To lead the functional strategy and operations of SAP across all manufacturing and business functions, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of projects and initiatives. The role will focus on driving business transformation through SAP solutions, coordinating with stakeholders across functions, and ensuring alignment of SAP capabilities with business goals.

Key Responsibilities :

Strategic Planning & Leadership :

- Develop and implement the SAP functional roadmap in alignment with the organizations digital strategy.

- Serve as the primary point of contact between IT and business functions to drive SAP-related initiatives.

- Evaluate emerging SAP technologies and recommend enhancements to drive operational excellence.

Project Delivery & Governance :

- Lead end-to-end delivery of SAP projects, including new implementations, rollouts, upgrades, and enhancement initiatives.

- Establish strong governance frameworks to ensure adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.

- Monitor project progress using KPIs and ensure corrective actions are taken proactively.

Functional Coordination :

- Collaborate closely with heads of Finance, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales, HR, and other departments to gather requirements and translate them into SAP solutions.

- Conduct cross-functional workshops to align business processes with SAP best practices.

- Facilitate seamless communication between business teams and SAP technical/ABAP team.

Quality Assurance :

- Drive quality control by implementing testing protocols (UAT, integration testing, regression testing).

- Ensure documentation of functional specifications, process flows, and SOPs.

- Implement continuous improvement frameworks and audit mechanisms for SAP processes.

Team Management :

- Lead and mentor a team of SAP functional consultants and business analysts.

- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning within the SAP functional team.

Stakeholder & Vendor Management :

- Manage relationships with SAP vendors, implementation partners, and consultants to ensure value-driven delivery.

- Review vendor performance and negotiate contracts and SLAs for SAP services.

Support & Continuous Improvement :

- Oversee SAP support operations, ensuring minimal downtime and quick resolution of business-critical issues.

- Identify process improvement opportunities and drive automation using SAP functionalities and new modules such as S/4HANA, Fiori, etc.

Key Skills & Competencies :

- Strong expertise in SAP modules such as MM, SD, PP, FICO, QM, PM, and integration points.

- Proven track record in leading SAP projects in a manufacturing environment.

- Excellent cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

- Knowledge of SAP best practices, solution architecture, and integration strategies.

Qualifications & Experience :

- Bachelors or Masters degree in Engineering, Technology, or Business Management.

- Minimum 12- 15 years of experience in SAP functional roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership position.

- Experience in end-to-end SAP implementation in manufacturing or process industry.

- Familiarity with SAP S/4HANA, cloud solutions, and emerging SAP technologies.

Performance Indicators (KPIs) :

- On-time and on-budget delivery of SAP projects.

- SAP system uptime and incident resolution SLAs.

- Business user satisfaction scores.

- Process automation and improvement metrics.

- Achievement of strategic automation and digital transformation goals.

Personal Attributes :

- Strong leadership and communication skills.

- Strategic thinker with execution excellence.

- Ability to influence senior stakeholders.

- Continuous improvement mindset.

- High degree of ownership and accountability.

Conclusion :

This role is critical in enabling digital transformation across the organization through the effective use of SAP. The Functional Head SAP must ensure that technology solutions deliver maximum value and are aligned with business objectives, especially in a manufacturing setup where operational efficiency is paramount.