Solution Architect, Anaplan
Job-Specific Responsibilities
Harvard University is implementing an Anaplan budgeting, forecasting, and planning platform. We are seeking a hands-on Technical Lead & Product Owner to own both the technical ecosystem and the product vision for Anaplan across the University-spanning architecture, integrations, security, performance, model design, and roadmap/feature prioritization.
This role combines deep financial planning and analysis (FP&A) expertise with product management and consulting skills. You will partner with the Office of Financial Strategy & Planning, school and unit finance teams, IT, and external partners to design, prioritize, and deliver a scalable, intuitive, and well-governed planning platform in a highly decentralized environment.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Ownership & Architecture
- Serve as primary technical owner of Harvard's Anaplan environment (architecture, workspaces, security, performance).
- Design the end-to-end technical architecture, including how Anaplan connects with existing reporting and analytics tools, the data warehouse, identity management systems, and downstream reporting solutions.
- Define environment strategy (DEV/TEST/UAT/PROD), promotion paths, and ALM approach; ensure robust controls and segregation of duties.
Model Design, FP&A & Non-Functional Requirements
- Lead detailed Harvard model design grounded in FP&A best practices and Harvard's dimensional structures (TUB, Org, Dept, Fund, etc.), time, versioning, and what-if scenarios.
- Design driver-based planning, key calculation chains, allocations, and performance-conscious formulas using Anaplan best practices.
- Define and manage non-functional requirements: scalability, performance, availability, model sizing, and peak-planning performance targets.
Data, Integrations & Governance
- Own integration design to and from Anaplan, including choice of tools (APIs, Anaplan Connect, ETL), batch vs near real-time patterns, and error handling.
- Establish data and metadata standards: sources of truth for chart of accounts, org hierarchy, budget centers, and rules for hierarchy changes and approvals.
- Implement reconciliation controls between Anaplan, HART, and the GL.
- Define data quality rules and monitoring.
Security, Compliance, Testing & Operations
- Design the security model: SSO (Okta)/identity integration, role-to-group mapping (TUB, Org), and row-level security by org, fund, activity, etc.; and "budget center" which may span both.
- Ensure appropriate handling of sensitive data and alignment with Harvard security, privacy, and audit requirements.
- Define and oversee testing strategy (unit, system/integration, UAT, regression), defect management, and "go-live ready" criteria.
- Lead cutover and migration planning, legacy/shadow system retirement, and approach for initial parallel runs, as needed.
- Define operational monitoring (integrations, KPIs, job success/failure) and runbooks for common incidents; set UX/UI standards with a focus on usability and accessibility.
Governance
- Help shape Anaplan governance: product ownership post-go-live, enhancement intake and prioritization, and guardrails for new/local models.
- Lead technical and business viability assessments of novel concepts (e.g., budget center, "planning in plain English") and their impact on chart of accounts, HART, and source systems.
- Influence over future operating model and potential for supervision of solution staff.
Product Ownership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as product owner for the Anaplan budgeting and planning platform: define the product vision, roadmap, and release priorities in partnership with finance and IT leadership.
- Gather, analyze, and reconcile requirements from central and school/unit stakeholders; frame tradeoffs and options using strong consulting and facilitation skills.
- Translate business needs-budgeting, forecasting, longrange planning, scenario analysis-into user stories and clear acceptance criteria.
- Champion user experience and adoption through demos, feedback sessions, training input, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
- Minimum of seven years' post-secondary education or relevant work experience
Additional Qualifications and Skills
- 7+ years of experience in enterprise planning, financial systems, or analytics, including substantial experience in FP&A or financial planning/budgeting roles.
- Hands-on Anaplan model building and architecture, including leading complex, multi-entity Anaplan implementations integrated with source systems.
- Demonstrated experience acting as a product owner/manager or lead consultant for financial systems or planning platforms, including roadmap definition and stakeholder prioritization.
- Ideally 3+ years of hands-on Anaplan model building and architecture, including leading complex, multi-entity Anaplan implementations integrated with source systems.
- Strong understanding of finance/accounting concepts (budget vs actuals, chart of accounts, allocations, position budgeting, capital planning, variance analysis).
- Proven consulting and communication skills: able to facilitate workshops, challenge assumptions, synthesize diverse requirements, and present clear recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Familiarity with integration tools and APIs (e.g., SQL plus at least one of: Anaplan Connect, Informatica, MuleSoft, Boomi, SnapLogic, or similar).
- Demonstrated strength in data modeling, master data management, metadata management, and performance-optimized design.
Anaplan Level 2 Model Builder, Solution Architect, or Master Anaplanner certification strongly preferred. Experience in higher education or similarly complex, decentralized organizations.
