Finance Enterprise Architect

At the heart of everything we do is our vision to change lives every day, and our mission to grow The National Lottery responsibly and champion its impact.  

We are Allwyn UK, part of the Allwyn Entertainment Group – a multi-national lottery operator with a market-leading presence across the USA (Michigan and Illinois) and Europe, including Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. 

While the main contribution of The National Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do.  Join us as we embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, largescale transformation journey by creating a National Lottery that delivers more money to good causes.   

We’ll talk a bit more about us further down the page, but for now – let’s talk about the role and who we’re looking for… 

 A bit about the role 

Reporting to the Head of Finance Business Systems, the Finance Enterprise Architect will provide senior Finance-facing architecture, process and delivery leadership across the core Finance systems landscape. The role will shape how Finance processes, controls, data and systems operate together across SAP and related enterprise platforms, ensuring solutions are practical, controlled, scalable and aligned to Finance’s transformation priorities.

The role will focus on translating Finance business needs into clear operating, process and solution design outcomes across areas such as Procure to Pay, Record to Report, Order to Cash, Treasury, planning, reporting and controls. It will work closely with Finance leadership, process owners, Technology and external partners to ensure change is delivered in a way that improves business performance, strengthens control and supports the future Finance operating model.

Core responsibilities include developing Finance process and systems roadmaps, shaping high-level solution options, assessing business impact and delivery risk, supporting governance decisions, maintaining clear design documentation and overseeing delivery through testing, cutover, adoption and embedding. Technical architecture knowledge remains important, but the primary focus is on Finance business process, data, controls, stakeholder alignment and successful delivery of Finance change.

What you’ll be doing

• Play a critical role in shaping and delivering Finance’s modern technology and process roadmap from 2025 onwards, including SAP RISE, SAC, Treasury Management, reporting and analytics, while ensuring change is grounded in Finance business priorities and operational reality.
• Lead Finance process design and improvement across P2P, R2R, O2C, Treasury, planning, reporting and related end-to-end data flows, ensuring solutions are controlled, efficient and fit for purpose.
• Work with Finance stakeholders to clarify requirements, prioritise the Finance systems backlog and translate business needs into pragmatic solution options, delivery plans and acceptance criteria.
• Act as Finance lead for design governance, ensuring proposed solutions support the required Finance operating model, controls, data governance, reporting outcomes and audit expectations.
• Support the Head of Finance Business Systems and SAP Finance Systems Manager in the design, testing, deployment and adoption of Finance WRICEFS - workflows, reporting, integrations, enhancements and system changes.
• Provide Finance delivery leadership across projects, including business readiness, UAT, cutover, hypercare, user adoption, benefits tracking and post-implementation stabilisation.
• Maintain a strong understanding of SAP and non-SAP Finance systems, integrations and reporting tools to challenge design decisions and ensure Technology delivery remains aligned to Finance outcomes.
• Support data quality, master data, role-based access, segregation of duties, SAP GRC, MDG reviews and mitigation reporting as required by Finance leadership, regulators and statutory auditors.
• Support the monthly financial close and other critical Finance cycles by ensuring data, reconciliation and reporting issues are understood, prioritised and resolved with the relevant teams.
• Identify opportunities to simplify Finance processes, reduce operational risk, improve controls and strengthen the effectiveness of Finance systems delivery.

Core Responsibilities

• Finance Process, Operating Model & Solution Design:
• Develop and maintain the target Finance process and systems architecture, ensuring alignment with the Finance operating model, control framework, enterprise architecture principles and transformation roadmap.
• Translate Finance business requirements into clear process designs, solution options, delivery scope, decision papers and implementation priorities.
• Ensure solution designs support practical Finance operations, measurable business outcomes, robust controls, clear ownership and sustainable support arrangements.
• Identify and document the Finance business impacts of moving from SAP ECC to S/4HANA, including changes to the Universal Journal, Business Partner model, Material Ledger, Asset Accounting, Cash Management, Credit Management, Fiori-led user experience, reporting, integrations, controls and legacy custom processes.

Finance Business Alignment:

• Partner with Finance leadership, process owners and operational teams to understand priorities, pain points, control requirements and delivery dependencies.
• Represent Finance requirements in Technology, architecture and delivery forums, ensuring decisions are assessed through a Finance process, control, data and operational lens.
• Guide Finance transformation projects, including SAP ECC to S/4HANA, BW to Business Data Cloud, SAC, TMS, reporting and non-SAP Finance application change.
• Build trusted relationships across Finance, Technology, project delivery, vendors and business teams to manage competing priorities and secure pragmatic delivery outcomes.
• Own the Finance process-change agenda for SAP ECC to S/4HANA conversion, ensuring impacts on monthly close, reconciliations, master data ownership, reporting, controls, role design, training, cutover and business readiness are understood, governed and embedded.

Finance Delivery Leadership:

• Lead Finance delivery activity across design, requirements validation, testing, UAT, cutover, business readiness, training, adoption and post-go-live support.
• Challenge and support delivery teams to ensure technical choices are proportionate, finance-led and aligned to the required business outcomes.
• Coordinate delivery dependencies across Finance systems, upstream and downstream processes, data provision, reporting, access, controls and operational support.
• Drive process improvement by analysing business impact, root causes, control weaknesses and opportunities to simplify or automate Finance activity.

Architecture Governance:

• Finance Lead on Architecture review boards and design authority processes e.g. technical forums to ensure proposed solutions are compliant with architectural and data standards.

Technical Awareness:

• Maintain sufficient knowledge of SAP, cloud, integration, reporting and data platforms to assess options, challenge delivery plans and ensure Finance requirements are correctly interpreted by technical teams.

Systems Integration & Data Flow Knowledge:

• Understand end-to-end Finance data flows between SAP and external systems, including banking, tax, procurement, planning, reporting and operational platforms.
• Work with Technology teams to ensure integrations, APIs, middleware and platform decisions support Finance control, reconciliation, auditability and process continuity.
• Support major Finance transformation activity, including SAP modernisation, cloud migration, data migration and adoption of new Finance applications.

Consultative Skills:

• Ability to facilitate workshops, define business models, and coach teams on best practices.
• Technical Debt Management, Innovation & Future Vision:
• Manage IT technical debt within the finance domain, balancing risk, cost, and business value.
• Introducing and leading innovative concepts and contributing to strategic and technical roadmap for new services and integrations

Vendor Relationship Management:

• Work with tech vendors to support IT relationships and ensure solutions meet business needs.

Project Delivery:

• Collaborate with Project managers, business analysts, and technical teams to ensure alignment of business requirements and successful project delivery within scope, timeline, and budget constraints.

Implementation Support:

• Lead system implementations, testing, and support new system solutions and enhancements.

Transformation:

• Drive Finance transformation projects and migrations from SAP ECC to S/4HANA, ensuring business impacts, process changes, data migration, controls, reporting, training, cutover and adoption requirements are clearly defined, owned and delivered.

Stakeholder Management:

• Act as a trusted advisor to Finance leadership (CFO, GPOs) to translate complex business requirements into detailed technical specifications\low level designs.

Project Governance:

• Oversee testing cycles (SIT, UAT), data migration, and cutover activities to ensure high-quality, compliant deployments and effective user adoption.
• Clear Finance process and systems roadmap aligned to the Finance operating model, control environment and transformation priorities.
• Finance requirements translated into practical solution designs, delivery plans, acceptance criteria and decision papers that support confident governance decisions.
• Successful delivery of Finance systems change across design, testing, deployment, adoption and stabilisation, with clear ownership of business outcomes.
• Improved Finance controls, data quality, reconciliation, role-based access and audit readiness across key Finance systems and processes.
• Reduced operational friction through simplification of Finance processes, better prioritisation of the Finance backlog and stronger alignment between Finance, Technology and vendor delivery.

Role KPIs / Success Measures

• Finance transformation delivery milestones achieved in line with agreed scope, governance approvals, delivery plans and business-readiness criteria.
• Finance process designs and requirements completed to agreed quality standards, with clear ownership, control points, dependencies and acceptance criteria.
• Reduction in avoidable Finance process friction, manual workarounds, reconciliation issues and recurring service incidents across priority Finance processes.
• Improvement in Finance data quality, reporting reliability, reconciliation outcomes and audit evidence across key systems, interfaces and reporting outputs.
• S/4HANA Finance business impact assessment completed and maintained, covering process change, controls, data migration, reporting, roles, training, cutover and adoption impacts.
• Finance UAT, cutover and hypercare outcomes delivered with agreed issue resolution, defect prioritisation, user acceptance and business sign-off thresholds.
• Stakeholder confidence maintained through clear decision papers, design recommendations, delivery updates and effective engagement with Finance, Technology and vendor teams.
• Benefits and adoption tracked after deployment, including evidence of process simplification, improved controls, reduced delivery risk and sustainable operational handover.

 About us 

At Allwyn, we are dedicated to changing lives and growing the National Lottery responsibly, championing its positive impact on people, places, and the planet. 

• Innovation - We pride ourselves on it! We’re constantly looking for new ways to excite our customers, bringing new products to market to enjoy which is all supported by our responsible play values and making them accessible to all.  
• Giving back – Did you know that playing the lottery generates around £30m a week for charities and good causes in the UK? Our aim is to have doubled this number by the end of the first 10-year license. 
• Sustainability – Our aim is to become a net zero national lottery. We have 2030 targets to decarbonise our operations and energy. We’ve already transitioned to renewable energy providers, made our London and Watford offices zero gas, and ensured our fleet consists of low-emission vehicles. In addition, we’re working with our value chain partners to develop a net zero target date. 
• Empowering every voice – We believe in creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, has access to opportunities and can thrive for the benefit of good causes.  Our diverse teams are working hard to make all parts of The National Lottery inclusive – whether people play a game in a store or online, because when everyone can play, everyone wins.. 

An inclusive reward offering with wellbeing at the centre 

At Allwyn, inclusion is built into how we care for our people. Our benefits and policies support colleagues and their families at every stage of life and career. By prioritising wellbeing and belonging, we create a workplace where everyone feels valued, rewarded, and empowered to succeed. Our people are more than colleagues - they’re winners, driving positive change and making a real difference in communities. 

Benefits 

• Company Bonus Scheme 
• Matched pension contributions up to 8.5% 
• 26 days annual leave + 2 Life Days (and bank holidays) 
• Single Private Health Cover 
• Complimentary Private Medical 
• Income Protection  
• Flexible Benefits – EV Scheme, Money Coach, Will Writing, Mortgage Advice, Dental and Eye Care Schemes. 
• Enhanced Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption) 
• Wellness Allowance £500 
• Employee Assistance Programme 
• Discounted Health Assessments 
• Volunteering Days 
• Matched Funding 

We are a Disability Confident Leader which means we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues and candidates. As part of this we offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of the job. 

If you need any assistance or adjustments to this job description or in the application process, please contact a member of the talent team at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.