Head of Corporate Applications

Job Description
Location : Bangalore (India), Krakow (Poland), Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Role Purpose
The Head of Corporate Applications is a senior technology leader responsible for the global strategy, delivery, governance and continuous improvement of Arbex's enterprise applications supporting HR, Finance, Procurement, Legal, GBS and ERP capabilities.
The role ensures business-critical corporate platforms are scalable, secure, compliant, cost-efficient and aligned to business objectives across a $3.3bn global business operating across 70 countries and 22 plants.
The successful candidate will act as the senior technology owner for core enterprise applications, including SAP ERP, Workday, Anaplan and related corporate systems. They will lead operating model transformation, support TSA exit, govern major programmes and ensure operational stability, audit readiness, service performance and continuous optimisation across a portfolio of 280+ enterprise applications.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Applications Strategy & Leadership
Define and execute the global applications strategy for HR, Finance, Procurement, Legal, GBS and ERP systems.
Act as the senior technology leader for core enterprise applications, including SAP ERP, Anaplan, Workday and related corporate platforms.
Partner with executive stakeholders including the CHRO, CFO and Chief Legal Officer to align application roadmaps with functional priorities and business outcomes.
Shape the future-state corporate applications landscape, ensuring platforms are standardised, scalable, secure and cost-effective.
Balance service quality, operational stability, cost efficiency, audit requirements and SOX risk across critical systems that support the global business.
Enterprise Applications Portfolio & Operating Model
Oversee a portfolio of 280+ enterprise applications across HR, Legal, Finance, GBS, Procurement and ERP domains.
Lead the establishment and transformation of the operating model across people, process, technology and data for Corporate functions.
Support TSA exit and ongoing optimisation by ensuring applications, services and support models are fit for standalone Arbex operations.
Develop and maintain portfolio roadmaps that align transformation activity, upgrades, integrations, system health and business value delivery.
Establish KPIs and performance metrics to track application health, service performance, user satisfaction and business value realisation.
ERP, HR, Finance & Procurement Platform Ownership
Provide IT leadership for the ERP system in steady state, working closely with Infrastructure teams for SAP security, Basis and hosting support.
Govern major programmes including system transformations, regional rollouts, upgrades, integrations and platform lifecycle activity.
Ensure corporate applications support effective Finance, HR, Legal, Procurement and GBS processes across global and regional needs.
Partner with business process owners to simplify, standardise and optimise enterprise process technology.
Drive continuous improvement of application capability, usability, resilience and performance across the global corporate systems landscape.
Programme, Portfolio & Financial Management
Oversee global application delivery to ensure timely execution, budget adherence, risk management and measurable business value realisation.
Manage more than $10m of IT run costs across the Corporate Applications portfolio.
Prioritise investment and delivery activity based on business criticality, value, risk, compliance and operational impact.
Provide executive-level reporting on portfolio progress, application health, financial performance, risk and service outcomes.
Ensure strong governance over programme scope, delivery dependencies, business readiness, change control and benefits tracking.
Governance, Risk, Controls & Compliance
Ensure compliance with global regulatory and enterprise control requirements, including GDPR and SOX.
Partner with the CISO and GRC teams to ensure IT controls are in place and critical SOX tools are audit compliant.
Implement robust application lifecycle management, change control, access management, security and release management practices.
Work effectively with internal and external auditors on system and process audits.
Maintain a strong control environment across business-critical systems, data, integrations and operational processes.
Vendor, Partner & Service Leadership
Own strategic vendor relationships with SAP, Workday, key AMS partners, integration partners and major system integrators.
Manage IT service providers and system integrators covering 50-100+ contingent partner resources, depending on transformation activity.
Ensure vendors deliver against service, cost, quality, security, transformation and operational performance expectations.
Drive commercial discipline across vendor contracts, service performance, delivery commitments and continuous improvement plans.
Build strong partner relationships while maintaining clear accountability, governance and performance management.
Talent, Leadership & Culture
Lead a global team of 20+ internal application managers, architects and analysts.
Create a high-performance culture focused on innovation, agility, operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Develop leadership capability, succession plans and technical expertise across the Corporate Applications team.
Foster strong collaboration across business functions, technology teams, delivery partners, auditors and senior stakeholders.
Act as a visible technology leader for Corporate functions, translating complex application topics into clear business choices and outcomes.
Leadership Competencies / Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration or a related discipline; MBA preferred.
15+ years of IT experience in large organisations or enterprise applications environments, including at least five years in a global leadership role.
Proven track record leading large-scale ERP and corporate systems transformations.
Deep expertise in platforms such as SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud, Workday, Coupa, Anaplan or similar enterprise application platforms.
Strong understanding of Finance, Legal, HR and Procurement processes and the role technology plays in operational effectiveness.
Experience managing global teams and working in matrixed, multicultural environments.
Strong strategic business partnering and consulting skills supporting executive leadership team members.
Exceptional ability to build cross-functional relationships with senior leaders and diverse teams.
Strong track record creating and delivering technology strategies for business functions.
Experience with IT cost management, operational efficiency and service optimisation across business-critical systems.
Experience working with SOX-compliant systems and understanding the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as it relates to systems and data.
Experience working with external and internal auditors on system and process audits.
Strong team management, vendor leadership, stakeholder influence and transformation delivery capability.
Practical understanding of Agile, DevOps, application lifecycle management, IT controls and data-driven decision-making.
Primary LocationBuenos Aires - ITS Design Center
Additional LocationsBengaluru, India, Brazil (Remote), Brazil -Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- São Paulo, Hyderabad, India, Mumbai, India, NO KC SITE - ARGENTINA, No-KC Site Brazil - External, No-KC Site Brazil – Remote, No KC Work Site - India, Pune, India
Worker TypeEmployee
Worker Sub-TypeRegular
Time TypeFull time

Work arrangement
Yes