Head of SAP Transformation

Job Title Head of SAP Transformation Job Description The Head of SAP Transformation leads the migration from SAP ECC to SAP S/4, the largest enterprise transformation program in Philips IT. SAP Transformation is one of the IT Platforms in the Philips IT operating model and reports to the CIO. The role runs the multi-year program end to end, in close partnership with the business program leader and the businesses and functions: migration approach, business case, plan, budget, partners, risk and executive reporting. The S/4 solution is designed with AI-enabled processes from the start, using the enterprise AI services and guardrails provided by AI CoE & Architecture. As releases go live, the role hands the S/4 landscape over to the run organisation, Group Functions & Supply Chain IT, which is accountable for the SAP platforms, and closes out the program once the transition is complete and legacy SAP ECC is decommissioned. This is a Vice President position within the Philips IT Leadership Team. Key Responsibilities SAP S/4 Program Leadership • Serve as overall program leader for the SAP S/4 transformation, together with the business program leader, owning the migration approach (brownfield, greenfield or hybrid), value case, roadmap, timeline, budget, risk management and executive reporting. • Drive the decision on migration approach, evaluating cost, risk, business disruption and AI readiness, in partnership with the business program leader, Finance and the CIO. • Coordinate business-specific S/4 workstreams with the businesses, functions and regions, ensuring enterprise process standardisation where it adds value while accommodating legitimate business requirements. • Run the program through clear stage gates covering design, build, testing, data migration, cutover and hypercare for each release. • Own the legacy SAP ECC decommissioning plan, ensuring a clean exit with no unplanned extensions of legacy support costs. Solution Design & AI-Enabled Processes • Own the S/4 solution design for the program, within the enterprise architecture standards and guardrails set by AI CoE & Architecture and the SAP Design authority as ultimate Technical Decision Forum. • Embed AI-enabled process automation in the S/4 design from the start rather than retrofitting legacy process designs, using the enterprise AI platform services provided by SAP and other vendors and the AI CoE & Architecture. • Apply AI and automation to program delivery itself, such as testing, data migration and documentation, to shorten timelines and reduce partner effort. • Work with Group Functions & Supply Chain IT to simplify the legacy and integration landscape around SAP, including SAP PO, EDI and integration, as part of the migration. Transition to the Run Organisation • Define, from program start, the target support model and operational readiness criteria for the S/4 landscape. • Involve run organisation teams in design, build and testing so that knowledge, documentation and support capability are in place before each go-live. • Lead hypercare after each release and hand over operational accountability to the run organisation once agreed exit criteria are met. • Make knowledge transfer to the run organisation a condition of release closure for systems integrators and other partners. • Close out the program in a planned way once the S/4 landscape is fully transitioned and legacy SAP ECC is decommissioned. Financial Management • Manage the SAP S/4 transformation budget (capital and operational) with stage-gated investment governance, clear business case milestones and value realisation tracking. • Control partner and licence costs for the program, including the cloud-hosted SAP components (RISE), partnering with the Cloud Infrastructure & FinOps team