Finance Business Architect

About the role

The Finance Business Architect is a senior leader within EY's Finance Transformation practice, based in Cape Town. The role helps CFOs design, build and implement future-fit finance functions, bridging strategy and execution by turning business objectives into transformation roadmaps and enterprise-wide change programmes. It combines business architecture, finance transformation, technology enablement and market-facing leadership.

Key responsibilities

• Advise CFOs and finance executives on the future of the finance function, define transformation visions, business cases, roadmaps and value-realisation frameworks, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, control, insight, scalability and finance business partnering.
• Serve as lead business architect across transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment between strategy, operating models, processes, data, governance and technology, and act as functional design authority focused on business outcomes.
• Redesign finance processes across the end-to-end value chain, simplifying operations, strengthening controls and establishing a scalable platform for growth.
• Enable technology transformation around platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Workday and OneStream, overseeing blueprinting, functional design, solution governance, testing, deployment readiness and adoption.
• Establish governance and design-authority arrangements, oversee programme risks and dependencies, integrate finance controls and audit requirements, and ensure transparent executive reporting.
• Shape finance information, reporting and analytics capabilities, including data models, KPI frameworks, data governance principles and automation opportunities.
• Build relationships with CFOs, CIOs and finance leaders, facilitate senior design and decision forums, and support adoption of new ways of working.
• Lead multidisciplinary delivery teams, review critical outputs, coach and transfer knowledge, and contribute to practice growth through client relationships, proposals, account planning and thought leadership.

Required profile

• Above 10 years of relevant experience, including finance transformation, CFO advisory, finance change, business architecture or senior finance leadership.
• Proven track record of leading complex transformation programmes from strategy and blueprinting through implementation and value realisation.
• Experience in finance operating model design, process transformation, ERP or EPM change, finance data and reporting, controls, close and consolidation, shared services or governance.
• Experience guiding delivery teams, reviewing outputs and assuring execution with internal teams, clients, systems integrators and partners.
• Consulting or equivalent market-facing experience, including proposals, account planning and client relationship development.
• Relevant tertiary and professional qualifications; CA(SA), CIMA, ACCA or CPA preferred; MBA, master's degree, programme qualification or architecture certification advantageous.

Required skills

• ERP and EPM platforms, especially SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Workday and OneStream
• Finance data and reporting architecture
• Process design, controls and governance