About the Role
<strong>Role: Finance Systems Product Owner (SAP)</strong><br><br><strong>Location: Milton Keynes (Hybrid)</strong><br><br><strong>Salary: £60,000 – £73,500</strong><br><br>Network IT are working with a highly respected organisation to recruit a <strong>Finance Systems Product Owner (SAP)</strong>. This is a key leadership role within a growing Finance Systems & Data function, offering the opportunity to shape the future of enterprise finance technology within a large, complex environment.<br><br>This role sits at the heart of a significant investment in finance systems, with a focus on delivering scalable, standardised, and high-performing <strong>SAP Finance solutions</strong>.<br><br><strong>Role Overview</strong><br><br>As a <strong>Finance Systems Product Owner</strong>, you will take ownership of the <strong>end-to-end SAP Finance product lifecycle</strong>, driving system evolution, optimisation, and innovation.<br><br>Operating in a <strong>player-coach leadership role</strong>, you will lead a team responsible for finance systems while working closely with Digital Services and business stakeholders to ensure solutions are aligned, robust, and future-ready.<br><br>You will play a central role in enabling <strong>modern, standardised financial processes</strong>, reducing reliance on bespoke solutions and promoting data-driven decision-making across the organisation.<br><br><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong><br><br><ul><li>Own the <strong>full product lifecycle for SAP Finance systems</strong>, ensuring solutions are scalable, controlled, and aligned to business priorities<br><br></li><ul><li>Lead and develop a team responsible for <strong>finance systems stability, optimisation, and continuous improvement</strong><br><br></li><li>Drive prioritisation and delivery of <strong>system enhancements, upgrades, and transformation initiatives</strong><br><br></li><li>Manage and refine the <strong>product backlog</strong>, developing user stories and acceptance criteria using Agile methodologies<br><br></li><li>Work collaboratively with stakeholders to <strong>translate business needs into structured system solutions</strong><br><br></li><li>Lead <strong>UAT, release management, and training</strong>, ensuring successful adoption and ongoing support<br><br></li><li>Act as a <strong>change agent</strong>, promoting a test-and-learn approach and supporting business transformation<br><br></li><li>Collaborate with Digital Services on <strong>architecture, SAP S/4HANA, and cloud strategy decisions</strong><br><br></li><li>Drive <strong>process standardisation</strong>, reducing manual workarounds and improving efficiency<br><br></li><li>Act as an escalation point for <strong>system priorities, integration challenges, and conflicting requirements</strong><br><br></li></ul></ul><strong>Essential Skills & Experience</strong><br><br><ul><li>Proven experience as a <strong>Product Owner within SAP environments</strong><br><br></li><ul><li>Strong technical and functional expertise in: <br><br><ul><li><strong>SAP S/4HANA</strong><br><br></li><li><strong>SAP BW</strong><br><br></li><li><strong>SAP BPC (and/or SAC planning models)</strong><br><br></li></ul></ul></li><ul><li>Experience working across <strong>finance processes and SAP integration points</strong><br><br></li><li>Strong track record delivering <strong>SAP system enhancements, upgrades, and transformation programmes</strong><br><br></li><li>Experience supporting or contributing to <strong>BPC → SAC transitions</strong><br><br></li><li>Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to <strong>influence across complex organisational structures</strong><br><br></li><li>Experience working in <strong>Agile / Scrum environments</strong>, managing backlogs and delivering iteratively<br><br></li><li>Ability to translate <strong>business requirements into technical solutions</strong><br><br></li><li>Comfortable operating in <strong>ambiguous, evolving environments</strong><br><br></li><li>Strong leadership capability, with experience coaching and developing teams<br><br></li></ul></ul><strong>Desirable Skills & Experience</strong><br><br><ul><li>Experience within <strong>Higher Education or Public Sector environments</strong><br><br></li><ul><li>Awareness of <strong>SAP cloud strategy (Public vs Private Cloud)</strong><br><br></li><li>Understanding of <strong>finance process standardisation and system-driven controls</strong><br><br></li></ul></ul>