Business Applications Enhancement Lead

Job Summary

The Business Application Enhancement Lead owns the portfolio of projects and enhancements for businesses already live on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (D365 F&O). This role leads delivery through a blended model of internal IT employees, contractors, Application Management Services providers, and implementation partners. The position is accountable for partner development quality and partner performance while providing management and oversight across demand intake, requirements, design, testing, deployment, adoption, stabilization, and value realization.

The role manages approximately 3 to 10 concurrent initiatives spanning Finance, Procurement, Supply Chain, Inventory, Manufacturing, Warehouse Management, Sales Order Processing, Reporting, integrations, workflow automation, security, and related business applications. Success is defined primarily by business value realization, stakeholder satisfaction, solution quality, and user adoption.

Your Responsibilities Will Be:

• Own and govern the enhancement and project portfolio for companies already operating on D365 F&O, including ownership of the resulting technology solutions from design through deployment, stabilization, and ongoing value realization; recommend priorities for final approval by IT Leadership.
• Manage intake, evaluation, sequencing, and backlog health across approximately 3 to 10 concurrent enhancement projects and workstreams.
• Identify preliminary solution options and independently develop initial estimates and delivery alternatives before requesting partner estimates.
• Challenge partner assumptions, scope, staffing models, rate structures, timelines, estimates, risks, and proposed delivery approaches before recommending approval.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders and internal subject matter experts to validate expected value, confirm investment justification, and align delivery outcomes to business objectives.
• Manage and review the requirements process performed by business stakeholders, functional analysts, business analysts, and delivery partners; facilitate workshops and document requirements when needed.
• Provide management and oversight to ensure requirements are complete, designs meet business objectives, testing is completed successfully, and solutions are ready for production use.
• Hold external delivery partners accountable for development quality, deliverable quality, adherence to commitments, responsiveness, estimate accuracy, and timely issue resolution.
• Coordinate release and deployment readiness in collaboration with infrastructure, security, support, business, and other relevant departments.
• Oversee change management, business readiness, training coordination, user adoption, post-go-live stabilization, and transition to support or AMS teams.
• Manage Statements of Work, partner estimates, project budgets, scope changes, and change orders; review or approve partner timesheets and invoices when assigned.
• Collaborate with IT Leadership, Finance, Procurement, and other stakeholders to forecast enhancement and project spend.
• Apply Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery methods based on the needs, risk profile, and scale of each initiative.
• Lead and coach assigned employees and contractors, set delivery expectations, prioritize work, remove obstacles, and promote accountability and continuous improvement.
• Provide concise portfolio, financial, risk, value, and delivery reporting to IT Leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Maintain flexibility for occasional early-morning or evening meetings to support global delivery partners and business teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• 8+ years of ERP experience, including at least 5 years working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations.
• 3+ years leading cross-functional teams, internal employees, contractors, consulting partners, and/or outsourced delivery organizations; 5+ years preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing ERP enhancement portfolios and complex projects in environments where partners perform much of the hands-on delivery.
• Experience managing partner estimates, Statements of Work, project budgets, scope changes, change orders, delivery commitments, and vendor performance.
• Experience governing the end-to-end solution lifecycle, including requirements, design, development oversight, testing, deployment, change management, adoption, stabilization, and transition to support.
• Proven ability to independently develop preliminary estimates and delivery alternatives and to challenge vendor assumptions, staffing, rates, timelines, and solution approaches.
• Experience communicating portfolio status, risks, investment needs, and business outcomes to IT Leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Experience overseeing a portfolio of 3 to 10 concurrent workstreams preferred.

Strong understanding of ERP delivery, governance, estimation, risk management, partner oversight, and business application lifecycle management.

• Working understanding of D365 F&O capabilities across Finance, Procurement, Supply Chain, Inventory, Manufacturing, Warehouse Management, Sales Order Processing, and Reporting.
• Ability to understand and challenge functional and technical designs, integrations, data entities, security considerations, and architecture decisions without serving as the primary hands-on developer or technical authority.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 certifications preferred. PMP and/or Scrum or Agile certifications are helpful but not required.

Travel Requirements:

• Up to 30% travel may be required based on project demands, business priorities, stakeholder engagement needs, and other business requirements.

ADA Requirements:

Work Environment: Minimal physical requirements, primarily computer use, and communication via virtual platforms, are necessary. Flexibility to adapt to occasional scheduled video meetings and collaborative tasks is essential.

• Positions in this function typically require standing, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

• Concentrated mental and/or visual attention. The work involves performing complex tasks to very close accuracy and quality specifications, or a high degree of hand and eye coordination for sustained periods.

• The job is typically performed under comfortable working conditions; any disagreeable elements are generally absent during normal performance of job.

• Compliance with company attendance standards.

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

We Offer:

We provide a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, Employee 401(k), tuition reimbursement, and much more.

At CECO, we are committed to a culture where every employee is valued and respected for their unique experiences and perspectives. We believe a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to the rich exchange of ideas and diversity of thoughts, that inspires innovation and brings the best solutions to our customers.