Project Senior Consultant

Job description / Role

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Project Management Services
• Oversees the installation and client acceptance of SAP and non-SAP software systems or system integration projects or serves as trusted partner for a dedicated customer managing a sustainable and long-term engagement holistically.
• Accountable for customer satisfaction
• within the managed project, related schedules and deliverables or
• ensures overall customer success and satisfaction and is to be considered billable and funded via the existing delivery engagements.
• Core tasks can include:
• Customer engagement and may monitor budget / spending.
• Monitors the project from initiation through delivery.
• Organizes the inter departmental activities ensuring completion of the project/product on schedule and within budget.
• Establishes trusted advisor status with strategic customers and actively manages executive-level relationships with key customer stakeholders (LOB and IT)
• Manages the governance process aligned with all stakeholders (customer, SAP, and partners)

Accountability
• Responsible for delivery of outcome of assigned projects or areas of responsibility internally recognized senior on complex technical and business matters works on large, complex activities, using demonstrated creativity and expertise and applying specialist professional knowledge to deliver high quality results / technical solutions collaborates in devising long-term concepts may include team lead or supervisory responsibilities

Complexity
• contributes independently, resolves complex issues in own specialist area (e.g. cross-functional or cross-country projects)
• works independently on topics while setting priorities having sole responsibility
• provides regular project status and updates
• decisions/solutions can enhance essentially current and future design and strategy
• enhance complex systems & processes

Experience
• advanced technical or business skills and special knowledge in one / several areas individuals with a customer focus have developed the acumen to cultivate and develop lasting customer relations typically several years experience with increasing amount of responsibility *) in Project Management: Depending on LoB, has an PMI, Six Sigma or equivalent certification if in Six Sigma has green belt
• Communication builds and maintains partnerships with internal and external customers and partners contributes actively to build common ground for cooperation communicates clear and conveying processes & policies in a way that others can understand communicates relevant messages in a timely manner and with constructive feedback to cross functional colleagues & managers

Global Job - Summary
• The Project Manager is responsible for the management of the complete lifecycle of a project either as an individual (standalone) project or part of an overall Program of Work.
• The Project Manager drives the outcomes of the project as defined in the relevant contractual documents (typically in terms of scope, quality, schedule and budget) and per the agreed delivery methodology and relevant standards.
• The Project Manager understands the Company commitments as well as the Customer expectations, and steers the Project activities accordingly. When necessary, the ProjectManager recognises the need to modify the Project objectives and applies the Change Management Process. The Project Manager is responsible to ensure that all activities are performed in adherence to SAP Methodology, Quality Standards, Reporting and Governance frameworks.
• The Project Manager provides leadership to the Project cross-functional team.
• The Project Manager articulates the Project objectives, structures of the Project Team and the Project Plan.
• The Project Manager provides coaching to the team members, defines individual objectives and priorities, evaluates performances and reinforce successes.
• The Project Manager maintains a sharp vision of the project and its environment, anticipating the course of action to proactively managing risks and aligns with both internal and external project stakeholders.
• The Project Manager pays high attention to communicate effectively and to lead by example. The Project Manager coordinates workstreams across various organizations both externally (the Customer, third party providers, sub-contractors) and SAP internally.
• The Project Manager can be entrusted to one or several Project(s), at varied complexity levels, aligned with the Project Manager experience and seniority in the Project Management Career path. The Project contractual T&Cs, financial scale, number of involved parties and consultants, risk level, deployment environment are typical parameters used to categorize a Project and will be used to determine the level of seniority that the Project Manager needs to demonstrate.

Key Areas of Responsibility and Tasks

The key Area of Responsibilities of a Project Manager across the Project Life Cycle include:
• Before Project kick-off (inception):

During the Sales cycle
• Contribute to the Project structuring and solutioning reviews, assist with definition of the Project scope, schedule (including dependencies and integration components), resourcing and risk assessment.
• Ensure appropriate methodologies are incorporated.
• Assist with the evaluation of the Customer culture and governance, for adapting the delivery approach and the proposed Project structure.
• Help defining Project deliverables.
• Contribute to Project Proposal Reviews conducted by the Customer and advocate convincingly the Project Delivery choices and plan.
• Ensure appropriate use of SAP accelerators on the Project, including standard templates, SAP model company, SAP Best Practices and Project tools.

From Sales closure to Project formal Kick-off
• Ensure a comprehensive Sales-to-Delivery handover is prepared, executed and mutually confirmed. Start building trustful relationship with Customer stakeholders.
• Work with resource management to validate the Project team structure, define required roles/capabilities and screen/interview candidates.
• Similarly, review SoWs and job descriptions for sub-contractors. Assist with setting up of nearshore and offshore delivery by SAP and its partners to achieve cost advantages for the client and for SAP
• On-board team members; ensure Project Team members understand and take ownership of their assigned commitments.
• Ensure a safe and effective working environment is established with appropriate logistics & infrastructure
• Ensure governance is effectively implemented and relevant standards and project systems are in place to manage Project in an effective and efficient way.
• Establish meetings cadence and agendas.
• Setup the escalation process
• Prepare the Project kick-off meeting.
• Take accountability for the definitions of the Project success including its expected business outcomes; validate the definitions of "Success" are mutually agreed between SAP and the Customer, at Management and at Project Teams levels

During Project Execution (Planning / Executing / Monitoring and Controlling)
• Ensure effective execution Project management activities (planning, monitoring and controlling), including:
• Project planning: WBS, deliverables, dependencies, owners, due dates, links to other related plans (e.g. Deployment Plan, Testing Plan, Development Plan).
• Project resource planning and management.
• Project financial planning and management, ensuring a complete and accurate view is available on request, covering actual data from start to date, and forecast date until Project completion.
• Scope management covering full scope definition against the original Statement of Work (or initial Project scope), incorporating the Project Change Management Process records.
• Implement RAID management (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) processes and conduct regular RAID Review meetings, documenting decisions, actions and outcomes.
• Manage the Project deliverable reviews and approval processes, within stated contractual timeline; recording of Minutes of reviews and related approvals for deliverables.
• Manage development of key strategy documents (such as Data Migration Strategy, Testing Strategy etc) and create alignment with the customer.
• Work closely with the Project Sponsors and Project Review Boards to facilitate timely decisions necessary for Project delivery.
• Escalate early issues about the Project to DBS Leadership and relevant internal governance forums.

Governance & Reporting (internal): Provide regular updates internally to DBS:
• In compliance with regular tools and cadence (e.g. PtD, Portfolio, Account and Market Unit Reviews).
• In compliance with Project requirements as defined in communications plan and standards.
• Effective upward management to senior Project Manager and/or Program Manager; providing communications and support for overall project / program delivery
• Internal escalation: leverage internal governance and seek guidance and support from Management (within Delivery Function and/or Territory/LoB leads) in due time, ahead of issues materializing.
• Interface with internal functions (PMO, Controlling, GRC, MCC, etc.) to ensure visibility and transparency of Project progress and results.

Governance and Reporting (Customer)
• Prepare and submit Project progress reporting to the Customer as input to governance. Build trusting and efficient working relationship with Customer stakeholders (including Executive Sponsors), as well as other 3rd party stakeholders (e.g. System Integrator managers, sub-contractor managers).
• Ensure governance forums are operationalized and recorded as per governance model, including Project Management and Steering Committee meetings.

Project team and Quality management
Manages Project Team (virtual and onsite); ensure all team members are:
• Aligned on the use of Project tools, methodology, and are in line with Project objectives
• Clear and adequately trained on their own responsibilities and deliverables
• Clearly understand and can articulate the value the Customer is seeking to achieve
• Provides feedback to Project team Members' respective 1st line Managers, imparting fair and constructive performance evaluation and development plan discussions.
• Provide direct coaching feedback to Project Team members, when appropriate.
• Ensure quality plans and processes are in place and adhered to, 'quality built-in' is applied as a principle and necessary reviews are scheduled and conducted.
• Coordinate and effectively communicate with other SAP and Customer stakeholders and Project team members (e.g. Virtual Account Team, Customer Business and Program Managers, Account Executives, SSPs, Sales, Architects, Cloud LoBs) to ensure consistent alignment with broader account plans and business strategy. Work towards achieving strong Customer C-level relationships and becoming a trusted advisor.

At Project Milestones and Project Closure:
• On delivery of Project milestones and on completion of the Project, ensure timely appropriate Customer sign-off is achieved, particularly on Contractual Deliverables as stated in the SoW.
• Ensure lessons learnt are captured and feedbacks provided to appropriate stakeholders.
• Ensure knowledge transfer to the subsequent owner in life cycle has occurred to support efficient operations (e.g. AMS, Production Support, Run/Operational Teams).
• Celebrate Project success with teams, using SAP Awards practices, internal communication to the region and to the team leadership.

At Month-End Closure
• Ensure accurate Project snapshot and reporting for Month-End closing, using the tools deployed by the region or territory Delivery Management (e.g. PEM / PtD).
• Analyze Variances (Revenue, Cost, Margin, Project-start to Date (PTD), Year to Date (YTD)).
• Forecast Revenue and Cost to complete (Estimated to Complete (ETC), Estimated at Completion (EAC)).
• Prepare and conduct monthly Project reporting at MU level, covering delivery and financial status.

On a Continuous Basis
• Maintain awareness of DBS strategy in terms of transformation initiatives, methodology, tools, delivery strategy and promote understanding and adoption within the project.
• Lead by example, coach Team Leads and other team members.
• Maintain up-to-date records of project-related training.
• Maintain awareness of Certification Related Literature, such as the Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK), driven by the Project Manager Institute (PMI).
• Contribute actively to the DBS Community/Practice of Project Management (at least regionally) to leverage best practices, share lessons from Projects, and contribute to developing the Project Manager function.
• Participate in the development of Project management best practices, examples, templates and SAP's Project Management Methodology.
• Maintain a profound understanding of SAP solutions and of the DBS business processes and functions.

Requirements

Experience & Language Requirements
• Functional Experience
• 3 - 5 years of project management experience in project implementations using formal project management methodology, techniques and tools.
• Demonstrated experience in leading cross-functional teams.
• 3 - 5 years of supervisory or coaching experience in team building and leading teams
• Demonstrated expertise in creating and maintaining project deliverables (e.g. project charter, project plan, status reports, project timesheets, meeting minutes, budget and schedule).
• Demonstrated experience in managing issues while bringing projects to successful completion within cost and time requirements..
• International Experience
• Some international implementation experience is desirable.
• Management and Leadership Experience
• Management experience in managing small to medium size teams or organizations with multiple demonstrable successful project outcomes.
• Management experience of medium size multilayered team is desirable
• Management of remote resources (global delivery or distributed organization) is a plus
• P&L of LoB in small to medium size organization is desirable
• Cultural awareness and experience working across different cultures and nationalities
• Good leadership and people management skills are essential
• Experience leading in matrix organization without formal authority is a plus
• English: Fluent, a second language is an advantage

Education
• Required undergraduate university degree, preferably in engineering, information technologies or equivalent training and job experience.
• Professional Training & Certification
• PMP certification and /or other industry and project management certifications an asset (the employee needs to attain PMI PMP certificate within 12 months from hiring date).
• Project Leadership Excellence (PLEX), Excellence in Delivery Management (EDM) or similar interpersonal skills course.
• SAP Activate Certification, prerequisite for the role (in case of external hiring: to be completed within 6 months from starting in the role).
• Understand SAP Solution Manager - E2E600 course
• Understand SAP Solution Manager Focused Build
• Project Management Tools (PEM, PtD, etc.)
• One Service Enablement Courses
• SAP S/4HANA Training Programs - including management of digital transformation projects, management of projects with Premium Engagement, Enterprise Support, IBSO, System Landscape Optimization, Cloud (SaaS), HANA Enterprise Cloud and internet of things projects

We are SAP

SAP innovations help more than 400,000 customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with 200 million users and more than 100,000 employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, we build breakthroughs, together.

Our inclusion promise

SAP's culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone - regardless of background - feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better and more equitable world.

SAP is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provide accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities.

About the Company

Headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, SAP is the world's largest business software company with more than 51,500 employees at sales and development locations in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Our global development approach focuses on distributing development across the world in strategically important markets. A global network of SAP Labs spanning Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, and the United States, enables SAP to operate locally, yet organize globally.

As the global technology research unit of SAP, SAP Research significantly contributes to SAP's product portfolio and extends SAP's leading position by identifying and shaping emerging IT trends through applied research and corporate venturing. SAP Research has highly skilled teams in 11 research centers worldwide.