Senior SAP Program Manager

Detroit Manufacturing Systems•Auburn Hills, MI

About The Position

The Senior SAP Program Manager leads complex, multi‑workstream SAP initiatives across the enterprise, ensuring strategic alignment, disciplined execution, and measurable business outcomes. This role oversees full lifecycle SAP programs from roadmap and design through deployment, stabilization, and continuous improvement while managing cross‑functional teams, executive stakeholders, system integrators, and global business partners.

Requirements

10+ years managing SAP programs or large SAP transformation projects
Understanding of SAP modules (e.g., FI/CO, MM, SD, PP) and integration points
Experience with S/4HANA migrations, greenfield/brownfield implementations, or multi‑phase rollouts
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams of 30+ resources across business, IT, and vendor groups
Strong command of project management methodologies (PMP, Agile, SAP Activate preferred)
Exceptional communication, negotiation, and executive‑level presentation skills
Experience in industries such as manufacturing and automotive
Ability to connect SAP capabilities to business value, process optimization, and operational outcomes
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Engineering, or related field

Nice To Haves

PMP, PgMP, Agile/Scrum certifications, or SAP Activate certification strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Direct large‑scale SAP programs (S/4HANA or hybrid landscapes) with multiple integrated projects and global stakeholders
Define program governance, delivery methodology, and execution standards (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid)
Develop and manage program plans, budgets, resource models, and risk frameworks
Ensure alignment between business strategy, SAP roadmap, and enterprise architecture
Serve as the primary liaison between business leadership, IT leadership, and implementation partners
Facilitate steering committees, executive updates, and decision‑making forums
Translate complex SAP concepts into clear, actionable information for non‑technical audiences
Manage system integrators, consulting partners, and third‑party vendors to ensure quality, accountability, and contract compliance
Drive performance through SLAs, KPIs, and structured governance
Manage project budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting
Oversee vendor relationships, SOWs, and performance of system integrators or consulting partners
Oversee requirements, solution design, configuration, testing, data migration, cutover, and hyper care
Ensure adherence to SAP best practices, security standards, and compliance requirements (SOX, GxP, etc., depending on industry)
Champion change management, training, and adoption strategies
Proactively identify risks, dependencies, and cross‑functional impacts
Lead structured mitigation planning and escalation management
Maintain rigorous change control processes to protect scope, timeline, and budget