SAP IT Project and Portfolio Manager - Supply Chain

At Merz our people and strategy help us deliver the industry’s most successful top-down, bottom-up investment processes. We’re currently seeking an experienced portfolio manager who can add a fresh, unique perspective to our team.

The IT Project Portfolio Manager will oversee the lifecycle of a global portfolio for IT Business Applications projects, with a primary focus on SAP initiatives and new demands in the Supply Chain domain (Demand Planning, Production, and Logistics). This role includes managing the demand process, ensuring budget approvals, leading projects, optimizing standards and templates, identifying areas for improvement, reporting analyses, and training team members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Implement, develop, monitor, and manage operations and strategic portfolio planning with a focus on SAP ECC / SAP S/4 Supply Chain initiatives.
• Create visibility of the IT execution portfolio and provide governance and transparency to ensure execution within approved time, budget, and scope.
• Maintain the demand pipeline and act as the primary partner for the IT Function Heads to capture, structure, align, and plan business demand, matching this demand with Business Strategic Priorities and IT supply functions’ capacity.
• Adhere to the IT demand process, prioritizing and aligning demand requests.
• Provide guidance on the portfolio management tool and support team members.
• Foster a balanced portfolio in cooperation with Business and IT Function Heads and Units.
• Manage day-to-day portfolio and project activities, establishing and executing working plans for each project phase.
• Facilitate project reviews and checkpoint meetings.
• Analyze key performance indicators to produce reports on portfolio and projects.
• Escalate issues that threaten portfolio and project success.
• Act as project lead for SAP implementation and enhancement projects.
• Align the overall portfolio with the target enterprise architecture and integration needs within the schedule and project timeline. 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline.

Experience and Qualifications

• Over 5 years of experience in a similar role with equal scope and responsibility.
• Proficient in IT project management and project methodology.
• In-depth knowledge of ERP functionality, particularly SAP (ECC or S/4), with functional experience in Supply Chain modules (PP, QM, WM, PM, S&R, MM).
• Familiar with integration with enterprise platforms such as MES, 3PLS, and S&OP solutions.
• Understanding of information security and data privacy aspects and impacts of cloud applications.
• Experience as a project team member, especially in implementing Business Applications and large-scale IT/Business projects.
• Expertise in the pharmaceutical or medical device industries is preferred, with knowledge of validation processes.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal, teamwork, organizational, and workload planning skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to develop and visually present ideas and concepts to both IT and business stakeholders.
• Customer-focused with a service management attitude and problem-solving mindset.
• Team-oriented with good communication and presentation skills.
• Effective at interacting with IT staff, Business Staff, and Senior Management.