SAP Implementation Lead

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The SAP Implementation Lead is responsible for the implementation, support, optimization, and continuous improvement of SAP business processes across manufacturing operations throughout North America. This role serves as a key liaison between business stakeholders and IT teams, ensuring that SAP solutions align with operational requirements while supporting strategic initiatives and ERP transformation efforts. 

The ideal candidate will possess strong functional expertise across multiple SAP modules, proven experience implementing and supporting SAP solutions, solid project management skills, and a customer-focused mindset. This individual will support manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, finance, and operational excellence initiatives while driving process improvements and business value through SAP technologies. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: 

SAP Business Process Leadership 

• Analyze business requirements and identify opportunities to improve business processes using SAP best practices. 

• Design, configure, test, implement, and support SAP solutions across multiple functional areas. 

• Collaborate with business leaders and key stakeholders to define future-state processes that align with organizational objectives. 

• Conduct fit-gap analyses and recommend scalable, sustainable, and practical solutions. 

• Ensure data integrity, system reliability, and process standardization across multiple locations and business units. 

SAP Implementation & Continuous Improvement 

• Lead and participate in SAP implementations, rollouts, upgrades, migrations, and enhancement projects. 

• Support both greenfield and brownfield SAP deployment initiatives. 

• Develop business cases, project plans, timelines, and resource requirements in collaboration with IT Project Managers. 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational efficiency, automation, process optimization, and standardization. 

• Manage the full project lifecycle, including readiness assessments, blueprint workshops, business process analysis, collaboration with consultants and key users, master data preparation, data migration, user training validation, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), go-live activities, and post-implementation support. 

Project Management 

• Manage multiple SAP projects simultaneously across various functional areas and manufacturing locations. 

• Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, status reports, and risk mitigation plans. 

• Coordinate activities among business teams, consultants, vendors, and technical resources. 

• Facilitate project meetings and provide clear, concise updates to stakeholders and leadership. 

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, within budget, and aligned with business priorities. 

SAP Support & Operations 

• Provide second- and third-level SAP support to business users. 

• Troubleshoot complex SAP issues and coordinate resolution efforts with functional and technical teams. 

• Evaluate enhancement requests and prepare functional specifications for development teams. 

• Support integrations between SAP and third-party systems, including EDI, MES, WMS, BI, and other manufacturing-related applications. 

• Develop and maintain documentation, training materials, standard operating procedures, and knowledge base articles. 

Customer Service & Business Partnership 

• Build strong relationships with plant leadership, production teams, supply chain, finance, engineering, quality, and other business functions. 

• Deliver exceptional customer service through a consultative, collaborative, and solution-oriented approach. 

• Conduct end-user training sessions and facilitate knowledge-sharing initiatives. 

• Serve as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders on SAP capabilities, limitations, emerging technologies, and best practices. 

• Partner with business leaders to identify opportunities for process improvement and maximize the value of SAP investments. 

The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for the performance of this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Education 

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field. 

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 80% of the time to support on-site SAP implementations, project activities, and plant operations across North America. 

Experience 

• Minimum of 7-10 years of hands-on SAP experience in a manufacturing environment. 

• At least 3 years of experience implementing SAP solutions, with additional experience providing production support and continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Proven experience leading or participating in multiple full-cycle SAP implementations, upgrades, migrations, and rollouts. 

• Experience working within automotive manufacturing environments is strongly preferred. 

• Experience supporting automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers is highly desirable. 

• Strong understanding of end-to-end business processes and SAP integration across manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, procurement, and finance functions. 

• Experience supporting multi-site operations and enterprise-wide SAP deployments across North America is preferred. 

SAP Functional Knowledge 

Strong understanding of end-to-end business processes and system integration across multiple SAP functional areas, including: 

• MM (Materials Management): Procurement, purchasing, inventory management, scheduling agreements, vendor collaboration, and material master data management. 

• PP (Production Planning): Production planning, manufacturing execution, capacity planning, shop floor processes, and production scheduling. 

• SD (Sales & Distribution): Order-to-cash processes, customer requirements management, pricing, shipping, billing, and logistics execution. 

• WM/EWM (Warehouse Management/Extended Warehouse Management), QM (Quality Management), PM (Plant Maintenance), and PS (Project Systems): Warehouse operations, inventory control, quality processes, maintenance management, project tracking, and related operational activities. 

• FI/CO (Finance & Controlling), EDI, BI, and SAP S/4HANA: Financial integration, cost and profitability analysis, electronic data interchange, reporting and analytics, business intelligence, and modern SAP S/4HANA platforms. 

Preferred Automotive & Manufacturing Experience 

• Experience supporting JIT (Just-in-Time) and JIS (Just-in-Sequence) manufacturing environments and automotive supply chain operations. 

• Strong understanding of production scheduling, inventory management, logistics, warehouse operations, and material flow processes. 

• Experience supporting EDI transactions and integrations with automotive OEMs, suppliers, and third-party partners. 

• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and operational excellence methodologies. 

• Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities across North America is strongly preferred. 

• Familiarity with automotive industry requirements, including quality standards, traceability, customer releases, and supply chain management processes. 

Skills & Competencies 

• Strong project management, planning, and organizational skills. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization. 

• Proven leadership capabilities, teamwork, and cross-functional collaboration experience. 

• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills. 

• Ability to manage competing priorities, multiple projects, and support requests in a fast-paced environment. 

• Customer-focused mindset with a proactive, consultative, and service-oriented approach. 

• Self-motivated, accountable, and capable of working independently with minimal supervision. 

• Strong presentation, documentation, facilitation, and end-user training skills. 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project, and Power BI. 

• Ability to translate complex business requirements into effective SAP solutions and recommendations. 

Travel Requirements 

• Must be willing and able to travel extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico to support plant operations, SAP implementations, project deployments, training activities, and continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Travel requirements may reach up to 80% depending on project phase, implementation schedules, and business needs. 

• Must possess or be able to obtain all required travel documentation, including a valid passport and any applicable work authorization. 

• Ability to support occasional off-hours and weekend activities during critical project milestones, system cutovers, and go-live events. 

Ideal Candidate Profile 

• The ideal candidate combines deep SAP functional expertise with strong project leadership and a thorough understanding of automotive manufacturing operations.  

• This individual is a strategic thinker and hands-on problem solver who can effectively bridge the gap between business and IT.  

• The successful candidate will have a proven track record of delivering SAP solutions that improve operational performance, support business objectives, and drive continuous improvement across multiple manufacturing locations. 

• They will demonstrate strong leadership, exceptional stakeholder management skills, and a commitment to customer service while supporting complex SAP initiatives in a dynamic, fast-paced manufacturing environment.  

• Above all, they will bring a collaborative, results-oriented approach and the ability to translate business needs into practical, scalable SAP solutions.