Technical Executive Director, SAP Basis & Platform Operations

Estée Lauder Companies•, NY

2d•$177,100 - $304,500•Hybrid

About The Position

The Technical Executive Director, SAP Basis & Platform Operations, is responsible for ensuring the stability, security, and performance of the current global SAP environment. This role leads the SAP Basis organization with accountability for 24x7 operations, platform lifecycle management, and technical architecture, with a strong focus on evolving the landscape toward S/4HANA, RISE, and cloud-first delivery models. This role will drive the transformation from traditional SAP Basis operations to a modern platform engineering capability, enabling scalability, automation, and improved service delivery. While maintaining operational excellence across ECC and integrated NetWeaver platforms, this role will accelerate the adoption of cloud-based services, hybrid architectures, SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) capabilities. Partnering with Enterprise Architecture, SAP functional/engineering leadership, and infrastructure teams, this position will define and execute a multi-year transformation roadmap, aligning SAP platform capabilities with long-term business strategy. Success in this role requires the ability to lead through change, operate within shared responsibility models (RISE), and balance current-state reliability with future-state innovation.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in SAP Basis, platform engineering, or SAP technical operations within large-scale, global environments
5+ years of leadership experience managing SAP Basis teams and/or managed service providers
Proven track record of leading SAP platform transformation initiatives, including modernization and cloud adoption
Experience operating in complex, highly integrated SAP landscapes, preferably supporting a single global instance or similarly scaled environment
Deep expertise in SAP Basis administration across ECC and NetWeaver-based platforms, including BW, PI/PO, Portal, and Solution Manager
Strong experience with SAP HANA databases, including performance tuning, system optimization, and migration support
Demonstrated experience leading or supporting major SAP lifecycle events (upgrades, migrations, system refreshes, Unicode/HANA conversions, etc.)
Strong understanding of transport management, system architecture, and cross-system integration dependencies
Hands-on experience supporting SAP workloads in cloud environments (Azure preferred), including infrastructure design, networking, and performance optimization
Experience with or direct involvement in S/4HANA environments and migration planning/execution
Strong familiarity with SAP RISE (Private or Public Cloud) operating models, including shared responsibility and SAP-managed services
Working knowledge of hybrid SAP landscapes, including connectivity (VPN, ExpressRoute), identity integration, and cloud-to-on-premise integration patterns
Ability to define and evolve target-state SAP platform architecture aligned to cloud-first and S/4HANA strategies
Experience partnering with Enterprise Architecture to define multi-year roadmaps and transformation strategies
Strong understanding of infrastructure design, capacity planning, and system scalability across hybrid and cloud environments
Deep understanding of ITIL-based service management processes (Incident, Problem, Change Management)
Proven experience modernizing operations through automation, standardization, and service optimization
Experience implementing or supporting modern monitoring, observability, and performance management frameworks
Strong focus on automation and operational efficiency within SAP platform management
Experience managing and governing third-party service providers and SAP support relationships
Ability to operate effectively in a multi-vendor, globally distributed delivery model, including SAP-managed cloud services
Strong communication skills with the ability to engage technical teams, business stakeholders, and executive leadership
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Nice To Haves

Experience with SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), including integration, extensibility, or data services strongly preferred
SAP certifications (Basis, NetWeaver, HANA, or S/4HANA) preferred
Cloud certifications (Azure and/or SAP BTP) strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Help define and execute the SAP platform strategy, aligning to S/4HANA, RISE, and cloud-first architecture principles
Develop and maintain a multi-year transformation roadmap, including S/4HANA readiness and adoption planning
Partner with enterprise architecture and SAP leadership to drive innovation and future-state platform capabilities
Lead the global SAP Basis organization, ensuring reliable 24x7 production support across all SAP environments
Own service delivery performance, including SLAs, incident management, problem resolution, and change control
Drive evolution from traditional Basis operations to a platform engineering and service-oriented model
Oversee SAP platform lifecycle activities, including upgrades, patching, migrations, and transformation initiatives
Lead technical execution of modernization efforts, including HANA optimization and S/4 readiness activities
Ensure optimal performance, capacity planning, and system tuning across SAP landscapes
Lead SAP platform operations across RISE, cloud (Azure), and on-premise environments
Define and manage operating models within shared responsibility frameworks with SAP
Drive infrastructure optimization, including cost management, scalability, and performance
Establish foundational capabilities required for S/4HANA transformation and cloud adoption
Enable adoption of SAP BTP services, integration capabilities, and platform extensibility
Lead transition to modern tools such as SAP BDC, Cloud ALM and advanced monitoring frameworks
Manage strategic relationships with SAP, cloud providers, and third-party service partners
Govern service delivery across a multi-vendor ecosystem, ensuring accountability and performance
Coordinate effectively within SAP-managed and hybrid cloud service models
Ensure SAP platform compliance with security standards, audit requirements, and regulatory expectations
Oversee vulnerability management, patching strategies, and risk mitigation efforts
Ensure readiness for disaster recovery and business continuity scenarios
Mentor and develop talent aligned to modern SAP and cloud capabilities