Lead Consultant - SAP S/4HANA – IT Product Expert – Asset Maintenance

Role Title: Lead Consultant - SAP S/4HANA – IT Product Expert – Asset Maintenance
Location: Chennai
We are one purpose-led global organisation. The enablers and innovators, ensuring that we can fulfil our mission to push the boundaries of science and discover and develop life-changing medicines. We take pride in working close to the cause, opening the locks to save lives, ultimately making a massive difference to the outside world.
AstraZeneca (AZ) is in a period of strong growth and our employees have a united purpose to make a difference to patients around the world who need both our medicines and the ongoing developments from our science. In this journey AZ must continue to work across borders and with partners and new colleagues in a fast and seamless way. The ambition, size and complexity of the organisation, coupled with the opportunities afforded by new technology, has led the Board to approve a large-scale transformation programme – Axial.
The Axial Programme will be powered by S/4HANA a new ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system which will be implemented right across the organisation and will provide our business with standardised processes, enhanced financial management, common data and real time reporting, transforming the way we work through our entire supply chain - from bench to patient.
The new system will be used by more than 20,000 employees daily, is foundational to all AZ entities and is central to most core business processes. This is a once in a generation programme for AstraZeneca and will shape our ways of working globally for many years to come.
The Axial programme needs the best talent to work in it. Whether it’s the technical skills, business understanding or change leadership, we want to ensure we have the strongest team deployed throughout. We are aiming to deliver a world class change programme that leaves all employees with a fuller understanding of their role in the end-to-end nature of our global company. This programme will provide AZ with a competitive edge, to the benefit of our employees, customers and patients.
The Product expert owns end-to-end solution design within the Production to Despatch Door IT Design Team. The role defines, maintains and improves AstraZeneca’s global template in line with fit-to-standard principles and SAP standard.
As the central design authority, the role aligns business processes, SAP design, master data, integrations, reporting and compliance into a scalable, deployable global Asset Maintenance template.
Working with Process Leads, site SMEs, Architecture, Data, Integration, Testing, Deployment and SI/SAP partners, the Product Expert ensures integration with Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Procurement, Inventory/Warehouse Management, EHS and Reporting.
The role ensures the global solution is documented, governed, validated and tested to programme and AstraZeneca compliance standards. It leads design decisions through governance, handles risks and assesses local requirements without compromising the global template.
During deployment, the role supports localisation, data migration, cutover, business readiness and hypercare, helping sites adopt the standard design while meeting GxP, validation, data integrity and change control requirements.
The role also shapes a future-ready global maintenance template by applying expertise in digital and mobile maintenance, connected worker solutions, predictive maintenance, analytics, IoT and AI.
What you’ll do
Own and lead the SAP S/4HANA Asset Maintenance solution design, ensuring it underpins the global standard process and integrates effectively across the wider ERP landscape
Act as the IT design authority for Asset Maintenance, translating business capability requirements into fit-to-standard SAP design decisions, configuration principles and deployable solution outcomes and taking these through the relevant governance forums
Partner with Enterprise Process Leads, business SMEs and site representatives to align maintenance planning, scheduling, execution, reliability and calibration-related processes with SAP standard functionality
Ensure Asset Maintenance integration requirements are defined, governed and delivered across adjacent capabilities including Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Procurement, Inventory/Warehouse Management, EHS, Master Data and Reporting
Support and govern the definition, migration and quality of Asset Maintenance master data, including functional locations, equipment, BOMs, task lists, maintenance plans, measuring points and related data objects
Be responsible for the documentation of the Asset Maintenance solution design, including design decisions, process flows, data requirements, WRICEF needs, test scope, validation evidence and deployment standards
Champion the Asset Maintenance design through appropriate programme, architecture, data, process and business governance forums, ensuring decisions are clearly recorded and traceable
Ensure the solution is documented, tested and validated in accordance with AstraZeneca compliance standards, including GxP, data integrity and change control expectations for regulated manufacturing environments
Work with Architecture and Integration teams to ensure the Asset Maintenance solution and related integrations align with AstraZeneca’s strategic technology architecture and application roadmap
Assess localisation, legal, regulatory and site-specific requirements during deployment, balancing legitimate local needs with the integrity of the global standard template
Support deployment teams through build, test, data migration, cutover, business readiness, launch and hypercare, ensuring Asset Maintenance issues are triaged and resolved effectively
Develop and lead detailed delivery plans for Asset Maintenance activities, aligned with wider programme milestones, dependency plans, BTG projects and BAU service transition needs
Track delivery progress, handle risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies, and provide clear status reporting into the Enterprise domain and wider programme governance
Proactively evaluate latest SAP, industry and digital maintenance capabilities, including mobile maintenance, predictive maintenance, analytics, IoT and AI, and assess their relevance to AstraZeneca’s Asset Maintenance roadmap
Represent IT as the Asset Maintenance SME and product leader in relevant programme, business process, data, architecture and external partner forums
Essential for the role
Solid understanding of Asset Maintenance, Engineering, Reliability and Maintenance Operations, including corrective, preventive, predictive and calibration-related maintenance in regulated manufacturing
Recognised SAP S/4HANA Asset Management / Enterprise Asset Management SME, with solid understanding of technical objects, maintenance notifications and orders, task lists, maintenance plans, work scheduling, permits and maintenance execution
Demonstrable record of owning or shaping sophisticated SAP solution designs in a large ERP transformation, balancing fit-to-standard principles with valid local regulatory and operational requirements
Solid understanding of S/4HANA integration between Asset Maintenance and Finance, Procurement, Inventory/Warehouse Management, Manufacturing, Quality, EHS, Master Data and Reporting
Experience defining and governing global process, data and solution templates, including testable design documentation, decisions, WRICEF requirements, configuration rationale and deployment standards
Strong Business and IT partner management and communication skills, with demonstrable ability to influence Enterprise Process Leads, site SMEs, and architecture, data, integration, testing and deployment teams
Solid understanding of GxP, validation, data integrity and change control for maintenance processes and ERP systems in pharmaceutical manufacturing
Evidence of building high-performing matrix teams and collaborating effectively with internal colleagues, external SI partners and SAP product specialists
Good team player who collaborates across the programme and explains technical solution choices in clear business terms
Agile, open attitude and comfortable with ambiguity, challenging priorities and programme pace
Demonstrable ability to deliver IT change across locations and/or functions and translate technical information into business language
Personal
Self-driven and able to prioritise effectively to achieve project goals.
Strong business operations, communication, customer and partner engagement, and internal stakeholder management skills
Confidently challenges the status quo and brings together different perspectives to drive solutions
Able to handle large work efforts and meet ambitious deadlines
Demonstrates personal credibility and positive energy
Thinks creatively and thrives in ambiguous, high-pressure situations
Innovative, agile, strategic and forward-thinking
Functional/Technical Skills:
Knowledge of the relevant SAP application roadmap and ability to translate it into AZ’s strategic view
Demonstrated knowledge of SAP S/4HANA configuration requirements for the capability area
Good presentation skills and ability to explain complex concepts to multi-functional audiences
Knowledge of standard project tools, including JIRA, Smartsheets and Solman
Comfortable working through technical details to solve problems quickly and handle urgent issues
Desirable for the role
Certification in SAP S/4HANA Asset Management r