SAP Manager (10-12 yrs)

The Manager - SAP position involves overseeing the application support for a variety of critical systems, including SAP S4H Public Cloud, SAP Concur, HubSpot, DarwinBox, ServiceNow, PlanView, and other custom applications. This role requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership, and project management skills to ensure the smooth functioning of these systems, address incidents and service requests, and manage continuous improvements in system performance.

Core Responsibilities :

1. Application Support Management :

- The Manager is responsible for ensuring the overall health and performance of the SAP ecosystem and other critical applications.

- This involves proactively monitoring the applications, addressing any production issues or system problems, and managing upgrades and releases.

- They are also tasked with implementing new applications as needed, ensuring that the business needs are met while minimizing disruption.

2. Incident and Problem Prioritization :

- A major responsibility of the role is managing the prioritization of production incidents and problems.

- The Manager must make decisions on how to best allocate resources to resolve urgent issues, while balancing the need for system upgrades, patches, and the introduction of new applications.

- This requires a keen understanding of both technical and business priorities to minimize impact on operations.

3. Metrics Tracking and Reporting :

- The Manager will track and report key metrics related to application support. This includes monitoring the volume of incidents and service requests, response times, resolution times, and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).

- These metrics are crucial for identifying trends, ensuring compliance with SLAs, and making data-driven decisions to improve support processes.

4. Escalation Management :

- The Manager acts as a point of escalation for critical customer incidents. When issues arise that cannot be resolved within the standard workflows, the Manager must ensure that appropriate resources are engaged quickly to address the problem.

- This may involve collaborating with internal teams, third-party vendors, or service providers to ensure swift resolution.

5. Incident Triage and Service Requests :

- The role involves leading and triaging incidents and service requests, particularly those assigned to team queues in ServiceNow.

- The Manager must ensure that the team is resolving incidents efficiently, meeting deadlines, and keeping the support process organized. This also includes ensuring that SLAs are met and that progress is regularly tracked.

6. Knowledge Management :

- Another key responsibility is the development and maintenance of a knowledge management database. This database should allow employees to independently resolve common issues, reducing the load on the application support team.

- By fostering a culture of self-service, the Manager can help improve overall support efficiency and reduce recurring issues.

7. Collaboration with Super Users and Stakeholders :

- Regular meetings with super users and the support team are crucial to ensure effective communication and coordination.

- These meetings are held monthly to discuss updates on production releases, support status, and to address any concerns. The Manager will need to lead these meetings to ensure alignment between IT and business teams.

8. Compliance and Audits :

- The Manager should be familiar with various compliance and audit processes, such as internal reviews, IT self-testing, internal audits, and external audits.

- These processes are necessary to ensure that the systems remain compliant with company policies, industry standards, and legal requirements.

9. Expertise in SAP Public Cloud :

- The Manager must have a solid understanding of SAP Public Cloud, including modules such as IAS, C4P, MDI, ALM, DRC, MBC, and Ariba CIM.

- This expertise will allow them to effectively support and optimize the SAP environment, ensuring that the system is both functional and aligned with the organization's goals.

Additional Skills and Qualifications :

Experience and Certification :

- The ideal candidate should have 10-15 years of experience in application support, with at least 5 years specifically working with SAP systems.

- They should also have project management certifications such as PMP or Prince, and ITIL for IT service management best practices.

Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills :

- Given the complexity of the systems involved, the Manager must possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

- These abilities will help in troubleshooting issues, identifying root causes, and developing strategies for long-term improvements.

Communication and Coordination :

- Excellent communication skills are vital for interacting with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The Manager must be able to explain complex technical issues in a way that is understandable to business users.

- Additionally, they should be able to coordinate across multiple teams, ensuring that projects and incidents are handled efficiently.

Adaptability :

- The Manager should also demonstrate the ability to quickly adapt to changing technologies within the SAP environment.

- The SAP landscape is continuously evolving, and staying up-to-date with new tools and functionalities is essential for effective system support and optimization.

Conclusion :

The Manager - SAP is a critical leadership role that blends technical expertise, application support, and project management. The individual in this role must be able to balance the management of day-to-day incidents with long-term improvements and upgrades. By leveraging their experience in SAP, strong problem-solving abilities, and excellent communication and coordination skills, the Manager ensures that the SAP ecosystem and related applications operate seamlessly, meet business requirements, and adhere to compliance standards. This position offers a dynamic and challenging environment for those with the right blend of skills and experience.