SAP Implementation Lead

Magna International • Troy, MI

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• The Magna Exteriors portfolio of products includes access systems such as liftgates, exterior trim, modular systems, front-end modules including fascia, active aerodynamic systems and other lightweight structural components for automotive, commercial truck and other industrial markets.
• Recognized globally as an innovator in all aspects of vehicle exteriors, Magna provides everything needed, from materials development and design through manufacturing and assembly, to help automakers create sleek, state-of-the-art vehicles across the world.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior