Subject Matter Expert– SAP FICO Consultant (Operations and Delivery)

at  IKEA

WHO YOU ARE

We believe that you are passionate about fulfilling new needs and delivering outcome to our business stakeholders as well as technology service operations. You appreciate the mix of strategic thinking and turning architecture trends and requirements into practice. You get motivated to keep learning and to forget the obsolete and to work agile and being open to the change. In addition, you are energised by working both independently and interdependently and cross functions. Last but not the least you share and live the IKEA culture and values.
For this role, we believe that you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or other related area - a minimum of 12+ years of experience in SAP R2R application operations, design, implementation, and optimisation, with a focus on SAP environments. You must have worked in multi-Country implementation / roll out projects, have good written and verbal English communication skills and good communication and technical writing skills. You will also have system (Functional and technical) Support and Maintenance processes set-up experience, metrics & Service Governance and best practices knowledge in SAP enterprise applications landscape. We are also looking for you to have strong problem solving and analytical skills, with attention to detail.
As the SAP FICO SME, your mission is to oversee and provide subject matter expertise and strategic input into ERP Finance functional areas and technologies, contributing to future ERP strategic direction and system selection/deployment decisions. You will play a crucial role in streamlining Finance process, driving efficiency, and enhancing collaboration within the organisation and with external partners. Additionally, you will be responsible for providing expert-level advice and solutions related to SAP FICO, Tax and concur module. You will also provide technical expertise, guidance, and support to the operations team and end users.

You have knowledge in and will be working in the below areas:

• Strong architectural and engineering mindset
• Good understanding of the SAP-concept for modifications and enhancements
• Good SAP functional knowledge in SAP FICO
• Hands on ability to work on enhancements and projects as functional consultant
• Strong understanding of the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) process framework
• Deep understanding of how to utilize advanced SAP administration and troubleshooting techniques to complete complex assignments or to solve difficult problems
• Good understanding of commercial commitments and liabilities
• Good understanding of the complexity of IKEA business and the role of technology as an integrated part of the business
• Ensure that changes to the service are reviewed & approved by business end users, implemented, communicated to suppliers and are built into contracts as required.
• Manage the “day-to-day” delivery of the contracted services, be accountable for quality and responsible for addressing service failures
• Deciding on the most efficient way to deploy services that are required for specific business scenarios
• Development and maintenance of problem management process, incl. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process
• Assessment of efficiency and effectiveness of problem management
• The ideal candidate will have strong architectural, leadership and technical skills, and the desire to build and lead a team.
• Someone who is able to drive innovation and influence delivery and performance while being able to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members in a respectful, cooperative and creative way.
• Minimum 12+ years of SAP Finance functional, configuration experience with bachelor’s degree/Master Degree.
• SAP certification within module and/or technology desired.

The SME will be accountable for the Finance processes delivery within our digital organisation. Responsible for the management of operations on the SAP Finance, tax and concur technologies to support the SAP S/4 system. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Finance design, implementation, and support. This role will involve collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure the optimal performance, availability, and security of our SAP landscape.

Your responsibilities include:

• Overseeing and managing the entire R2R process. Responsible for guiding suppliers through the end-to-end R2R cycle, identifying process improvements, guiding suppliers on incident resolution, request resolution, identifying RCAs for problems, contributing and overseeing demands and ensuring effective operations.
• Oversee and contribute the entire Record to Report incidents, requests and demand resolution
• Ensure the timely and accurate execution of monthly, quarterly, and annual closing activities.
• Supervise the posting of journal entries, accruals, provisions, and other critical adjustments to the ledger.
• Provide insight into trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Identify opportunities for improvements to drive efficiency and effectiveness in the R2R cycle.
• Contribute to automation and technology solutions (e.g., ERP systems) to streamline processes and reduce manual effort.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess process efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness, and drive initiatives to improve these metrics.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for the R2R function for BAU operations and ensure to act as 1st point of escalation for all country specific queries.
• Communicate R2R updates, risks, changes and demands to senior management and other key stakeholders.
• Address discrepancies or issues within the R2R cycle promptly to avoid delays in financial closing or reporting.
• Work closely with Hypercare teams, Suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure effective knowledge transfers and efficient hypercare exit.
• Lead, Design, implement, and support robust/scalable infrastructure solutions for SAP applications, including SAP R2R, Tax and concur.
• Oversee the implementation and deployment of SAP solutions, ensuring adherence to design specifications, project timelines, and quality standards.
• Contribute and Guide Suppliers in ensuring effective Problem Resolution and identify Root Cause Analysis.
• Contribute and guide suppliers in ensure effective knowledge management process by creating, approving and ensuring R2R specific knowledge articles are created and used effectively.
• Knowledge of ITSM tools (preferable ServiceNow) to create and work on incidents, problems and requests.