Assistant Manager, Applications (SAP) needed at Oando

Reports To:

Head, Information Technology

Responsible For:

SAP lifecycle management (including definition, design, development, upgrade, testing, validation, release, maintenance, and retirement of SAP modules and related databases), SAP portfolio management, IT Strategy, SLA and Vendor/Relationship Management, People Management, Continual Service Improvement, Program Management

Overall Purpose of Job:

The Assistance Manager Application (SAP) is responsible for planning and coordinating the processes required for the provision and management of SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems necessary for business operations. The role involves applying proven communication and problem-solving skills to guide and assist the user group on issues related to the design, development, and deployment of mission-critical SAP modules and systems.

Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize and develop strategies for the design and implementation of SAP modules to be applied across the Oando Group and Affiliate Companies
• Identify and plan for future SAP needs, partner with various service providers to obtain best practice SAP solutions that align with the company’s strategic direction and service excellence culture
• Maintain a leading-edge view on developments in SAP and adjacent technologies
• Management of SAP Technical and Functional teams to investigate and develop new solutions to address a business opportunity, working alongside various stakeholders, from business requirements and strategy through planning and completion
• Assemble and lead cross-functional technical teams to evaluate, install, configure, and deploy new SAP modules, enhancements, and/or upgrades throughout the enterprise
• Ensure that SAP implementations meet business requirements and systems goals, fulfill end-user requirements, and identify and resolve systems issues
• Collaborate with analysts, designers, and system owners in the testing of new SAP functionalities and applications
• Manage and ensure that all SAP systems are integrated and interoperable, and that operational configuration changes and updates are supported and implemented timely, accurately, and as per specifications
• Plan, design, and test Disaster Recovery Procedures for SAP systems to support business continuity and minimize risk
• Provide technical and strategic advice to the Head of IT on SAP requirements in a changing business environment
• Compile and maintain inventory of company SAP licenses, modules, and their corresponding contracts/agreements
• Review and analyze existing SAP applications’ effectiveness and efficiency, then develop strategies for improving or leveraging these systems
• Research and make recommendations on SAP products and services in support of business process and development efforts
• Coordinate feasibility studies for SAP modules under consideration for purchase, and give technical, business process, and commercial advice based on findings
• Cultivate and disseminate knowledge of SAP best practices
• Keep up to date with SAP industry developments, driving innovation and effective change
• Develop and manage SAP team capabilities, ensuring a balance of in-house and third-party resources
• Develop and communicate SAP training and documentation for end users, hold clinics as necessary, and manage other user-related activities
• Partner with the service delivery team, business information teams, and process owners to evaluate requirements and determine the best technical approach for SAP solution delivery
• Negotiate contracts with SAP service providers and affiliate companies
• Provide management oversight for all outsourced SAP service providers, negotiate SLAs, define and implement service improvement plans
• Build strategic partnerships with critical SAP vendors and optimize spend through benchmark with industry standards
• Work with the Service delivery team to build a business-aligned maintenance plan for SAP solutions that aligns with business value and SLA requirements
• Ensure SAP project deliverables comply with all business standards, policies, and processes, obtaining sign-off where applicable

Key Performance Indicators:

• Clear understanding of SAP methodology and best practices
• Level of compliance with SAP implementation and development methodologies
• % deviation of forecasted versus actual cost of SAP services within defined tolerance limits
• Effectiveness of support for SAP modules
• Responsiveness to user / SAP maintenance support
• Uptime of key SAP business applications
• Adequacy of SAP version control procedure
• % of outage due to changes (planned unavailability)
• Teamwork/mentoring/innovation
• % of SAP service availability per SLA negotiated
• Quality of technical advice and solutions to SAP problems and issues
• % reduction in SAP application failure within the financial year
• Safety of information on SAP databases
• Number of customer surveys conducted within the year and satisfaction level of over 70% respondents

Person Specification:

• 1st degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or other related area
• Minimum of 10 years cognate work experience ,3 of which must have been at a senior level in a reputable organization/institution
• At minimum 5 7 years of experience working with any of the SAP modules below: –
• SAP FICO (Finance & Controlling)
• SAP SD (Sales & Distribution)
• SAP MM (Material Management)
• SAP PM (Plant Maintenance)
• SAP PS (Project System)
• SAP ABAP
• SAP Basis
• SAP JVA
• SAP certification in relevant modules (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, SAP ECC)
• ITIL intermediate Certification
• Project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2)
• TOGAF Certification is a plus Broad technical and cross-domain capabilities
• Business Development Proficiency
• Strong Analytical and Client Relationship Management Skills
• Strong finance and accounting numeracy

Required Competencies:

• Understanding of Oil and Gas industry
• Extensive experience with SAP core modules and applications
• Technically fluent in SAP programming languages, including ABAP
• Strong project management skills and substantial exposure to SAP project-based work structures
• Excellent track record of translating an organization’s goals and objectives into differentiating SAP deployments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate ideas in both technical and user-friendly language
• Budgeting, Budget Control, and Budget Monitoring skills
• Experience using formal change control processes and SAP version control systems
• Excellent technical architecture and technical support documentation skills
• Customer Focus/Service Orientation
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure and Security architecture as it relates to SAP
• Analytical Thinking & Conceptualization
• Deep understanding of SAP integration with other enterprise systems
• Experience in SAP performance tuning and optimization
• Good time management and coordination Skills
• Strong Analytical and Client Relationship Management Skills
• Experience of working with different disciplines (Finance, Supply Chain, Human Capital Management, Business & Operations, External Vendors)