Director, SAP Systems

Sysmex•Buffalo Grove, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

We currently have a great opportunity available for a Director of SAP Systems. The Director of SAP Systems will continue to refine the multi-year SAP roadmap and assume ownership of developing the SAP strategy. In addition, the Director will ensure that the SAP roadmap, strategy, and all associated initiatives align with the enterprise architecture of corporate goals, business priorities, and system architecture within the Enterprise. As a primary SAP advisory resource to both business and IT leaders, the Director will translate enterprise-wide strategy into capabilities delivered through SAP and will lead cross-enterprise trade-off decisions on scope, cost, risk, and value through the lens of SAP's enabling capabilities. The Director will further ensure that the results of the SAP initiatives create business impacts and measurable outcomes, and that they do not result solely in a technical impact. Additionally, through the SAP team, the Director has overall accountability for the implementation and ongoing operation of SAP as an enterprise system, including operating the ECC and S/4HANA environments and integration points with other systems (both SAP and non-SAP) outside the SAP domain. The Director is responsible for leading SAP modernization initiatives, including clean-core initiatives, technical debt reduction, and platform extensibility. The Director will ensure that architecture standards are in place to provide ongoing flexibility, integration capabilities, secure access, and sustainable solutions that will support the business in the long term. The Director will be accountable for managing the financial aspects of SAP portfolio management, which includes operating and project budgets, vendor spend, licensing, and managed services. The Director will drive value-based prioritization of SAP initiatives by balancing innovation, operational stability, and cost optimization while ensuring proper commercial management of SAP partners and system integrators. The role establishes and governs scalable SAP operating models that ensure stability, compliance, and audit readiness across the enterprise. The Director is accountable for SAP‑related risk management, internal controls, and regulatory requirements, and ensures consistent governance across incident management, change control, and release management in a 24x7 environment. The Director provides executive oversight of SAP delivery and operations across enhancements, projects, and support. This includes ensuring SAP services meet defined service levels, performance targets, and customer satisfaction goals, as well as proactively managing major incidents, escalations, and cross‑functional dependencies. As a people leader, the Director builds, leads, and develops a high‑performing SAP organization, including managers, functional leads, and technical experts. The Director builds and maintains strong relationships with business leaders, IT peers, and external partners, representing SAP in executive forums, steering committees, and enterprise planning activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field required with 15+ years of previous experience in Software and IT, 5 years of management experience.
Extensive knowledge of enterprise SAP environments and their role in enabling business strategy, operational excellence, and regulatory compliance.
Progressive SAP experience, including leadership of enterprise‑scale SAP environments.
Proven experience owning SAP strategy, roadmap, and platform in a complex organization.
Demonstrated success leading cross‑functional teams.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex business, technical, and regulatory documents.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with executive leadership, business partners, and technical teams.
Advanced knowledge of SAP S/4HANA systems.
Working knowledge of enterprise integration platforms, reporting and analytics tools, and related business applications.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, collaboration, and other related systems.
Strong strategic thinking and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to translate business strategy into executable technology initiatives.
Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness.
Financial acumen, including budget management, cost optimization, and value realization.

Nice To Haves

SAP certifications in functional, technical, or architectural domains are preferred but not required.
IT service management certifications (e.g., ITIL) and/or enterprise architecture or project management certifications (e.g., TOGAF, PMP) are a plus.

Responsibilities

Define, communicate, and execute the SAP strategy and roadmap aligned to the One IT goals and objectives.
Own the SAP platform performance, stability, security, and continuous improvement.
Govern SAP delivery, operations, and support models to ensure consistency and scalability.
Responsible for SAP financials and vendor relationships with strategic partners.
Work with Sysmex Corporation and other regional Sysmex affiliates to deliver a local and global solution.
Ensure SAP solutions are delivered to business requirements, quality standards, and architectural design.
Oversee SAP risk, compliance, audit, and security posture through GRC practices.
Lead, coach, and develop SAP management and staff, ensuring succession and capability maturity.
Drive cross‑functional collaboration between IT, business, and external partners.
Continuously assess emerging technologies and recommend innovations that improve business performance.