FAST Sr Lead Incident, Defect & Release Management

FAST Sr. Lead Incident, Defect & Release Management

OPTIMIZE Simplify, Standardize & Improve

• Continuously identify opportunities to simplify configuration, reduce manual workarounds, and eliminate unnecessary complexity.
• Drive standardization of finance application and finance master data patterns, controls, and usage.
• Collaborate with Finance, IT, and Data teams to strengthen embedded controls and data quality.
• Support automation, analytics, and AI readiness as outcomes of stable operations and strong data discipline.
• Contribute to FAST roadmap planning, prioritization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Use recurring issue trends and logged intervention data to reduce repeat defects and improve stability over time.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the L2 finance systems incident, defect, and release management operating model within assigned domain(s), including intake, triage, prioritization, escalation, resolution governance, and lifecycle transparency(Operational / Significant).
• Serve as the senior FAST functional escalation point for close-critical, audit-impacting, or high-risk finance system issues, ensuring timely resolution, effective risk mitigation, and clear communication of business impact(Strategic / Major).
• Lead functional analysis, root-cause assessment, impact evaluation, and prioritization of complex incidents and defects, applying judgment where information is incomplete and solutions require cross-functional alignment(Tactical / Significant).
• Provide oversight and challenge during validation of high-risk fixes, releases, and remediation plans to ensure control integrity and minimize downstream impacts(Strategic / Major).
• Lead complex cross-functional incident investigations, coordinating Finance, FAST, AMS, IT, and external partners to resolve systemic or recurring issues(Strategic / Major).
• Coordinate resolution across FAST Leads, IT delivery teams, and AMS providers, ensuring timely and effective outcomes(Tactical / Significant).
• Ensure close-critical and control-impacting issues are identified and escalated appropriately, minimizing risk to financial reporting(Strategic / Major).
• Track defects and incidents through full lifecycle, ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely resolution(Operational / Direct).
• Partner with FAST domain leads, Finance leadership, and IT stakeholders to communicate incident risks, resolution status, and business impacts to senior management(Strategic / Major).
• Provide functional leadership, coaching, and decision guidance to FAST incident management resources and cross-functional partners, clarifying priorities, removing barriers, and ensuring consistent execution without formal direct people management responsibility.

Functional Domains

• Accounting-to-Report (A2R / Close): GL, close, valuation, FX, intercompany, transfer pricing, and costing system enablement.
• Procure-to-Pay (P2P): AP, accruals, liabilities, and P2P-related close dependencies.
• Order-to-Cash (O2C): AR, billing, invoicing, collections, and revenue-impacting configurations.
• Finance Master Data Enablement: Enablement and control of finance-relevant attributes (e.g., GL structures, accounting attributes, reference data) aligned to Enterprise MDM standards.
• SOX & Controls: Finance application security, access, segregation-of-duties, and audit support.

Job Requirements

1. Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Strong experience in incident management and L2 support within finance systems / JDE environments, specifically JDE.
• Ability to perform functional impact assessments related to finance processes (e.g., close, controls, reporting).
• Experience coordinating across AMS, IT delivery, and business stakeholders.
• Understanding of defect lifecycle management and release validation processes.
• Knowledge of finance controls, audit requirements, and close-critical processes.

2. Communication Requirements

• Frequent interaction with AMS teams, IT delivery, FAST Leads, and Finance stakeholders.
• Ability to clearly communicate issue impact, prioritization rationale, and resolution status.
• Escalation of high-risk issues to appropriate governance forums.

3. Innovation / Problem-Solving

• Diagnose and resolve complex cross-functional system issues.
• Identify recurring defects and support preventive improvements and stabilization efforts.
• Improve processes for incident tracking, categorization, and resolution efficiency.

4. Knowledge Requirements

• Practical understanding of finance system processes and integrations.
• Familiarity with ticketing systems, defect tracking, and incident workflows.
• Knowledge of SOX/control-sensitive system operations.

5. Competencies and Behaviors

• Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize under pressure, especially during close cycles.
• Effective cross-functional collaboration and coordination.
• Ownership mindset for issue resolution and system stability.

6. Education

• Bachelors degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• More than 12 years of experience in finance systems, JDE enablement, or finance transformation roles.
• Strong understanding of finance processes, accounting principles, close, and internal controls/SOX.
• Hands-on experience with JDE finance modules and related finance applications.
• Demonstrated ability to drive knowledge transfer, documentation build-out, and operating discipline in environments with limited existing documentation.
• Proven experience balancing operational stability and change delivery in complex environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including root-cause analysis.
• Effective communicator with the ability to partner across Finance, IT, Data, and Controls.
• Experience working in global, matrixed organizations preferred.

7. Language Skills

• Specify required languages and proficiency level necessary to perform the role effectively.