Microsoft Dynamics Consultant

JD Dynamics 365 SME / Functional Consultant (CDMO Costing & Operations)

Details of Engagement:

• Role Type: Contract-to-Hire (Initial duration: 6 months)
• Joining Requirement: Immediate joiners preferred
• Travel Requirement: Willingness to travel to Australia as required for business engagements and on-site collaboration

Role Objective:

Engage a Dynamics 365 SME to assess the current environment, validate configuration approach, and guide internal teams in optimizing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations for a commercial drug product CDMO business with a primary focus on enabling accurate actual cost measurement using existing modules, licenses, and team capacity.

Immediate priority:

Establish robust time-sheeting capability to track labor hours at batch production level, forming the foundation for accurate actual costing.

Additionally, the role requires independent validation of current implementation decisions and ensuring the system is correctly aligned to CDMO pharma manufacturing needs.

Key Responsibilities:

Conduct current-state assessment of Dynamics 365 environment (modules, configuration, license utilization, process adoption).

Evaluate and advise on implementation approach and best-practice design for CDMO batch manufacturing operations.

Design/validate time capture approach for production activities and define mapping to production orders/batches.

Hands-on configuration and implementation of time-sheeting solution to capture labor hours at batch level (critical priority).

Recommend integration pathway between timesheets and payroll to support labor cost allocation.

Guide configuration to enable actual manufacturing cost visibility across materials, labor, and overhead including production settlement and variance analysis.

Validate whether current system design and internal approach are aligned with CDMO best practices (independent expert view).

Assess internal team capability, provide mentoring, and enable knowledge transfer.

Identify which internal team members can execute configuration and estimate effort/timelines using existing team.

Develop a pragmatic implementation roadmap with steps, ownership, timelines, risks, and dependencies aligned to no additional headcount constraint.

Support subsequent phase: implementation of production scheduling aligned to labor and batch operations.

Mandatory Skills & Experience:

9+ years hands-on experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations including Manufacturing and Supply Chain modules.

Proven configuration experience in production/batch manufacturing, costing structures, inventory valuation, and labour/time capture.

Direct experience in pharmaceutical, life sciences, or CDMO manufacturing environments with understanding of GMP/GxP operations.

Strong expertise in manufacturing costing including standard vs actual costing, labor allocation, variance analysis, and production cost settlement.

Demonstrated experience linking timesheets production activities payroll costing.

Hands-on experience implementing time tracking and/or scheduling solutions within manufacturing (preferably pharma/CDMO).

Experience performing D365 system assessments, optimization engagements, and roadmap development using internal teams.

Experience integrating payroll and developing reporting/dashboards (Power BI preferred).

Strong stakeholder engagement, advisory capability, and team enablement experience.

Additional Expectation (Critical) :

Ability to operate as a hands-on SMEcapable of configuration and solution setup directly, not limited to advisory or team management roles.

Key Deliverables:

Current-state assessment and gap analysis

Recommended approach for time capture and labor costing

Configured/validated time-sheeting framework for batch-level labor tracking

Internal capability evaluation (who can execute within existing team)

Implementation roadmap with realistic timelines and ownership

Framework enabling accurate actual cost reporting

Validation report on whether current implementation approach is correct and fit-for-purpose

Important Context for Candidates:

The organization already has D365 implemented for production and material tracking.

Focus is on maximizing existing system capability (no additional headcount or major new investments).

The role requires independent thinkingnot relying solely on current internal or external system assumptions.

Preference for candidates who can both advise and execute.