Group Financial Systems Architect
Job Description
Job Description
ISP Group Financial Systems Architect Role Profile
Purpose of Role
The Group Financial Systems Architect will be responsible for designing, shaping, and evolving the end-to-end financial systems landscape across the organisation, ensuring it is scalable, efficient and interoperable.
The post holder will influence direction, and act as the financial systems authority for the Group independent of any single platform or vendor.
ISP Group Financial Systems Architect Key Responsibilities
Financial Systems Architecture & Strategy
Define, own and continuously evolve the current and target-state financial systems architecture across Finance, Planning, Treasury, Tax, Reporting, and Business Intelligence.
Ensure interoperability and seamless integration across finance systems, planning tools, treasury, tax, reporting platforms, and wider business systems.
Act as the Group’s subject matter expert on financial systems design, not limited to NetSuite or any single ERP platform.
Establish and maintain architectural standards, principles, and documentation, including current-state, target-state, and transition roadmaps.
Drive architectural data strategy, including Master Data Management (MDM), data quality standards, and data ownership models across all financial systems and integrated third-party applications.
Lead financial systems digital modernisation initiatives, including the responsible application of automation and AI across finance-related systems.
Systems Implementation & Optimisation
Lead or advise on the implementation of a suite of financial solutions, ensuring they meet the needs of a complex, multi-entity organisation.
Improve efficiency, scalability, and data integrity within the existing financial systems environment (including NetSuite and layered solutions).
Act as architectural authority and gateway for all finance systems changes, ensuring alignment with standards, target architecture, and compliance requirements.
Define and enforce solutioning standards, change control documentation, and best practices for system enhancements, onboarding of new tools, BAU changes, and decommissioning.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Ensure all financial systems and integrated third-party applications meet legislative, regulatory, and audit requirements.
Own governance frameworks covering system access controls, segregation of duties, audit trails, data quality, and compliance.
Serve as system and data governance authority, balancing control, usability, and scalability.
Listed-Company Readiness
Anticipate regulatory, reporting, and governance requirements associated with listed-company or IPO readiness and ensure systems architecture can support these needs effectively.
Change, Intake & Stakeholder Leadership
Act as a senior partner to Finance leadership, Group stakeholders, and executive teams, translating business needs into robust system and architectural solutions.
Operate and oversee the intake, prioritisation, and governance process for all finance systems change, including new initiatives, enhancements, onboarding, and BAU activity.
Support and guide system-related change initiatives across the organisation with autonomy and credibility.
Provide clear architectural direction and recommendations without close supervision, confidently influencing senior leaders.
Skills, Qualifications and Experience
Proven experience implementing and architecting a suite of financial systems (ERP, planning, reporting, treasury, tax) within complex, multi-entity, international organisations.
Strong financial systems architecture background, operating independently of any single vendor or platform (not limited to NetSuite).
Experience with NetSuite or similar ERP platforms.
Exposure to IPO preparation, listed-company environments, or public-company transformation.
Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior individual contributor, owning solutions end-to-end.
Strong strategic and architectural thinking combined with attention to detail.
Ability to define, govern, and evolve data architecture, MDM, and digital capabilities across finance systems.
Experience driving modernisation initiatives, including automation and AI, within finance or systems-heavy environments.
Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving change in evolving environments.
Independent, credible, and confident working with senior leaders.
ISP Principles
Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding
and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.
Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.
Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.
Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.
ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles
ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.
ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.