Head of Finance IT Domain - Global Corporate

About the context

Chanel is a federated organisation running divisions and regions all over the globe. As our Finance domain is driving process efficiencies through harmonized processes and streamlining its system landscape, we are looking for a Head of Finance IT domain.

The Finance IT domain provides Technology solutions across for both the Finance community and all employees worldwide, across the different Finance domains from Accounting to Treasury and Financial Planning to Insurances.

Our new Head of Finance IT Domain will partner with the Global finance leadership team, process owners and TECH experts to build a vision, strategy and roadmap, ensure technology feasibility, secure investment to effect long term transformation, lead a portfolio of projects and initiatives, and guarantee excellent run operations for live solutions.

Current technology solutions within the Finance portfolio include:

-          Source to Pay: Coupa, Edicom, Concur, Oversight, Reval, Fides

-          Record to Report: Oracle Financial Consolidation, Oracle Accounts Reconciliation, Oracle Tax Reconciliation and IBM Planning Analytics, PowerPlan,

-          Risk & Control: Origami Risk, AuditBoard, Visiativ Real Estate

You will be leading a team of experts in London covering these domains and technologies, as well as a team in Paris supporting specifically the Corporate Finance teams over there. With our ERP being the crossroads of all processes, you and your teams partner closely with the D365 Solution Center part of the same TECH organization, complemented by transversal teams for Intelligent Automation, Data Analytics and Enterprise Architecture serving the Finance domain and all other Corporate functions.

Key Finance challenges for the years ahead include:

-          Harmonizing processes through a global ERP

-          Re-design the Financial Planning Processes and embed Sustainability Reporting in the process

-          Increase maturity in data governance and data warehousing across the organization to fuel analytics and AI

-          Strengthen fraud detection and policy control across the organisation

-          Revamp treasury processes and solutions

Your role @ Chanel

The key responsibilities within the scope of this role will include the following:

Portfolio Strategy and Roadmap:

• Be responsible, in close partnership with Finance business stakeholders, for the global technology strategy and future state architecture that supports the following business capabilities:
  • Financial Reporting & Accounting
  • FP&A, Management Reporting & Sustainable Performance
  • Tax and Insurance
  • Treasury
  • Internal Audit & Risk Management
  • Data Governance
  • Indirect Procurement
  • Responsible Supplier Programme
  • ERP Programme
  • undefined
  • Engage with Global Finance Teams and Global/Regional TECH teams to secure engagement & sponsorship with strategy and roadmap, aligning efforts towards a common outcome, enhancing simplification and removing duplication
  • Build a 3-year roadmap according to strategy. Shape business cases and gain commitment for specific initiatives, in partnership with stakeholders and sponsors, to secure necessary investment for transformation.

Architecture and Integration (Domain Transversal)

• Architect an interconnected ecosystem within Finance and beyond, allowing for smooth and efficient end-to-end process flows across systems.
• Partner closely with CorpFIT Enterprise Architecture to embed robust Architectural governance practices across the Finance IT domain, including development of key solution architecture documentation for our core platforms
• Shape and implement our future state integration architecture, in partnership with CorpFIT Enterprise Architecture and Global Innovation and Transformation (GIT) Integration Competency Centre (ICC)

Project Delivery and Execution

• Responsible for the successful delivery of all projects to time, cost and scope commitments in line with the agreed roadmap
• Manage forecasts and actuals for all projects within your portfolio, in line with agreed budgets.
• Collaborate closely with Architecture, Cyber, Legal, Compliance and Data Privacy to ensure that all technology in your portfolio adheres to best practices.
• Ensure that any risks, issues or deficiencies are appropriately recorded and managed 

Digital Innovation

• Guide the Finance team and your own team into the future by identifying areas where AI can automate and support existing processes.
• Refine governance models and collaborate closely with the Finance innovation team to identify scalable use cases with high impacts and collaborate

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Ensure robust management of our production IT services in line with IT Service Management best practices, serving global, regional and local Finance teams as well as any business users for company wide applications
• Maximise the investment into our systems and implement continuous improvement and ongoing evolution services, collaborating closely with the relevant business/product owner to ensure the prioritisation of the highest value incremental improvements.
• Constantly improve the services rendered by our strategic Application Managed Services provider to deliver cost efficiency, variable capacity and increasing scope. 

Vendor Management

• Lead negotiations with software vendors, ensuring that the House gains maximum value from its investments, and develop and maintain relationships to seek opportunities
• Manage the performance and service quality from vendors and collaborate closely with Indirect Procurement and Legal to ensure robust management of contracts.

Team Management

• Lead and mentor a team of IT professionals (internal & external) in London and Paris, promoting growth and excellence.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Create a sense of team spirit with the other teams of the TECH team for Corporate Functions, breaking down silos and foster strong collaboration.  

The impact you can create at Chanel

• Definition, jointly with the related partners, of the strategic directions for the next 3 years, and piloting of the associated budgets
• Support the changes induced by the new technologies: support the business and IT counterparts in the definition and implementation of the processes related to the new solutions
• Increase your impact by close partnerships with your TECH peers such as People & Organisation, Legal, Data Analytics, Intelligent Automation, Infrastructure.
• Advocate a “customer centric culture” approach, nurture the cultural shift and build the change management program associated.
• Supervise and coordinate the activities of all the team members supporting the existing solutions or the new projects
• As a key partner of the Finance function, support the vision of the Function to become the best place to work, best serve the business through Finance processes with the help of systems and innovative solutions
• As a leader, the role holder promotes principles and values of the IT Federated Model within the organization 

You are energised by

• Working in a highly collaborative environment.
• Using innovative and cutting-edge technologies to deliver results.
• Multi-cultural environments and a broad scope.
• Bringing a strategic vision to life across multiple expertise areas.
• Getting the job done.
• Seeking to understand and improve a distinctive people experience through technology. 

What you will bring

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in IT with at least 3 years in a managing role.
• Significant experience in IT roadmap implementation, having built and/or led Finance Solutions for the Business.
• In-depth knowledge of Finance technology and processes.
• Excellent communication skills, analytical, problem-solving, negotiation and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, able to work collaboratively, manage conflicts and challenge in a matrix environment.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a changing environment.
• Passion for user-centricity, leveraging design thinking and agile methodologies
• Strong appetite and curiosity for incubating cutting-edge people technologies.
• Energy, enthusiasm and critical thinking to do things better, simpler and work across divisions and geographies. 

Reqyuirements

• Significant IT Leadership experience with people management expertise and business relationship and delivery responsibilities
• Exceptional project management capabilities. Strong vendor management skills.
• Strong knowledge in Finance technology solutions and Finance processes, especially in accounting, consolidation, management reporting, procurement, planning, tax and treasury.
• A degree in Finance, IT Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent is required Solid understanding of IT security and data protection regulations and principles.
• Strong financial and business acumen.
• English is a must, French or another language is a plus 

What Chanel can offer you

• Be exposed to various business divisions and geographies
• Structure your thoughts and experiences to deliver pragmatic and business-adapted solutions.
• Build, develop and maintain close relationship with Chanel Global & Regional & Divisional Leaders
• A rewarding opportunity to build a best-in-class ecosystem of technologies.
• An inclusive and collaborative work environment.
• Opportunities for professional growth within a luxury brand landscape.
• Access to world-class training programs.  

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to Chanel.