IM Transcend Deployment Director

Responsibilities

• Develop and own a Deployment Strategy aligned to program objectives, timelines, compliance and funding constraints.
• Leading project teams in the successful delivery of the system deployment in alignment with the business and funding requirements.
• Coordinate and ensure Release activities and milestones that clearly define business tasks, dependencies, resource assignments, success criteria.
• Lead, mentor and manage the deployment team and cross-functional deployment resources; provide direction, coaching and capacity planning for Deployment activities.
• Responsibility for all Deployment activities across Scope, Schedule, Budget and Quality working with Global Template Owners, Business process owners, CEBA & PMO teams to minimize downtime and business impact.
• Ensure compliance with GxP, documentation management and audit requirements throughout Deployment planning and execution.
• Manage vendor and third-party cutover responsibilities and SLAs; coordinate internal and external resources to meet cutover milestones.
• Establish and maintain an effective stakeholder engagement model with Functional, Business Partners and Program Governance, communicating status, risks, issues and expected benefits.
• Adhere to Deployment methodology, incident escalation paths, support rosters and SLAs in coordination with Service Delivery and Functional Teams.
• Ensure rapid incident response and coordinated resolution during the lifecycle of the project; ensure effective triaging of issues, root cause analysis and prioritized remediation plans.
• Manage vendor and third-party responsibilities and SLAs; coordinate internal and external resources to meet program milestones.
• Implement KPIs and performance management processes to track readiness, delivery quality, defects and realized value; capture lessons learned and apply continuous improvement.
• Drive adoption of new technologies (automation, orchestration tools, generative AI where appropriate) to improve cutover predictability, repeatability and speed.
• Provide timely, clear escalation and reporting to senior management and program leadership on program milestones, issues and mitigation plans.
• Adhere to a consistent Deployment Methodology for all IM Transcend releases, ensuring consistency and repeatability across regions and business units.
• Establish governance for the release across all stakeholders, including tools, templates, and best practices.
• Ensure alignment with SAP Clean Core principles and compliance with regulatory requirements during deployment activities.
• Provide matrix leadership for global and regional teams, including business SMEs, JJT & system integrators, and validation experts.
• Collaborate with Deployment Leads, PMO, and technical teams to manage dependencies and ensure adherence to integrated plans across releases.
• Act as the primary interface between program leadership and execution teams, driving alignment on scope, timelines, and readiness within all the deployment domains.
• Oversee end-to-end stakeholder engagement , including leaders at various levels to ensure that the scope of the deployment is clearly defined.
• Manage risk identification and mitigation strategies to ensure business continuity as part of the deployment.
• Validate business readiness checkpoints and coordinate issue resolution, collaborating with the local SME's during critical milestones.
• Partner with Change Management teams to ensure stakeholder awareness and readiness for cutover activities.
• Support creation of various playbooks, communication plans, and training materials for global and regional teams.
• Provide clear reporting and status updates to senior leadership during cutover phases.

Requirements

• BA/BS or equivalent experience required; MA/MS/MBA preferred.
• University level degree in supply chain, business/IT technical/scientific area or comparable education/experience.
• Proven success leading global cutover or deployment teams for complex Business transformation programs (ERP and broader functional areas).
• Strong knowledge of Deployment methodologies, data migration, system integrations, interfaces and infrastructure transitions.
• Demonstrated program and project management skills, including planning, resource orchestration and stage-gate deployments.
• Experience managing, mentoring and developing cross-functional teams and third-party resources.
• Comfortable with GxP environments, documentation controls and audit expectations.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and executive reporting skills with a track record of aligning cross-functional partners to outcomes.
• Familiarity with automation, testing best practices and process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).
• Deep expertise in ERP Deployment including Solution Confirmation, Program Increment, Testing, Cutover for large-scale, multi-release programs, preferably in a global environment.
• Experience in managing complex cross-functional activities with a focus on mission critical business focused activities.
• Proven experience managing complex system landscapes and dependencies during cutover, including data migration, environment readiness, and mock cutover rehearsals.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, including experience working with business leaders, IT teams, system integrators, and global/regional teams under tight timelines.
• Familiarity with CSV, SDLC, GxP compliance , and regulatory requirements for life sciences or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience in the Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences sector is highly preferred.
• Proficiency with SAP S/4HANA , including understanding technical architecture, integration points, and tools such as Solution Manager ; knowledge of Fiori and relevant modules is a plus.
• Fluent in Written and Spoken English.
• Travel on the Job: Yes Percentage Traveled: Up to 25% (Domestic + International)

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Deployment Strategy, Project Management, and Stakeholder Engagement, with a strong focus on compliance and quality in GxP environments. Proven ability to lead cross functional teams and manage complex ERP Deployment activities while ensuring alignment with business objectives.