Program Manager – SAP & Applications

Program Manager – SAP & Applications

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Governance

• Define and manage overall program roadmaps, scope, governance structures, milestones, and delivery plans.
• Establish effective program governance and ensure alignment across multiple projects and workstreams.
• Track overall program performance and provide clear management reporting on delivery progress, risks, issues, and key decisions.

Program Delivery

• Lead end-to-end delivery of SAP and application implementation and transformation programs.
• Ensure projects and programs are delivered within agreed scope, schedule, budget, and quality expectations.
• Coordinate activities across project phases, including planning, design, build, testing, deployment, and implementation.
• Manage multiple projects, workstreams, and dependencies to ensure successful delivery of overall program objectives.
• Apply appropriate delivery methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches.

Stakeholder & Steering Management

• Serve as a key interface between business stakeholders, IT teams, project teams, and senior management.
• Work closely with stakeholders to define program objectives, requirements, priorities, and expected outcomes.
• Lead governance and Steering Committee meetings and provide clear executive-level program updates.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure alignment between business objectives and delivery priorities.

Budget & Financial Management

• Manage program budgets, financial tracking, cost management, and resource forecasting.
• Monitor financial performance and ensure effective utilization of project resources.
• Track project/program financials and delivery milestones.

Risk & RAID Management

• Identify and proactively manage Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies (RAID) across the program.
• Manage program escalations and drive timely resolution of delivery issues.
• Proactively identify potential scope, schedule, resource, and delivery risks and establish appropriate mitigation plans.
• Manage scope changes and ensure appropriate impact assessment and governance.

Team & Resource Management

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams across business, functional, and technical areas.
• Manage and optimize resources across multiple projects and workstreams.
• Coordinate onsite and offshore/global delivery teams.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to project managers, functional leads, technical leads, and delivery teams.
• Work with internal and external partners/vendors to ensure alignment with overall program objectives.

Must Have Skills

• Strong experience in Project & Program Management
• Proven experience managing large-scale SAP and/or enterprise application implementation or transformation programs
• Strong end-to-end program delivery experience
• Program Strategy, Planning & Governance
• Scope, Schedule, Budget & Quality Management
• Stakeholder & Executive Management
• Risk, Issue & Dependency Management
• Budget and Resource Management
• Strong Governance and Reporting skills
• Cross-functional Team Leadership
• Experience managing multiple projects/workstreams and globally distributed teams
• Strong customer-facing, communication, negotiation, and escalation management skills
• Experience with Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid delivery methodologies
• Bilingual (Japanese and English)

Preferred Skills / Experience

• Experience managing SAP S/4HANA or other enterprise application transformation programs
• Experience with SAP implementation methodologies such as SAP Activate
• Experience managing global delivery models, including onsite and offshore teams
• Experience managing third-party vendors and implementation partners
• Experience with large-scale business and technology transformation programs
• PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent Project/Program Management certification is preferred