ERP Operations Manager

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced ERP Operations Manager to assume end-to end ownership of ERP AMS operations, driving operational stability, continuous improvement, and service excellence. As the first dedicated ERP Operations lead, you will manage current operations and define the operational framework that will extend across other ERP functional areas as the team expands.

Responsibilities

• Day to day Vendor Management: Ensure SAP Application Managed Services (AMS) partner(s) meet SLAs and drive a customer first service vision.
• Functional Oversight: Own day to day delivery of SAP services supporting global Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality, ensuring high availability and performance of business critical processes.
• Operational Blueprinting: Define the "Run" approach for the ERP ecosystem, establishing templates for incident, change, and release management that will be adopted by future ERP operational pillars.
• Stakeholder Interaction: Engage with globally dispersed ERP leadership to understand demand patterns, improvement opportunities, and impact assessment for incidents.
• Cross Functional Collaboration: Interact with other IT stakeholders-including SAP Functional Leads, Data Integrity teams, Solution Architects, and other Operations Managers-to ensure service suitability and GxP compliance.
• Leadership Reporting: Report to Senior IT and Business leadership regarding ERP performance, status of major incidents, and progress on service improvement initiatives.
• Efficiency & Automation: Partner with service partners to increase operational efficiency through automation opportunities, "shift left" support, and proactive monitoring.
• Governance: Provide day to day governance of service partners alongside the SIAM team and support the TechOps senior leadership team as needed.
• Representation: Represent the TechOps Operations team at SAP service reviews, CAB, Problem Reviews, and other operational forums.
• Relationship Building: Build relationships with key staff at the SAP service partner(s) to ensure timely resolution and efficient escalation of complex ERP issues.
• ERP "Run" Playbook: Establish and refine the ERP "Run" Playbook with the ITSM team to create a scalable model for other ERP modules.
• Business Alignment: Partner with ERP stakeholders to understand business critical cycles and ensure IT operations support peak demand.
• Compliance: Ensure GxP compliance and quality practices are embedded in every SAP change and operational activity.
• Operational Participation: Attend weekly CAB and Problem Review Board to represent ERP operational perspectives and business impacts.
• Service Operations Lifecycle: Lead Incident, Problem, Change and Release processes and serve as the point of contact for all ERP major incidents.
• Build to Run Readiness: Engage early in the project lifecycle for new SAP deployments to ensure they are supportable.
• Communication: Develop communications for senior leaders and end users reporting on ERP service health and improvement plans.
• Trend Awareness: Stay abreast of SAP trends (e.g., S/4HANA innovations) to guide IT on leveraging emerging ERP technologies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Extensive experience in ERP/SAP operations delivery, managing complex, global environments.
• Proven experience managing outsourced AMS partners and driving vendor accountability.
• Demonstrable knowledge of SAP lifecycle management, including transport management, GxP/Validation requirements, and ERP governance.
• Experience in a regulated environment (Life Sciences/Pharma preferred) with knowledge of IT Audits and Quality systems.
• Certified or strong awareness of common ITIL processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic thinking: Ability to define operational processes that can be scaled across a growing team.
• Demonstrated influence and communication skills across all levels of IT and business leadership.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to convey complex technical ERP issues in a business focused manner.

Additional Information

Travel: 0%
Location: UK, Hook or Liverpool

EEO Statement

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.