Digital Technology Director, SAP CoE Leader

Basic Function

The SAP Center of Excellence (CoE) Leader reports directly to Digital Technology Leader, ERP Strategy & Operations. It is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving technological innovations, best in class business solutions and talent development across global SAP initiatives. The position emphasizes building and nurturing a high-performance team of SAP professionals while ensuring that cutting-edge SAP solutions are consistently delivered to meet 
business objectives and priorities.

This roles requires a proactive leader who excels in managing the talent, fostering technical expertise and delivering complex projects at highest standards. In close collaboration with the Enterprise Architects and SAP Strategy Leader, the leader of SAP CoE will steer the development of world-class SAP Center of Excellence capabilities that not only aligns with the organization’s strategic goals but also promotes continuous improvement and operational excellence. 

The SAP CoE leader, will direct and appropriately participate in envisioning, planning, designing, implementing and supporting all related processes necessary to manage LYB’s SAP technology platform. The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of leading Global SAP transformation and/or leading global SAP talent for company with outsourcing environment, focusing on optimizing business processes, maximizing team potential and ensuring seamless project execution. This position can be based in Rotterdam, The Netherland, Mumbai, India or Houston, Texas. 

Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership : 
  • Develop and execute strategic roadmap for SAP Centre of Excellence for a global company in alignment with Organisational Operating model & Digital technology’s global footprint
  • Closely work with Enterprise Architect & SAP Strategy leader to align SAP initiative to enterprise technology strategy and innovation goals
  • Collaborate with Digital Transformation leader and SAP Strategy leader to drive the design, positioning, estimation and implementation of innovative SAP solutions that support business growth and operational efficiency
• Team Leadership :
  • Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing best in class team of SAP Functional, Technical and Integration talent ensuring continuous and sustainable team and its competency growth;
  • Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the CoE;
  • Provide coaching and development opportunities to team members, promoting knowledge sharing and skills enhancement. 
• Operations:
  • Collaborate with ERP Operations Leader and Business stakeholders to help drive Operational excellence and continuous improvements
  • Support value driven enhancements by providing standard solutions
  • Ensure strong governance on operational task
• Program/Projects
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, business stakeholders, the Enterprise Architects, and Program/Project Managers to define requirements, prioritize initiatives, and ensure the successful integration of SAP solutions;
  • Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of SAP initiatives;
  • Monitor project risks and issues, implementing mitigation strategies to ensure project success
  • Establish strong governance to ensure standard best in class solution deployment
• Innovation and Continuous improvements
  • Drive the adoption of new SAP technologies (e.g., S/4HANA Private and Public Cloud, SAP BTP Integration/Development/Analytics/AI, SAP SuccessFactors and HCM, SAP CX/Hybris, ) to optimize business processes and improve user experience;
  • Stay updated on the latest SAP developments and industry trends, identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement within the SAP implementation and outsourcing sector;
  • Lead the implementation of best practices in SAP solution design, development, and deployment for a diverse range of  business needs in newer area  like sustainability reporting, global tax compliance, security etc.
• Business Alignment and Stakeholder management
  • Act as the primary liaison between the SAP CoE, key business stakeholders, the Enterprise Architects and Digital Transformation Leader  ensuring effective communication and collaboration; 
  • Align SAP initiatives with business objectives, ensuring that the SAP CoE delivers value by improving performance, efficiency, and agility;
  • Support relationships with  SAP as primary service provide, SAP partners, and service providers to ensure quality service delivery and cost-effectiveness.
• Financial Management
  • Develop and manage the budget for the SAP CoE, ensuring efficient allocation of resources across multiple engagements;
  • Ensure cost-effective operation of SAP CoE, identifying opportunities to optimize costs and improve ROI for the organization. 

Min. Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Management, Engineering, or other related discipline
• Typically requires significant experience (15+ years) in a high-transaction, services-oriented, global, business with strong leadership experience in applications management within a large, complex, fast-paced and dynamic company; with an emphasis on global SAP implementations.
• Expertise in SAP systems both on-premise and cloud applications(public and private) and technical architecture, including SAP solutions customizations/development and integration with different other systems;
• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing global SAP CoE;
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills and ability to work with both internal business and external digital technology partners;
• Strategic thinker with the ability to align SAP capabilities with business objectives;
• Strong understanding of enterprise architecture, IT governance, and business process optimization;
• Knowledge of industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and SAP innovations. 
• Ability to travel approximately 35 percent, domestically and internationally.

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Competencies