Senior Manager, Business Systems

About the role

Forterra is seeking a Sr. Manager, Business Systems to own, lead, and continuously improve the core business systems that power our operations. You will be accountable for delivery across ERP, CRM, integrations, and adjacent tooling that keeps Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Growth, Production, Quality, and Engineering moving. When systems fall short, you own the fix. When the business grows faster than the tools, you close the gap.

You will lead the Business Systems team, develop the people on it, and serve as the day-to-day partner for functional leaders across the company. The work requires both technical credibility and the ability to build trust quickly. You move fast without leaving stakeholders behind.

You will report directly to the Head of Business Systems and own the Systems pillar. You will coordinate closely with the Intelligence and PMO pillars, andoperateas a senior leader within Business Systems, setting the bar for delivery, collaboration, and accountability.

What you'll do

Own Core Business Systems Delivery

• Drive delivery of core business system initiatives across ERP (NetSuite), CRM (Salesforce), integration layer (Celigo), and adjacent tooling supporting Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Growth, Production, Quality, and Engineering

• Own and evolve the systems architecture across Forterra's core platform stack, ensuring it scales from early production through full-rate manufacturing

• Manage prioritization and capacity across the Business Systems team and fractional contractor bench, keeping the highest-impact work moving without burning the team

• Serve as the day-to-day liaison with system vendors and managed service partners, coordinating delivery, escalating issues, and holding partners accountable to scope and quality

• Identifyand drive improvements to team delivery workflows and pipelines, including laying the groundwork for more automated, repeatable development and deployment practices

• Own system performance and issue resolution before they become business disruptions

Lead and Develop the Team

• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Business Systems Analysts and Systems Engineers,establishingtechnical standards and career development paths

• Run structured 1:1s, provide clear andtimelyfeedback, and build meaningful growth plans for every direct report

• Build a team culture grounded in ownership, accountability, and cross-functional trust

• Participate in hiring decisions as tenure and trust develop over time

Drive Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, Growth, Production, Quality, and Engineering, translating business needs into durable system solutions

• Define team operating standards and delivery practices that create consistency, protect focus, and support the execution work led by the Technical PMO

• Produce exec-ready visibility into team status, project health, and delivery commitments

• Drive structured transition of institutional knowledge from contractors to FTEs as the operating model matures

Identifyand Implement Improvements

• Proactively surface and drive process and system improvements across the business, not just in response to requests

• Identifyopportunities to embed automation and AI-enabled workflows that reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency

• Establish governance practices for system access, data integrity, and compliance aligned with defense industry requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in business systems, enterprise applications, or ERP program management

• 2+ years of direct people management experience in a business systems or technology function

• Deep hands-on experience with NetSuite at the configuration, architecture, or program management level

• Demonstrated financial systems fluency across Order to Cash,Procureto Pay, or financial reporting workflows in a scaling environment

• Meaningful experience with Salesforce,Celigo, or comparable CRM and integration platforms where you owned the delivery, not just the administration

• Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating with external contractors and managed service vendors

Preferred Qualifications

• Background spanning both financial systems and production or manufacturing tech. As comfortable talking Order to Cash with a CFO as talking BOM management with an engineering lead

• Experience supporting financial close processes, audit readiness, or controls in an environment where data integrity is non-negotiable

• Exposure to manufacturing, supply chain systems, or production operations at a hardware or defense company

• A strategy on AI and automation applied to business systems. Not as a trend to follow, but as a capability to build

• You have led a team through a systems implementation, an acquisition integration, or a significant operational transformation and have the perspective to show for it

US Salary Range
$160,000 - $200,000

Location

Hybrid in Clarksburg, MD or Arlington, VA

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevan