Accounting, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Analysis Skills, Business Operations, Business Processes, Communication Skills, Consulting, Detail Oriented, Documentation, Finance, Financial Accounting, Financial Planning, Foreign Exchange (FX), International Tax, Knowledge Transfer, Legal Reports, Operations Processes, Production Support, Quality Metrics, Regulatory Reports, SAP, SAP Administration, Tax Regulations, Tax Reporting, Usability Engineering, Writing Skills
Role Purpose
We are seeking an experienced Senior SAP S/4 Finance Consultant to undertake a focused knowledge transfer assignment supporting the transition of a highly experienced employee approaching retirement.
The successful candidate will work side-by-side with the existing subject matter expert, observing, questioning, validating and documenting all operational activities performed across daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual cycles. The primary deliverable is a comprehensive, structured knowledge document that enables the organization to retain critical operational knowledge and significantly reduce key-person dependency.
This is not a traditional SAP support position. Success will be measured by the quality, completeness and usability of the documentation produced, rather than by project delivery or ticket resolution. This will be evaluated via the hiring manager weekly check ins.
Primary Responsibilities
Knowledge Capture & Documentation
Shadow the existing Finance SME throughout all operational activities.
Observe and document daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual business processes.
Lead structured interviews and technical question-and-answer sessions to uncover undocumented knowledge, business rules and operational rationale.
Challenge assumptions and ensure undocumented processes are fully understood before documenting them.
Distinguish between system functionality, business process, local practice and individual working methods.
Produce documentation that can be understood and consumed by another experienced SAP Finance professional with minimal additional guidance.
SAP S/4 Finance Expertise
Provide sufficient SAP expertise to independently understand and document:
Financial Accounting (FI)
General Ledger
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
Asset Accounting
Bank Accounting
Financial Close
Foreign Exchange (FOREX) processing
Global Tax processes
Legal and Statutory Reporting
Financial Reporting
SAP configuration impacts on business processes
Integration points with adjacent business functions
The consultant is expected to use their SAP expertise to ask insightful questions, identify missing information and validate process accuracy rather than simply record observed activities.
Potential Documentation Deliverables
Produce a structured knowledge document including:
Process flow diagrams, where needed
Month-end, quarter-end and year-end procedures
Tax and statutory reporting processes
FOREX operational procedures
Exception handling guidance
Business rules and assumptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Known issues and workarounds
Business continuity documentation, where needed but especially if IT doing business work
Documentation should clearly explain:
What is performed
Why it is performed
When it is performed
Who performs it
System dependencies
Risks
Key controls
Required Experience
Extensive SAP S/4HANA Finance experience gained through implementation and production support.
Deep knowledge of SAP Financial Accounting and associated business processes.
Strong understanding of Global Tax, Legal and Statutory Reporting.
Experience supporting Foreign Exchange (FOREX) accounting and processing.
Proven experience documenting complex business and system processes.
Ability to quickly establish credibility with experienced business subject matter experts.
Excellent written communication and documentation skills.
Desirable
Experience within the Media & Entertainment industry.
Experience participating in SAP S/4HANA transformation programmes.
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
Exceptional patience and professionalism.
Strong listening and interviewing skills.
Natural curiosity and a willingness to challenge assumptions.
Excellent analytical thinking.
Ability to build trust with experienced stakeholders.
Highly structured and methodical working practices.
Strong attention to detail.
The confidence to ask probing questions until complete understanding is achieved.
Interview Assessment
Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate:
Deep SAP S/4 Finance functional knowledge.
Their approach to extracting undocumented operational knowledge from experienced subject matter experts.
A structured approach for converting observations into high-quality knowledge transfer documentation.
Their ability to work collaboratively with challenging personalities while maintaining professionalism and focus.
Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured by:
The completeness and quality of the knowledge transfer documentation.
The ability of another SAP Finance professional to understand the documentation.
Reduction in key-person dependency.
Positive stakeholder feedback on the clarity and usability of the documentation.
Identification and documentation of operational risks, undocumented processes and opportunities for standardization.