We have a timely opening for an experienced SAP FI Contract Accounting consultant to work with our clients’ implementation project team delivering SAP based solutions to our customers.

Our ideal candidate will have an excellent understanding of finance business processes and broad experience across a range of core finance modules.

Skills Breakdown:

Essential Experience:

• Experience within SAP FI-CAX (the ideal candidate will have at least 4 years Contract Accounting experience), or at least 3 full Life Cycle Projects
• Experience of core finance and controlling modules.
• Hands-on configuration experience.
• Solid understanding and experience of the SAP Project Lifecycle
• Project role as either consultant or internal consultant
• Experience of sales activities.
• Solid understanding of Finance business processes.

Desirable Experience:

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant.
• Team leading experience
• ASAP methodology

Delivery of SAP in a commercial environment.

Please contact Karl McClelland for additional information or to apply for this role.

A timely requirement for an experienced Managing Consultant to join our client’s Business Intelligence and Information Management team.

With significant exposure to customers, our ideal candidate will be comfortable working at CxO level to identify business issues and priorities and be able to build long term relationships at a senior level.

Working with Finance Directors, Senior Managers and other influential figures at all levels of the business, our ideal candidate will have the presense required to gain confidence, trust and respect at board level.

We are looking for someone with a proven track record of generating consulting revenues from existing and new clients.

We are looking for a team player/member to develop and maintain the support of our vertical account teams.

Internally, the candidates will help to shape the direction, strategy and promotion of the BI area therefore technical and personal credibility are essential.

Skills Breakdown

• Management skills and commercial awareness including ITT, RFP and bid management.
• Demonstrable track record of business consulting and project delivery in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing across multiple projects with a mix of experience in both technical and business consulting.
• Articulation of business and technical issues.
• Knowledge of a number of key technologies and tools within the BI/DW sector. E.g. Business Objects, Cognos, Oracle, SQL Server, Teradata, Ab-Initio, Informatica, Datastage, SAP BW, B.O. Data Integrator, PL/SQL & TSQL.
• Background in a number of sectors – Banking / Insurance sector is of particular interest.
• Project delivery experience either at board level/one level below or into customer project teams – Program Manager or Project Manager. This will include ability to cope with political issues and sensitivities.
• Willingness and ability to contribute to proposition development within their areas of skill.

Please contact Karl McClelland, karl@architecturalselect.com for additional information on this and other roles

Management Consultant ECM / London, Excellent Package

A timely requirement for an experienced Managing Consultant to join a growing ECM Consulting Business Team (CBT).

The team provides Management Consulting services in respect of:

• Focus on business development of NEW business
• Developing a strong account/client network
• Dealing at CxO level.
• Develop stand alone consulting revenue stream through collaboration with High Growth Areas (HGA’s), the vertical account teams and new accounts, with a target of ‘selling’ in teams of consultants
• Growing the ECM CBT capability and delivery capability
• Supporting the Team Lead

Key responsibilities will include:

• Delivery of consulting assignments
• Client workshop facilitation
• Bid support
• Proposition development

With significant exposure to customers, our ideal consultant will be comfortable working at CxO level to identify business issues and priorities and be able to build long term relationships at a senior level. We’re looking for someone with a proven track record of generating consulting revenues (from existing and new clients).

Key Experience

• Knowledge Management, Information Management or ECM
• Current and hands on experience with a network of opportunities
• Subject matter expertise
• Experience of building propositions for markets
• Preferably candidates will have big 5 experience

Location / Package

London and South East, Excellent Package

How to Win at Interviews

At Architectural Select, we know how important it is to be prepared and feel confident for that all important interview. This includes making sure you are in the right place at the right time and know everything you should about the company and its activities. You only have a small amount of time to convince the interviewer that you really are the right person for the role, so to help you
we’ve outlined some essential interview points as well as some major Dos and Don’ts.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Research:
Find out as much about the company as possible – its people, its products, services and competitors.
The web is a great way to research such information. Do not just rely on the company’s website but also perform searches on Google to see if there are any interviews, articles or press releases
elsewhere.

Plan your route:
Ensure that you allow enough time so that you can park /walk from the bus stop/ train station to the interview and arrive approximately 10 minutes before your interview time. It’s better to have 10 minutes to have a coffee and arrive at the office early and relaxed that stressing out, arriving just in time.

What to wear:
Think about what you are going to wear before the morning of the interview. Some good basic advice is: business suit in a neutral (preferably dark) colour; business shoes, no excess jewellery or face piercings, natural make up, not too much after shave/ perfume and no novelty socks/ties (as if…..)

Interview Practice:
However experienced you are at interviews – it’s always important to prepare beforehand to give yourself the best opportunity to get the job. More and more these days, employers ask for examples of where you have displayed certain types of behaviour in your current role; for example – good customer service. These types of interviews are known as Competency Based Interviews. Other standard questions will probably be asked – it is a good idea to run through the answers that you will give if asked these questions with a friend or partner.

Questions you might be asked:

Why do you want this job?

What do you know about our Company? (the answer to this should not be – ‘I was hoping you would be able to tell me that today’)

Why are you leaving your current role?

Why did you leave your last position?

Describe your current role.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? (TIP: do not dwell on a weakness too long, try to end the answer on a high. E.g. I would say that sometimes my communication skill could be a slight weakness but I have identified that and am currently working on improving them)

What do you see yourself doing in 2/5 years time?

Describe yourself.

What would your current/previous boss say about you?

What are your salary expectations?

Why should we employ you?

Normally at the end of an interview – the interviewer will give you the opportunity to ask some questions of your own – make sure that you have these questions pre-prepared and written down in a notebook. It’s fine to get the notebook out at that point of the interview to demonstrate that you had prepared some questions.

Questions you might like to ask:

Please describe a typical day

What training is provided?

How could the role develop (if at all)?

Can I see the department that I would be working in?

I saw on your website about the launch of……… can you tell me a little bit more about that?

I saw on your website that your Company is opening up another office in ….. can you tell me a little bit more about that?

What IT systems would I be using?

IMPORTANT – You are selling yourself here.
Ask “Have I convinced you that I have the skills to do the job?”

ON THE DAY

The basics:

Turn up on time.

Look smart and presentable.

Remember your interviewer’s name.

Visit the bathroom beforehand.

Eat a light snack a while before to stop “rumblings”.

Have a fresh breath strip if you are a smoker.

Make an impression:

Smile.

Firm handshake.

Introduce yourself using your full name, not just your first name. This means. I am worth remembering.

Don’t talk too quickly and try to think about what you will say – remember you are selling yourself.

Try to keep eye contact.

Relax and allow your personality to show through – remember the interviewer has chosen to see you because of your experience.

Smile. (yes, we already mentioned that).

DO’S AND DON’TS

Do’s:

Be positive, sit up straight and keep arms unfolded.

Ask if you can take notes.

Make some notes.

Listen and look interested!

Concentrate and make frequent eye contact.

Reply to questions clearly and concisely.

Don’ts:

Be late – arrive 10 minutes early.

Criticise current or previous employers.

Fidget or waffle.

Interrupt the Interviewer – although they may interrupt you.

Be afraid to sell yourself – you want this job!

Get stressed! You have the skills and experience, relax and be yourself.

SAP FICO Consultant (London/UK Wide)

Position

Seeking an experienced SAP FICO consultant to work as part of implementation project teams delivering SAP based solutions.

We’re looking for someone with an excellent understanding of finance business processes and broad experience across a range of finance modules.

Key Experience

Essential:
• At least 5 years SAP FICO experience, OR 3 years+ full Life Cycle Projects
• Configuration experience
• Solid understanding and experience of the SAP Project Lifecycle
• Previous role as either consultant or internal consultant
• Comprehensive understanding of SAP business processes relating to asset management.
• Ability and willingness to broaden skills into new areas.

Desirable:
• Qualified or part-qualified accountant
• Experience of one or more of the following submodules: Asset Accounting, Business Planning and Consolidation, GRC, CO-PA, product costing and reporting tools.
• Team leading experience
• ASAP methodology
• Delivery of SAP in a commercial environment

Package

Excellent

Senior Supply Chain Consultant: Oracle EBS (London / Excellent)

Position

An excellent opening for a Senior Supply Chain Consultant to work on client sites; involved with planning and designing solutions and actively involved in the implementation lifecycle, developing sales collateral and offerings, and in contributing to bids, including estimating implementation effort.

To be effective in the role, the consultant will utilise skills and experience which should include significant experience and detailed skills in the Supply Chain area, including ASCP, Inventory (including Costing) and some of: OM, PO, iProcurement, iStore, WMS, Configurator.

Product skills should also be augmented with Data Migration and Reporting experience, probably requiring some technical awareness – for example, knowledge of data structures and SQL.

The role will also require experience in developing sales collateral or offerings, and in contributing to bids, including estimating implementation effort, all UK based.

The Supply Chain Consultant will be dealing with Senior Management, to CxO level, in client organisations must be capable of articulating solutions and end experience developed in the UK market.

With the breadth and depth of client activity and market penetration, The Senior Supply Chain Consultant must be prepared to undertake application for SC clearance and to be successful there is a requirement for 5 years continuous residency in the UK.

Key Experience

Several years proven experience of Oracle EBS implementation, with proven experience in at least 2 full cycle implementations at lead functional level.

Prior industry experience in a relevant business area

Experience should include significant experience and detailed skills in the Supply Chain area, including ASCP, Inventory (including Costing) and some of: OM, PO, iProcurement, iStore, WMS, Configurator.

Skills should also include Data Migration and Reporting experience

Experience in developing sales collateral or offerings, and in contributing to bids, including estimating implementation effort.

Experience in any of the following areas would be advantageous, but not essential:

a) Discrete Manufacturing and/or EAM, including WIP and BOM/Eng modules.

b) Any other Oracle module experience, perhaps in Financials, PLM or CRM

Location – London / UK wide

Package

Excellent package / benefits

New Logo and Business Cards: My Own Little Competition. Any budding designers out there?

Architectural Select is going through some significant changes at the minute.

Until recently, we specialised in Architecture and Construction and have now moved back into IT, Financial and the other side of Architecture. Namely Enterprise Architecture, Strategy, Trends, Directions, Finance, Development, things like Energy Trading, Commodities and things in that area.

I quite like the name, but it definitely could do with a bit of a facelift and redesign.

So here’s what I’m proposing:

I’m looking for young entrepreneurial designers to come up with some good ideas for some business cards and maybe a new logo for Architectural Select. I’ll have the best one printed up and I’m sure it will be seen by some influential people.

I’m not going to pay for the design or your time, but I will have you clearly mentioned on the back of the card with either your website/name/e-mail etc. and maybe something else will come of it. There’s obviously quite a lot of work out there for budding brand designers and specialists and, to be honest, some of the stuff I’ve recently seen in the press and online hasn’t been too brilliant.

It’ll be good to hear from you and if you think this might be of interest to someone you know, please, by all means pass it on.

Karl

karl@architecturalselect.com

Position

The Management Consultant for Enterprise Architecture and Service Oriented Architecture (EA/SOA) will be part of a world class Consulting team for all aspects of Enterprise Architecture, developing and delivering high quality solutions for clients across all sectors of the UK business.

Dealing at CxO level, the Management Consultant will have the proven capability to shape produce and deliver effective EA/SOA solutions for major organisations.

Key Experience

Essential:
- Qualified and current EA/SOA consultancy experience
- Business Consultancy expertise
- CxO advisory experience
- Credible client presence to CxO level
- Commercially aware
- Good understanding of technology across multiple areas e.g.: ERP, BI, Data Warehousing, Web 2.0 etc
- Team player
- Proposition development experience
- Successful project/programme/service management record across a number of engagements
- Partner/Subcontractor management experience
- Ability to manage internal and external expectations
- Ability to interact internally across a variety of functions
- Proactive in seeking out and achieving delivery excellence

Package

Excellent package, contact me for any additional information.

Position

This position is for a Junior Consultant to join a consulting practice.

This is for a person who wishes to start a career as a consultant (not a graduate leaver), who has good degree. The person will have a primary focus on delivery to support process change projects

The position requires demonstratable experience of the following:

• Has clear orientation in their career so far
• Worked for recognised commercial organisations
• Presently capable delivering simple engagements
• Delivered/contributed to a project that has made a difference
• Can deal with initial client objections and understands when to escalate
• Worked with/for senior management
• Strong structured approach to tasks

The preferred industry experience is Commercial, FS, Utilities, Telco and PS in that order.

The Junior Consultant will be Relationship/Business driven and be expected to work autonomously, developing and maintaining an internal network beneficial to the business. Utilising excellent communication skills, the Junior consultant will be expected to add value at all levels whilst contributing to the on going development of skills end experience

The Consulting Practice specialises in business analysis, business change management, business optimisation, business process outsourcing and shared services, enterprise resource planning and programme and project management. It works closely with all parts of the UK business and internationally.

Key Experience

Demonstrable background
• Has clear orientation in their career so far
• Worked for recognised commercial organisations
• Presently capable delivering simple engagements
• Delivered/contributed to a project that has made a difference
• Can deal with initial client objections and understands when to escalate
• Worked with/for senior management
• Strong structured approach to tasks

Preferred industry experience
• Commercial, FS, Utilities, Telco and PS in that order

Personal requirements
• Relationship/Business-driven not technology-driven
• Is comfortable working autonomously
• Is comfortable developing and maintaining an internal network beneficial to BCM
• Self-starter able to motivate others
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Initiative, decisiveness and self-motivation
• Ability to manage conflict
• History of working in teams
• Worked internationally
• Willingness to contribute to growing Logica’s knowledge and capabilities
• Can do “ hands on” approach
• Ability write clearly
• Using collaborative techniques
• Exhibits high levels of political awareness and sensitivity
• Good strategic awareness and understanding
• Mobile in UK and prepared to work away from home during the week

Location

London, South East and potentially UK wide
Full Mobility is essential

Package

Excellent benefits package.