We’re 1st Central, a market-leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!
At 1st Central, we’re all about making things simpler, smarter and better - and that’s exactly what we need you to help us do with our Workday financials system. We’re looking for a Finance Change Lead on a Fixed Term Contract for 12 months.
If you can get stuck into the detail, shape system changes, and keep things running smoothly, while also spotting opportunities to improve how we work and loves rolling your sleeves up and making a difference in finance systems, this could be the role for you.
We’re big on flexible working, ideally you'll live a commutable distance to our offices in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, spending most of your time working from home with a day a week at the office or when required, but of course, it’s your choice - if you prefer to be in the office more - that's good with us too.
Skills you’ll need to be a great fit for the role:
Workday Financials know-how - you understand how to configure, enhance and support Workday so it really delivers for our business.
Analytical & problem-solving mindset - you’ll thrive on digging into the detail, spotting what needs improving and finding solutions.
Collaboration & stakeholder engagement - you’ll work closely with finance and wider teams, influencing and building great relationships across the business.
Adaptability & continuous improvement focus - you challenge the way things are done and help us evolve to meet new business needs.
What’s involved:
Support the Finance Change & System Manager in the day-to-day running, administration and enhancement of Workday financials.
- Pre-release - ensure clear articulation and understanding of the business case of what the proposed change is required to deliver and assure that the detailed requirements and solution design will deliver the same.
- Release - agree scope and deliverables for each sprint & and in-process change to it. Assure the quality of development & testing, sing, off Live testing requirements and confirm go/no go to deploy the release into production
- Post release - ensure all warranty defects are resolved, and ongoing production monitoring & continuous improvement are in place
Lead, design, test and implement technical system changes to deliver ongoing improvements.
Gather and document change requests from across Finance, working with SMEs on prioritisation and design.
Assist with Finance transformation projects that impact Workday.
Carry out Workday administration changes, ensuring system control and integrity.
Design and produce Workday reports, Business Processes and Integrations.
Drive system updates and development work across all Workday financial areas.
Challenge current practices, identify risks, and actively seek process improvements.
Handle end user set-up and security maintenance.
Monitor production and ensure warranty defects are resolved post-release.
Build collaborative relationships across all levels and functions.
Experience, knowledge & skills:
Experience working in an accounting/finance function.
Previous experience with Workday Financials - Reporting, Business Processes, Custom Validations, Calculated Fields, Security, Financial SKUs
Background as a finance system administrator and/or finance change role.
Experience with ERP, General Ledger or P2P systems.
Exposure to system implementations and post go-live support.
Strong Excel skills and proficiency in Microsoft applications.
Excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills.
Ability to work effectively under pressure and think logically in challenging situations.
Knowledge of Agile development approaches.
Part qualified accountant (AAT, CIMA, ACCA) or qualified by experience.
Understanding of Lean or Six Sigma frameworks.
Good leadership, mentoring and coaching skills.
Behaviours:
Results driven, with a keen eye for detail and audience awareness.
A natural role model, able to motivate and influence others.
Empathetic leader with the ability to get the best from different stakeholders.
Agile and adaptable, able to shift priorities quickly to meet business needs.
Determined to deliver controlled change and overcome obstacles.
If you’re looking for a role where you can make a real impact, shape how our finance systems evolve, and be part of a business that’s always moving forward, then this could be your next step. Hit apply and let’s see what we can achieve together.
What can we do for you?
People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here.
Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.
