Principal Business Process Lead FI

Job Description

Appealing Points:

• Lead end-to-end SAP S/4HANA Cloud financial transformation for Japan, owning solution direction and influencing strategic business decisions.
• Opportunity to collaborate directly with senior Japanese business leaders while guiding global and offshore teams, offering strong leadership visibility.
• High-impact role driving modernization of finance processes with cutting-edge Cloud technologies and deep involvement in Japan-specific localization and compliance.

Annual salary: 15 Million and above

Job Description:

• We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Business Process Lead – FI to serve as the overall Finance lead for SAP Cloud projects in Japan. This role requires deep expertise in SAP Finance, Cloud implementation experience, and strong leadership capabilities to guide cross-functional business and technical teams. You will act as the primary counterpart for business stakeholders, driving end-to-end financial process design, solution alignment, and successful deployment.

Job Responsibilities:

1. SAP Finance Functional Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end design, implementation, and optimization of SAP FI processes across SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
• Define and harmonize global and local finance processes (GL, AP, AR, AA, Tax, Treasury).
• Act as the primary decision-maker for finance-related requirements and solution direction.

2. Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with Japanese business leaders, finance controllers, and global project teams.
• Facilitate workshops, requirement discussions, and solution walkthroughs in Japanese.
• Ensure alignment between business expectations and SAP Cloud capabilities.

3. Solution Delivery & Governance

• Oversee functional design documents, test strategies, configuration, and integration touchpoints (CO, SD, MM, Treasury, etc.).
• Ensure adherence to SAP Activate methodology and Cloud best practices.
• Manage issues, risks, and change requests across the finance workstream.

4. Integration & Localization

• Collaborate with localization teams to ensure Japan-specific financial compliance (JGAAP, tax, invoicing, statutory reporting).
• Support integration with accounting, banking, procurement, and supply chain systems.

5. Quality Assurance & User Enablement

• Oversee UAT, training materials, and end-user readiness for finance modules.
• Ensure high-quality solution delivery aligned with compliance, audit, and internal controls.

6. Leadership & Mentoring

• Guide and mentor functional consultants and offshore teams.
• Provide leadership in decision-making, process improvement, and best practices.

Job Qualification:

• 14+ years of experience in SAP FI implementation and support.
• Strong hands-on experience with SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Public or Private Edition).
• Deep understanding of finance processes, accounting standards, and localization for Japan.
• Proven experience leading large-scale SAP transformation programs.
• Ability to manage cross-functional stakeholders and drive consensus.
• Native-level Japanese communication; English is preferred but not mandatory.

Preferable:

• Experience working with global delivery/offshore teams.
• Certification in SAP FI or SAP S/4HANA.
• Strong understanding of CO, SD, MM, and procurement integration.
• Experience in project governance and migration programs.

Language Skills: Native level Japanese (JLPT N) and Business level English

Company Description:

Founded by SAP veterans and transformation leaders, it has grown to become a trusted partner for SAP solutions and consulting talent across North America. Headquartered in the U.S., we serve enterprise clients nationwide, delivering high-impact services that accelerate modernization and create long-term value.