driving continuous improvement, automation, operational excellence, and large-scale transformation.

This is a role focused on setting direction, enabling technical subject matter experts to deliver outcomes, maintaining strong stakeholder relationships, and providing both challenge and support to ensure solutions are appropriately designed, controlled, and fit for business purposes.

This role is based out of our Waltham, Syracuse or Brooklyn office, and we’d hope to see you at least two days per week but you’re welcome to be in the office more often if that would work best for you. We’re happy to discuss any additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you!

What You'll Do

• Set direction for the Finance Systems Maintenance and ERP Security functions across the US, UK and NGED business, ensuring priorities, service models and delivery plans are aligned to Record to Report, Finance and enterprise technology objectives.
• Maintain accountability for the stability, availability, and effective operation of core finance platforms, including SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, SAP GRC, consolidation tools, and integrated reporting systems.
• Ensure Finance Systems Maintenance activities are prioritised and delivered effectively across break-fix support, configuration changes, master data governance, interface monitoring, system controls, and operational issue resolution across the US and NGED business.
• Provide direction for finance close support, ensuring month-end and year-end activities receive appropriate systems coverage, timely incident response, effective escalation, and controlled resolution of critical issues.
• Oversee the design, governance and effectiveness of ERP roles, access, Segregation of Duties, critical access and user provisioning processes across SAP and related finance applications.
• Ensure finance and technology controls are embedded into system design, access models, change activity and operational processes, supporting SOX, IFRS, US GAAP, FERC, and audit requirements.
• Provide challenge and assurance on Finance Systems solutions, ensuring designs are accurate, controlled, sustainable and fit for business purposes before implementation.
• Coordinate and ERP Security and Finance Systems input into major programmes and projects, including role design, access readiness, system maintenance impacts, financial system process impact, testing support, cutover planning and exit criteria.
• Monitor delivery risks across finance systems workstreams, ensuring resource constraints, operational dependencies and conflicting priorities are surfaced early and managed with appropriate mitigation.
• Oversee change, release, incident, and problem management activity ensuring activity is controlled, prioritised, and aligned with approved governance processes.
• Drive continuous improvement, including automation, process and control simplification, control effectiveness, application rationalisation, and improved user experience.
• Maintain strong working relationships with leaders in other departments such as Controllership, Finance Operations, HR, Payroll, Procurement, Procure to Pay, Technology, Audit and Risk teams to ensure Finance Systems services continue to meet business needs.
• Represent Finance Systems and ERP Security in senior stakeholder forums, translating technical risks, system constraints and operational dependencies into clear business impacts and decisions.
• Manage third-party and managed service delivery, ensuring vendors provide reliable service, appropriate technical capability, clear accountability, and value for money.
• Set priorities for employees, contractors and managed service resources across the UK, US, India, and offshore locations, ensuring capacity is focused on the highest business-critical outcomes.
• Create the conditions for technical SMEs and team members to problem-solve effectively, escalate where needed and deliver outcomes through clear direction, coaching, challenge, and support.

What You'll Have

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Finance, Accounting, or related discipline.
• Professional qualifications of ACA.
• Strong understanding of IT and Finance controls, SOX compliance, audit frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience managing complex stakeholder environments and influencing executive decision making.
• Experience leading global teams and managed service providers across multiple geographies.
• Ability to work flexibly within US and UK time zones when needed.
• Proven track record delivering large-scale ERP transformation and business process improvement programmes.
• Expertise in SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, SAP GRC and integrated enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated success in driving automation, operational excellence, and organisational transformation.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

More Information

The closing date for this vacancy is Midnight 17 September 26, with interviews due to take place w/c 21 September 26 onwards. We encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.