To support the implementation of a significant Global Finance Transformation Program Dentons is currently recruiting individuals to fill Interim Global Finance (IGF) Application Consultant roles. These roles will report to Global Process Leads within the Central team. They form part of the core consulting and delivery teams that work alongside other central and regional teams delivering this major finance process and systems transformation program to Dentons' member firms across the global network.
The firm is currently recruiting for an Application Consultant with a particular focus on the legal industry record to report process areas. The successful candidate is likely to have a strong accounting background and strong consulting experience (be it project or operational) designing or using the TRE 3E software and/or related professional services or legal industry solutions supporting financial accounting processes, intercompany, masking, tax and tax reporting, planning, budgeting and forecasting and treasury process areas.
The Global Finance Transformation Program is a truly global program designed to transform Dentons' Finance function into the business partnering function of the future. It will support the business by offering true business insight, efficient and effective processes while maintaining the necessary compliance and controls. A key element of the Program is to deliver the global design and regional implementations of a modern suite of software solutions including TRE 3E, Data Insights, Tagetik FP&A and PwC Edge. The scope of the Global Finance Transformation Program spans the end-to-end finance policies and processes including Risk Compliance and Controls, Order to Cash, Purchase to Pay, Record to Report. The primary objective of the global design is to harmonize disparate working practices and processes across the network and introduce standard business taxonomies to drive global efficiencies and opportunities.
The global design and build phases of the Global Finance Transformation Program are drawing to a close and the next critical phase of the program is to work with the regional member firms across the Dentons network to deliver the program and launch the solutions into the regions and member firms. The regional member firms can range in scale from 1000+ lawyers/attorneys with existing mature finance policies and processes to small firms with fewer than 25 lawyers/attorneys and very limited standard working practices. The support that the central teams will therefore need to give to the regional firms will vary significantly depending on the size and maturity of the specific member firm.
Why Dentons is different
The legal profession is changing rapidly and Dentons is leading the way in advancing change for the benefit of clients. We are driven to challenge the status quo, delivering consistent and uncompromising quality and value to our clients in new and innovative ways. With over 20,000 individuals in more than 200 offices, the opportunity is huge.
Dentons continues to receive external awards and recognition, including for our continued international expansion over the last 12 months; for ground-breaking innovation through the development of Nextlaw Labs and Nextlaw Global Referral Network; and for success in advising clients across multiple regions. Dentons is also a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index and a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner.
Against such rapid growth and change, this role offers the successful individual the chance to play a significant role and make their mark in driving the successful implementation of this global program.
Key Deliverables
- Work closely with the central and regional team members and suppliers to deliver the global transformation program and, in particular, to introduce and launch the 3E application solution into the regional firms. This will include understanding and delivering additional regional and local requirements, configuration and mandatory local working practices into the 3E solution as well as related global and regional solutions.
- Work with Global Process and System Owners to ensure that the global design supports Dentons achieving Finance Transformation business outcomes, in line with the Global Design standards as defined by the Finance Transformation Program. Also, that the solution delivered meets both the global objectives as well as supports the specific regional and local requirements.
- Ensure that the Record to Report financial controls, control reporting, processes and the 3E solution is aligned to the overall Global Dentons solution through close working with other Global / Regional Process Leads, Data Analysts, SMEs and Technical, Business and Reporting Solution Architects.
- Support regional firms to introduce the new policies, processes and solutions through advisory, change management, communication, training and other support activities.
Key Responsibilities
Global Design
- Understand and be a champion for the end-to-end global process design and 3E solution delivery scope and implementation method.
- Work with the Global Process Leads and other internal and external colleagues to maintain the global R2R design of the 3E solution.
- Support the global and reporting team to design and deliver the operational and transaction reporting and performance metrics.
- Support the definition of user access rights and security within Dentons' Global guidelines.
- Work with central team colleagues to ensure that the global policy/process documentation, change management, training and other collateral is maintained, up-to-date and reflects the global process and solution design.
Regional Design and Delivery
- Work with regional and local member firm colleagues to discover current working practices, data structures and critical requirements (including statutory and regulatory requirements) that will influence the program and solution delivery to the regions.
- Deliver regional system configurations/set-ups and work closely with development colleagues and/or 3rd parties to deliver 3E system customizations, data conversions and advise regions on regional solution requirements.
- Support the change management, communication and training needs of the firms. Work with central and regional stakeholders and change/training resources to provide clear and concise documentation for specific key business processes, both local and general, including the delivery of quick reference guides for end users.
- Support central and regional colleagues to prepare regional/local testing plans and scripts required to support the specific project delivery
- Troubleshoot testing issues and work with the regional teams, local office users, global project team members and third-party consultants where necessary to resolve issues for re-testing
- Support the UAT phase design and the collection of feedback from users during UAT exercises and confirmation sessions and work with solution / technical colleagues and suppliers to resolve issues arising.
- Assist reporting team colleagues to design and validate the output from the custom SSRS reports delivered specifically for the regions
- Deliver awareness sessions and training as required, remotely or otherwise, to end users in preparation for both testing and go-live
- Assist with the go-live, hyper-care phase and assist the transition of the regional delivery programs to production support
Standards
- Support the maintenance of the Global R2R Design integrity during regional delivery projects.
- Support the assessment of local / regional and global design change requests and the presentation of change request proposals to the relevant regional and global forums including the Global Business Solution Architect, Regional Steering Committees and Business Design Authority.
Collaboration/Support for
- Data architecture and data conversion / cleansing tasks
- Business Intelligence reporting requirements through process design
- Technical teams during development and support system integration testing
- Training needs analysis
- Business testing, including scenario definition and UAT
- Change team in creating impact of change assessments with regional teams
- Training team in creating global training materials and modifying global collateral for regional audiences
- Central and regional training team in delivery of training
- Business cutover and service transition planning and execution
- Post go live support model, triage user-reported incidents from a process perspective
Key to success:
- A thorough understanding of financial process and revenue recording systems within law firms. In particular this role requires a thorough understanding of the record to report work area relevant to international law firms.
- Proven ability to comprehend and interpret financial terminology
- Common sense, with a strong focus on delivery and teamwork
- Strong oral and written communication skills to deliver messages clearly and confidently in English business speaking countries but where English may not be a first language
- The ability to maintain and build relationships with key parties at all levels and across multiple jurisdictions and cultures
- Ability to work under pressure and manage conflicting demands.
- Strong intellectual rigor and commercial awareness.
- Results driven and well-developed analytical skills.
- Solutions orientated with the ability to address problems by gathering relevant information and formulating alternatives
- Tenacity, strong organizational skills, a sense of humour, a desire to learn, a desire to form part of an effective and dynamic team and the ability to go the extra mile when required
Significant experience and a proven track record in/as:
- Strong experience working as a process analyst or application consultant with TRE 3E or other global legal practice management systems
- Experience working in a similar Application Consultant role on at least three similar legal global finance transformation program would be highly advantageous.
- Excellent knowledge and experience delivering 3E configurations and set-ups
- Although not essential to the role, experience of the 3E system customization techniques would be beneficial
- Strong knowledge of the legal sector R2R related processes and practices including financial accounting, intercompany, CoA mapping, masking, partner accounting, tax and tax reporting, planning, budgeting and forecasting and treasury processes.
- Thorough understanding of legal taxonomies, data mapping and data conversion strategies and techniques is essential.
- Experience analyzing, creating and modeling business processes using a variety of tools and techniques;
- Experience of working within a fast moving, complex, international organizations and/or programs.
- Experience of working with global stakeholders within a legal environment.
- IT literate, user of MS Visio, other project management tools such as requirements traceability tools, testing tools etc. Fluent in MS Office.
- Background in systems analysis and/or business analysis preferable.
- Demonstrable strong data analysis and mapping skills.
- Proven experience in the generation and collation of project documentation.
- Significant testing design and systems and process testing exposure.
Applications from current residents in the following countries, will be considered:
UK, Ireland, South Africa, Poland, Canada
Disclaimer: Please ensure when applying for this role that you are legally eligible to work/live in your preferred location. Visa sponsorship or relocation costs will not be provided.
Diversity & Inclusion
Essential to our success as a global law firm is our ability to attract and retain the best talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. We want a work environment where everyone can reach their potential and we have an inclusive culture which respects individual differences.
We undertake and support a number of internal and external initiatives aimed at increasing diversity within the profession and we encourage all our partners and staff to get involved.
Equal Opportunities
Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all.
Reward and Recognition
Remuneration and befits package will reflect the successful candidates experience and country where hired.
Applications from individuals directly, should be sent to Global Recruitment Team:
[email protected]