Principal I, ERP Business Analysis ((SAP) Change and Integration Management)

Summary of Position:
The ERP Change and Integration Management Principal Leads enterprise-wide SAP Change and Integration Management strategy, governance, and operational excellence across Alcon's global ERP landscape.
Responsible for defining and advancing release management, transport governance, SAP Cloud ALM adoption, environment strategy, and deployment methodologies supporting ECC, S/4HANA, SAP BTP, and integrated application platforms. Acts as a trusted advisor to IT leadership, driving continuous improvement initiatives and ensuring operational stability across strategic transformation programs.
This role is responsible for enabling stable, compliant system changes through effective transport management, SAP Solution Manager (ChaRM & SolDoc), and the transition to SAP Cloud ALM. The position collaborates closely with Basis, project teams, and business stakeholders to ensure the seamless delivery of releases and integrations across environments.
Key Responsibilities:
Release & Change Management
Serve as Change & Integration Management lead for ERP transformation initiatives, ensuring deployment readiness, landscape strategy, and release governance throughout program execution
Own enterprise release management governance across SAP and integrated applications
Lead deployment strategy for major business transformation initiatives, including S/4HANA programs
Establish release KPIs, deployment metrics, and governance reporting
Conduct executive-level release readiness reviews and risk assessments
Resolve complex transport, retrofit, and deployment challenges impacting multiple projects
Execute SAP ChaRM Change Manager activities for projects and production support
Define and plan release scope, sequencing, and deployment strategy based on approved changes
Assess technical and functional impacts of changes (customizing and development) to safeguard production stability
Establish and maintain change cycles, release and outage calendars, and governance standards
Transport & Landscape Management
Define enterprise transport governance standards and controls
Lead strategic landscape planning activities supporting ECC and S/4 dual maintenance
Drive landscape harmonization and technical debt reduction initiatives
Oversee enterprise retrofit strategy across multiple SAP landscapes
Define transport, deployment, and governance standards for SAP BTP applications and services
Manage relationships with SAP and strategic partners to influence roadmap decisions, lifecycle management capabilities, and best practice adoption
Oversee end-to-end transport management across all SAP environments using TMS
Manage transport sequencing, dependencies, and conflict resolution
Perform SAP landscape housekeeping and maintain system integrity and consistency
Manage system refreshes and installations with Basis/Infrastructure teams
SAP SolMan & Cloud ALM
Lead enterprise SAP Cloud ALM adoption, governance, capability expansion, and lifecycle management strategy
Own the SAP Cloud ALM roadmap and organizational adoption strategy
Lead Cloud ALM capability assessments and future-state planning
Evaluate Solution Manager to Cloud ALM transition approaches and recommend strategic improvements
Partner with SAP and implementation partners on lifecycle management best practices
Support SAP Solution Manager (ChaRM & SolDoc)
Provide guidance and support on SolMan best practices to project and operations teams.
Environment Strategy & Data Management
Drive environment readiness initiatives supporting major ERP programs including S/4HANA
Lead implementation and expansion of Qlik Gold Client capabilities
Support test automation and data provisioning initiatives across the SAP landscape.
Integration & Governance
Lead Change & Integration Management activities supporting SAP S/4HANA upgrades and migrations.
Define deployment methodologies supporting hybrid ECC and S/4 environments
Collaborate with Architecture, Basis, Security, and Program Leadership teams
Drive continuous process improvement initiatives across release and deployment management
Ensure integration across SAP systems and dependent technologies
Support enterprise release governance and ERP template compliance globally
Evaluate technical solutions and recommend improvements aligned with SAP best practices.
Cutover & Deployment Support
Lead cutover planning and deployment governance for enterprise transformation programs
Plan and execute cutover activities, including rehearsals and go-live readiness
Provide hypercare support during major releases and go-lives
Manage and communicate system outages and deployment notifications to stakeholders.
Leadership & Talent Development
Mentor and coach Change & Integration Management resources
Lead knowledge-sharing and capability-building initiatives
Participate in hiring, interviewing, and onboarding activities
Provide thought leadership on SAP Change Management, Release Management, and Cloud ALM
Influence on strategic decisions impacting ERP operations and lifecycle management.
Collaboration & Communication
Act as the coordination point between functional, technical, and infrastructure teams
Communicate change status, risks, and issues to stakeholders effectively
Support internal and external integration-related communications.
Key Requirements/Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent experience.
Minimum 8+ years of SAP experience, including leadership of enterprise release, transport, and lifecycle management functions across global SAP landscapes.
Experience managing global SAP landscapes and deployment governance.
Experience implementing or leading SAP Cloud ALM initiatives.
Hands-on experience with:
SAP Solution Manager (strong focus on ChaRM)
Transport Management System (TMS)
SAP release and integration management processes
Proven experience working with complex SAP landscapes (ECC, S/4HANA, or hybrid environments)
Experience in SAP configuration, development, or functional roles (preferred).
Experience in regulated or validated environments (e.g., SOX, GxP) is a plus.
Understanding of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid).
Skills & Competencies
Strategic planning and roadmap development.
Executive communication and stakeholder management.
Change leadership and organizational influence.
Organizational leadership and mentoring.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Excellent organizational and planning abilities
Effective communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in global teams
High attention to detail with a focus on quality and risk mitigation.
Work hours: 1 PM to 10 PM IST
Relocation assistance: Yes
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