IT Finance Applications Operations Manager

The Finance Applications Operations Manager is responsible for the operational oversight and continuous improvement of finance-related enterprise applications. This role ensures reliable service delivery, manages an internal team of finance experts, manages vendor and service provider performance, and acts as the key point of contact for Level 2 support, incident resolution, and operational escalations. The role also contributes to governance, security compliance, documentation standards, and coordination with internal stakeholders and external partners. The role maintains a flexible, platform-oriented approach to supporting a dynamic portfolio of applications aligned with business needs.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee day-to-day operations of finance-related enterprise applications, ensuring system stability, performance, and availability
• Manage a team of internal experts in finance applications such as SAP, D365 and HFM
• Manage Level 2 support processes for incidents and service requests, including coordination with internal teams and external vendors
• Serve as the primary operational contact for finance application stakeholders, including business users, IT, and service providers
• Monitor and report on service levels, KPIs, and vendor performance; initiate corrective actions when needed
• Maintain up-to-date documentation for operational procedures, runbooks, escalation paths, and system configurations
• Ensure alignment with internal security policies and compliance requirements, including access controls and audit readiness
• Participate in operational readiness for new deployments, upgrades, or changes impacting finance applications
• Collaborate with functional and technical teams to resolve complex issues, identify root causes, and implement preventive measures
• Support and contribute to the continuous improvement of operational processes, support models, and system monitoring practices
• Actively participate in change management processes, reviewing and validating changes that affect financial systems
• Stay informed on platform developments, emerging risks, and opportunities to improve operational efficiency
• Support the budget planning and forecasting process for finance-related IT services, including license costs, support contracts, and project expenses
• Track and monitor operational costs related to application support, vendor services, licenses and infrastructure consumption (e.g., cloud usage)

Core Competencies and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant work experience (preferably in the finance area)
• Additional certifications in IT Service Management (e.g., ITIL Foundation) preferred

Work Experience:

• 3 years of experience in IT operations application support in a multi-national company, ideally within finance ERP systems
• Proven experience managing service delivery and vendors in an enterprise IT environment
• Experience coordinating incident, change, and problem management processes. Experience in managing functional and/or technical teams

Technical / Language Skills:

• Solid understanding of the processes in finance and their implementation in ERP or finance consolidation systems (e.g. SAP, D365 Finance and Operations, Oracle HFM)
• Good knowledge of infrastructure and application-level monitoring, performance tuning, and troubleshooting
• Sound knowledge of applications and technologies to support the main business processes, including Cloud technologies 
• Excellent English skills. Any other major language preferred but not required.

Core Competencies Required:

• Self-Leadership and Accountability: Demonstrates initiative, reliability, and ownership of responsibilities; takes proactive steps to drive results and holds oneself to high performance standards.
• Stakeholder and Vendor Management: Effectively coordinates with internal stakeholders and external partners; manages expectations, maintains productive relationships, and ensures accountability in service delivery.
• Analytical Thinking and Continuous Improvement: Uses a structured approach to problem-solving; identifies root causes, drives process improvements, and contributes to more efficient and resilient operations.
• Communication and Documentation: Communicates clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences; produces well-structured documentation to support operational clarity and knowledge sharing.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Builds strong working relationships across functions; contributes positively to team efforts and leverages cross-functional expertise to achieve shared goals.
• Adaptability: Remains flexible and responsive in a dynamic environment; adjusts effectively to changing technologies, priorities, and stakeholder needs.
• Service Orientation: Maintains a strong focus on delivering value and quality to internal customers; anticipates needs and takes action to ensure smooth operational support.