Finance & Digital Transformation Program
Reports to: Mariya Tarakanova, Transformation Lead • Location: US preferred, Germany considered • Type: Full-time employee or FT contractorSenioritySenior - 8 to 12 years. Must have led at least one full SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation as program or workstream lead.StartAs soon as possible - this role is on the critical path. Several Phase 1 workstreams are blocked until the ERP Lead is in post.DurationEmployee or full-time contractor. Duration aligned to the program - estimated 24 to 36 months through S/4 go-live and hypercare.TravelUS and Germany. Travel to Rendsburg as needed - most collaboration can be managed remotely.LanguageEnglish required. German is an advantage but not required. Why this role is critical now: The ERP Lead is the most time-sensitive hire in the program. Pilot scope definition, ERP partner selection, RFP issuance, and S/4 design are all blocked until this person is in post. AYNA has a recommendation. The goal is to hire and onboard before end of Q2 2026.

The opportunity
Lapmaster Wolters is a precision manufacturing company with operations in the US, Germany, UK, and Asia. The company is embarking on a 24 to 36 month finance and digital transformation - migrating from Elliott ERP (US) and SAP ECC (Germany) to SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, with the US entity as the pilot deployment.
This is a greenfield S/4 implementation, not a lift-and-shift. The business has committed to starting fresh - clean chart of accounts, redesigned finance processes, and a platform built to scale. The ERP Lead will own the technical and functional delivery of that vision from day one.
The program is well-structured. Governance is in place, the transformation lead is experienced, the CFO is an active sponsor, and the business owner is engaged. The ERP Lead joins a small, accountable team with real decision-making authority and a clear mandate.

What you will do
S/4 design and delivery

• Own S/4 design end to end - FI, CO, and PS module scope across US pilot and Germany template
• Define pilot entity scope, module configuration, and deployment sequencing in collaboration with the transformation lead
• Lead ERP partner selection - define evaluation criteria, assess partner shortlist, and issue the RFP
• Manage the implementation partner day to day - hold them accountable to scope, quality, and timeline
• Drive data migration planning - legacy data from Elliott and SAP ECC, validation approach, and cutover sequencing
• Own the integration design between S/4, SAP BTP, Tagetik, CRM (C4C), and field service (FSM)

Finance process translation
The transformation lead owns finance process redesign - close process, COA structure, and margin reporting. The ERP Lead's role is to translate those process decisions into S/4 configuration terms and ensure the system is built to deliver them.

• Collaborate with the transformation lead on month-end close redesign - translate agreed process changes into S/4 workflow, journal entry automation, and Financial Closing Cockpit configuration
• Support COA implementation in S/4 - the unified account structure is designed by the transformation lead; the ERP Lead ensures it is configured correctly and consistently across all entities
• Drive resolution of SAP ECC master data gaps - approximately 20 to 25 percent of material costs in Germany are currently flagged due to booking errors; these must be resolved before S/4 configuration begins
• Coordinate with Jan-Niklas and Werner on the SAP PS profitability tracking POC in Rendsburg - they own this work; the ERP Lead ensures S/4 design accommodates their approach and the POC findings feed into the deployment template

Change management and training
S/4 will change how finance and operations staff work day to day across US and Germany. The ERP Lead is responsible for ensuring the business is ready - not just technically, but practically.

• Work closely with the implementation partner to design the change management approach - impact assessment, stakeholder engagement plan, and readiness checkpoints at each phase gate
• Drive development of training materials with the implementation partner - role-based training covering new workflows in S/4, Financial Closing Cockpit, and reporting
• Ensure training covers both US and Germany teams - account for language, process differences, and the different ERP starting points (Elliott vs SAP ECC)
• Track change readiness across the program - surface adoption risks early and escalate to the transformation lead and steering committee
• Support hypercare after go-live - ensure staff have the support they need to operate confidently in the new system

Program leadership

• Report to the transformation lead and participate in weekly steering committee
• Own the ERP workstream - track milestones, surface risks early, and drive decisions to closure
• Bridge the US and Germany teams - both entities are in scope and must be aligned on design decisions
• Contribute to the RPA reconciliation bridge and KPI layer design in Phase 2

What you bring
Must have

• 8 to 12 years of SAP experience with at least one full S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation delivered as program or workstream lead - not as a team member
• Deep functional expertise in FI and CO - journal entry automation, close process configuration, reconciliation frameworks, consolidation feeds to Tagetik or equivalent
• SAP PS experience - project systems, revenue recognition, POC calculation, profitability reporting
• Experience managing an external SAP implementation partner - RFP process, named resource accountability, and quality management
• Experience working across US and European entities - understanding of statutory reporting differences, multi-entity consolidation, and cross-border close dependencies
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering change management and end-user training programs as part of an ERP implementation

Strong advantage

• SAP ECC to S/4 migration experience - understanding of the technical delta, data migration complexity, and change impact
• Experience with SAP BTP integration - connecting S/4 to CRM, FSM, and supplier portal
• Familiarity with Tagetik or similar consolidation platforms - direct SAP integration, group account mapping
• Manufacturing or industrial company background - understanding of SAP PS, contract manufacturing, and WIP reporting
• Experience with RPA tools for close automation and reconciliation bridging
• German language skills

Who you are

• You have led programs, not just participated in them - you know the difference between owning a workstream and contributing to one
• You are comfortable holding a partner accountable by name - scope creep, missed milestones, and named resource gaps do not get past you
• You translate between finance and IT without losing either audience - you can review a BTP integration spec in the morning and discuss close process redesign in the afternoon
• You understand that change management is not a workstream you hand off - you stay close to adoption risk throughout the program
• You surface problems early rather than managing them quietly - the steering committee hears about risks from you before they become issues
• You are organized enough to run a complex program and direct enough to keep a small team moving without bureaucracy

What this role is not
This is not a configuration role. The ERP Lead owns design and delivery - hands-on configuration is the implementation partner's responsibility.
This is not a support role. The ERP Lead has decision-making authority on the ERP workstream and is expected to exercise it.
This is not a process design role. Finance process ownership - close redesign, COA structure, margin model - sits with the transformation lead and the finance leads. The ERP Lead translates those decisions into S/4 and ensures they are delivered.
This is not a steady-state role. The program has a defined end state - S/4 go-live, operating model in place, team handed off. The ERP Lead is here to build something and leave it running.

Competitive Benefits Package for Full Time employees:

• 401(k) with Matching
• Medical Insurance (Company contribution for Dependents)
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Company Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Company Paid Life & AD&D
• Vacation, Sick, Holidays
• EAP

Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future