IT Principal, SAP Architect

Alkermes

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal SAP S/4HANA Solution Architect to provide end-to-end architecture leadership and long-term ownership of the S/4HANA solution landscape. While the programme is approaching go-live in July, the primary focus of this role is to define and govern the target architecture, ensure architectural integrity across all workstreams, and shape the roadmap for ongoing evolution, optimisation, and innovation. The Solution Architect will provide governance and design assurance across the SAP landscape (process, data, integration, security, and operations), supporting delivery through go-live and establishing a sustainable foundation for steady-state operations. This includes adherence to SAP Clean Core principles and enterprise standards, clear design decision-making, and a forward-looking architecture roadmap, with SAP BTP and SAP Integration Suite/CPI as key enabling components for integration and extensibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information management, mathematics, statistics, biostatistics, business, or related field; advanced degree preferred
8-12 years of technology experience, preferably in Life Sciences or within a regulated environment
Extensive experience as an SAP Solution Architect on S/4HANA programmes, owning end-to-end solution architecture and design governance.
Proven experience in at least one end-to-end S/4HANA implementation approaching or at go-live, including hypercare/early life support.
Strong understanding of core SAP processes and cross-functional integration (e.g., FI/CO, MM, SD, PP) and how they operate end to end.
Solid understanding of integration patterns (APIs, messaging, event-driven), identity and access, and cloud/security considerations across SAP and non-SAP platforms.
Hands-on experience with SAP BTP and SAP Integration Suite/CPI (design, monitoring, troubleshooting) in complex integration landscapes.
Experience defining non-functional requirements and operational readiness (monitoring/alerting, logging, runbooks, support model) for production environments.
Strong understanding of cutover planning, data migration validation, environment management, and release strategy.
Experience working with SAP Activate (or comparable delivery methodology) and collaborating effectively across SI and internal teams.
Strong stakeholder management, communication, and decision-making skills; able to balance speed of delivery with architectural integrity in time-critical environments.

Nice To Haves

SAP certifications in S/4HANA, BTP, or Integration.
Experience with RISE with SAP or S/4HANA Cloud.
Knowledge of enterprise architecture frameworks (e.g., TOGAF).
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Proven leadership in complex, multi-stream delivery environments.
Delivery-focused with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

Own and govern the end-to-end solution architecture for the S/4HANA programme, ensuring alignment across business processes, data, applications, integration, and security.
Lead architecture governance and design authority forums; drive decisions, manage exceptions, and resolve cross-stream design gaps, risks, and technical debt.
Validate end-to-end solution readiness ahead of go-live, including non-functional requirements (performance, resilience, monitoring, supportability) and operational handover into hypercare.
Partner with programme leadership, functional leads, and delivery teams to support cutover planning, environment strategy, data migration validation, and integration sequencing.
Engage senior stakeholders and provide architectural leadership across delivery phases; act as escalation point for complex, cross-functional technical issues.
Ensure adherence to SAP Clean Core principles and the agreed extensibility strategy; protect the core while enabling continuous improvement.
Define and govern BTP-based extensions and integration approaches (SAP Integration Suite/CPI, APIs, event-driven patterns), ensuring secure, scalable, and supportable designs.
Oversee integration readiness (build quality, testing, monitoring/alerting, runbooks), ensuring all interfaces are production-ready and operable.
Support rapid issue resolution during go-live and early life support, including integration failures, performance issues, and data inconsistencies, coordinating across SAP and non-SAP platforms.
Define and transition to a sustainable target architecture and support model, including principles, standards, and a roadmap for post go-live optimisation and innovation.