S4 Data Design Lead

AstraZeneca•Wilmington, DE

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you ready to set the data standards that power SAP S/4HANA and shape how a global science-led company runs end to end? Do you thrive at the intersection of data design, governance, and complex business processes? In this role, you will lead the enterprise data design that underpins a once-in-a-generation ERP transformation. Your work will establish common data foundations, enable standardized processes and real-time reporting, and connect process design to business outcomes. The decisions you make will scale across geographies and functions, improving how we manage and use data from supply chain through finance, ultimately helping us move medicines to patients with more speed and confidence.

Requirements

10 years in a similar role, including 5 years in controlling and 3 years in sub-implementation.
Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting (or equivalent).
Deep expertise in S/4HANA target-state business data standards and best-practice data concepts
Proven experience defining, documenting, and implementing enterprise data standards across master data, reference data, and metadata
Ability to develop conceptual data models, business glossaries, and ontologies aligned to process and analytics requirements
Strong knowledge of data governance frameworks and approval processes, with experience governing data across its lifecycle
Hands-on experience supporting S/4HANA process and technical design, collaborating with finance and process design leads
Capability to capture as-is data structures, conduct harmonisation assessments, and produce to-be data design proposals for global design
Track record delivering global data management processes and procedures with business-as-usual data governance teams
Experience leading data localisation and transformation activities, educating local and controlling teams on new data standards
Demonstrated ability to steer data migration scope, data quality approaches, and interim-state data management through go-live
Skilled in facilitating workshops and working sessions to land data requirements and accelerate process design discussions
Experience enforcing domain data policies and ensuring compliance with global data standards and process standards during deployments
Proven ability to manage data dependencies within integrated work packages and close requirements to meet program delivery timelines
Experience conducting change impact assessments and leading broader data education and change initiatives
Ability to maintain alignment between S/4HANA design and enterprise data design, including interim-state support
Ownership of data management testing activities and experience supporting data defect resolution during deployment and go-live
Experience providing business inputs to data cleanse and migration, including relevancy and harmonization rules, and enabling technical migration

Nice To Haves

Experience in large-scale ERP transformations within complex, global organisations
Background in data design and governance within regulated industries
Familiarity with SAP data migration tooling and data quality monitoring practices
Strong facilitation skills and the ability to drive decisions across diverse stakeholders
Comfort enforcing data policies while balancing local needs and global standards

Responsibilities

Define, document, and implement S/4HANA enterprise data standards across your assigned domain, covering master data, reference data, and metadata.
Confirm business context and secure approvals through established data governance.
Develop conceptual models, business glossaries, and ontologies that clearly describe data meaning and usage, ensuring consistency across process and analytics needs.
Apply deep data, process, and object expertise to support end-to-end S/4HANA process and technical design, partnering closely with finance and process design leaders.
Collect and share relevant as-is data structures and harmonisation assessments, produce best-practice to-be data design proposals, and feed these into the global design process.
Deliver effective global data management processes and procedures to govern each data asset throughout its lifecycle, working in close partnership with business-as-usual data governance teams.
Lead data localisation and transformation for your domain to ensure data readiness at program go-live. Educate local and controlling teams on new standards, identify collections and transformations, and steer the data quality and interim-state approach.
Serve as the gatekeeper for domain-related data policies during deployments, ensuring compliance with the Data Governance Framework, Global Data Standards, and overarching process standards.
Drive the data agenda within integrated work packages. Prioritise data dependencies and close requirements in line with delivery milestones through focused workshops and working sessions.
Define and lead the change journey from current to future-state data design, including change impact assessments and broader data education and change initiatives.
Maintain alignment between S/4HANA design and wider enterprise data design, including support for the interim state, to ensure continuity and fitness for purpose.
Own and execute data management testing activities and support resolution of data-related defects during deployment and go-live.
Provide business inputs to data cleanse and migration, including designs, relevancy rules, and harmonisation rules. Steer cleanse scope and priority and enable technical migration activities.

Benefits

We value kindness alongside ambition, and we move with urgency to solve complex challenges—bringing unexpected teams together to unleash bold thinking and make a tangible impact from bench to patient.
An inclusive culture where you will connect different thinking to generate new and valuable opportunities.
Where you will find a commitment to lifelong learning, growth and development for all.
Our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) mission is to create an inclusive and equitable environment where people belong, using the power of our diversity to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients.
Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to the success of our company, because innovation requires breakthrough ideas that only come from a diverse workforce empowered to challenge conventional thinking.
We’re curious about science and the advancement of knowledge.
We find creative ways to approach new challenges.
We’re driven to make the right choices and be accountable for our actions.
As an organisation centred around what makes us human, we put a big focus on people.
Across our business, we want colleagues to wake up excited about their day at the office, in the field, or in the lab.
Along with our purpose to bring life-changing medicines to people across the globe, we have a promise to you: to help you realise the full breadth of your potential.
Here, you’ll do work that has the potential to change your life and improve countless others.
And, together with your team, you’ll shape a culture that unites and inspires us every day.
This is your life at AstraZeneca.