Automation Specialist

Role: Automation Specialist (Discovery) Location: London (Hybrid) Type: Initial 4-week contract Status: Outside IR35 The role Cedar are supporting a client undertaking a focused discovery of their transactional finance environment, with the objective of reducing manual processing through targeted automation, improved data flows and system efficiency. The current landscape relies heavily on Excel-based processes, manual journal handling, and data movement between ERP, banking platforms, and reporting outputs. There is limited use of structured automation. This engagement requires a hands-on specialist who can operate at the level of process, data, and tooling. You will analyse how data moves across the finance function, identify failure points and inefficiencies, and implement practical automation using the Microsoft stack. The outcome will be a combination of delivered improvements and a clearly defined, prioritised backlog for further automation. Scope of work You will work at a detailed technical level across finance processes, systems, and data: Decompose transactional finance workflows across Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and reconciliations into discrete steps, including system interactions, data transformations, and manual interventions Trace data lineage across ERP, Excel workbooks, banking files, and reporting outputs, identifying duplication, rekeying, and control weaknesses Analyse and refactor complex Excel processes, including workbooks with Power Query, VBA, and manual reconciliation logic Design and build automation using Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Automate flows for workflow and data movement, and integration with Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams where relevant Develop data transformation logic using Power Query, SQL, or Python to standardise and automate repeatable processes Automate ingestion and processing of structured data sources such as CSV, Excel extracts, and bank files Where required, implement UI-based automation or RPA to bridge gaps where APIs or direct integrations are not available Implement robust control mechanisms including validation rules, exception handling, logging, and audit trails to maintain financial integrity Produce structured outputs including current state process maps, target state designs, and a prioritised automation backlog Required experience You have delivered hands-on automation in finance environments and are comfortable working directly with systems, data, and end users. Strong understanding of transactional finance data flows, including subledger to general ledger movement, reconciliation processes, and period-end activities Proven experience building solutions using Microsoft Power Platform, particularly Power Automate and Power Query Advanced Excel capability, including working with complex models, data transformation, and where relevant VBA Experience working with ERP systems such as Dynamics, SAP, or NetSuite, including extracting and working with underlying data Working knowledge of SQL and or Python for data extraction and transformation Experience handling structured finance data sources such as bank files, payment runs, and system exports Ability to design automation that is robust, auditable, and aligned to financial control requirements Demonstrated experience running discovery in unstructured environments, including process decomposition, stakeholder engagement, and rapid identification of automation opportunities