Solution Architect, Anaplan

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard University Central Administration?

Harvard University's Central Administration (CADM) is a 5,000+ employee organization that supports the university's overall excellence by understanding and serving the needs of its schools, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and surrounding communities. Through dynamic and collaborative partnerships, CADM provides high-quality and efficient services to the schools to help them achieve their goals.

Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is a community of Information Technology professionals committed to understanding our users and devoted to making it easier for faculty, students, and staff to teach, research, learn, and work through the effective use of information technology.  We are recruiting an IT workforce that has both breadth in their ability to collaborate and innovate across disciplines – and depth in specific areas of expertise.  HUIT offers opportunities for IT professionals to learn and work in a unique technology landscape and service-focused environment.  If you are a technically proficient, nimble, user-focused and accountable IT professional who also connects with the importance of collaborating well in a team environment we are looking for you!

More About HUIT:

Our Mission: huit.harvard.edu/about

We empower the Harvard community with essential and transformative technologies to advance education, knowledge, and discovery.

HUIT’s core values are:

• Human-centered
• University-focused
• Innovation-driven
• Team-oriented

IT Academy (designed for IT Staff):

HUIT’s IT Academy aims to enable each IT staff person to grow professionally and become a trusted partner to her or his team. The IT Academy is built on the belief that every IT staff member across the University (including technology employees at each school and campus) can grow in her or his area of expertise as well as building strong people and project management skills. Learn more here: https://itacademy.harvard.edu/.

Job Description

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:

Basic Qualifications are the minimum threshold a candidate must meet in order to be considered for this role.

• Minimum of seven years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

Required Essential Knowledge 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.

The following Additional Qualifications are strongly preferred. If you meet some, but not all, you are still encouraged to apply; we value employees with a willingness to learn.

• Anaplan Level 2 Model Builder, Solution Architect, or Master Anaplanner certification strongly preferred.
• Experience in higher education or similarly complex, decentralized organizations.

Certificates and Licenses:

• Completion of Harvard IT Academy specified foundational courses (or external equivalent) preferred.

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date:
  This is a fully benefited, full-time Harvard University position that has been funded for 2 years from date of hire. There is the possibility of renewal, contingent upon your work performance meeting the needs of the department and the continued availability of funding designed to support the position.
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
  Monday - Friday: Support planned production releases, occasionally during extended hours or weekends.
  This position can be fully remote or hybrid and travel to the campus may be required for important project events with advance notice.
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity
• Other Information:
  Please provide a cover letter with your application.
  This position has a 180-day orientation and review period.

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 059. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information.

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page.

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.