NetSuite–Salesforce Finance Systems Architect for Restricted Funds

Project overview We are developing an education freedom and scholarship platform and need an experienced finance systems architect to design the Phase 1 accounting workflow across Salesforce and Oracle NetSuite. The goal is to create a traceable, audit-ready financial architecture in which donor contributions, restricted scholarship funds, Scholarship Granting Organization—or SGO—balances, award obligations, platform or administrative fees, vendor costs, and disbursements remain clearly separated and reconciled. A core requirement is that restricted scholarship funds must not be treated as platform revenue. This is a fixed-price, milestone-based engagement focused on: Discovery and requirements. Finance and accounting workflow design. Salesforce-to-NetSuite systems architecture. Data and field mapping. Reconciliation and exception-management design. A phased implementation roadmap. This initial contract does not include the complete production implementation. A successful specialist may be considered for a separate follow-on implementation project. Current workflow areas The platform is expected to support the following financial activities: 1. Donor contributions and payments Donors select a state, SGO, and tax year and then submit payment. The accounting design must address: Gross donation amount. Payment processor fee. Net deposit. Failed payments. Refunds and reversals. Tax receipt records. Payment batches. Restricted-fund posting. Clearing-account and bank-reconciliation requirements. 2. SGO profiles and financial terms Each SGO may have its own negotiated fee, holdback, reserve terms, agreement version, and effective dates. The system must preserve these terms and keep platform-fee revenue separate from restricted scholarship funds. 3. SGO restricted-fund balances The architecture must support separate balances for each SGO, including: Opening balance. Donations. Fees or holdbacks. Approved awards. Disbursements. Remaining available balance. Restricted balance. Related liabilities or commitments. The consultant must recommend the appropriate NetSuite structure, such as classes, customers, projects, funds, custom segments, or another suitable structure. 4. Family applications Family applications may remain operational in Salesforce until an award is approved. The consultant must recommend: Which application information belongs in Salesforce. Whether any application-level costs should be recorded before approval. When an application creates a financial commitment or accounting event. 5. Qualified expense plans The system may need to capture: Expense category. Provider. Estimated cost or cost basis. Supporting documentation. Family certification. Certification timestamp. Reporting and audit tags. 6. Independent verification A third party may verify eligibility. The design must address: Verification status. Vendor costs by application. Cost allocation by program, SGO, state, or application. Related reporting requirements. 7. Award approval When an SGO approves an award, the platform must track: Award amount. Expense category. Provider. Available-balance reduction. Commitment, liability, reserve, or memorandum treatment. Adjustments. Cancellations. Expirations. Final accounting treatment will remain subject to the organization’s accounting and legal approval. 8. Disbursements The design must support the recording and reconciliation of: Payment method. Recipient. Amount. Payment date. Transaction reference. Supporting documentation. Reduction of the applicable award obligation. Possible future payment methods may include bank payment, payment processor, prepaid card, direct provider payment, school payment, or family payment, subject to final legal and program guidance. 9. Reporting and monthly reconciliation The monthly close design should reconcile: Salesforce records. NetSuite general ledger activity. Payment-processor activity. Bank activity. SGO restricted-fund balances. Platform or administrative fees. Awards. Disbursements. Exceptions. Review and sign-off. 10. Future reporting readiness State and Treasury roll-up reporting is a later phase and is not part of the current build. However, the Phase 1 architecture should be designed so future reporting can be organized by: State. SGO. Tax year. Award category. Donation and award volume. Remaining balance. Compliance-supporting status.