Principal ERP Architect

Slate Auto

8d•$171,191 - $285,319

About The Position

The Principal ERP Architect owns the end-to-end application architecture for the enterprise SAP landscape. This is the most senior individual contributor architecture role, accountable across the full program rather than a single project or workstream. The role sets the target-state design, governs how it is implemented, and serves as the final technical design authority for solutions built on and around SAP S/4HANA. The successful candidate brings deep, hands-on automotive industry depth, including SAP Vehicle Management System (VMS), and can architect vehicle-centric business processes end to end.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information systems, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field.
10+ years of SAP PP experience, including multiple full lifecycle SAP implementations.
3+ years of SAP S/4HANA solution architecture experience.
Experience with SAP S/4HANA Green field implementation or transformation programs.
A clear, defensible point of view on clean-core and fit-to-standard design, with the credibility to serve as the implementation partner's counterpart and hold the line against unnecessary customization.
Experience writing functional specifications, leading finance-side user acceptance testing, and partnering with implementation partners and IT through go-live and stabilization.
Familiarity with SOX requirements for finance systems, ideally in a pre-IPO or recently public-company environment.
Comfortable in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment building a system rather than maintaining one.

Nice To Haves

Deep, hands-on automotive industry depth, including SAP Vehicle Management System (VMS)
Can architect vehicle-centric business processes end to end.

Responsibilities

Own the architecture for SAP Vehicle Management System (VMS), including the vehicle object model, action control matrix, action grid design, and vehicle status management.
Architect the vehicle lifecycle end to end, from ordering and configuration through production allocation, inbound handling, dealer distribution, and final customer delivery.
Design VMS integration with core S/4HANA processes, including SD, MM, LE, PP, EWM, FI/CO, and variant configuration.
Define the architecture for OEM, importer, and dealer-facing processes, including Dealer Business Management where in scope, and vehicle-related aftersales and warranty flows.
Set standards for automotive EDI and B2B integration, including scheduling agreements, delivery schedules, self-billing/ERS, and OEM-specific message standards.
Architect supply-side automotive processes where applicable.
Own the roadmap position on SAP automotive portfolio and vehicle solutions.
Own integration architecture, patterns, standards, and reuse.
Define interface design, error handling, monitoring, and reprocessing patterns.
Set master data architecture and governance.
Define analytics and reporting architecture.
Establish standards for data migration, reconciliation, and cutover validation.
Chair or serve as ranking member of the architecture review board.
Review, approve, or reject solution designs.
Publish architecture standards and reusable reference designs.
Adjudicate design conflicts and manage architectural debt.
Mentor architects and elevate design maturity.
Act as the client-side technical counterweight in reviews with partners.
Review partner designs and deliverables.
Validate contractual and technical acceptance criteria.
Provide technical input into SOWs, RFPs, and vendor evaluations.