Sr. SAP Program Manager

IBM

IBM

Operations

Tokyo, Japan · Atlanta, GA, USA

Posted on May 22, 2026
Introduction

At IBM, work is more than a job - it's a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you've never thought possible. Are you ready to lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world's most challenging problems? If so, lets talk.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior SAP Program Manager to lead large-scale SAP transformation initiatives, including S/4HANA implementations, upgrades, and enterprise-wide rollouts. This role requires strategic leadership, deep SAP delivery experience, and the ability to manage complex, cross-functional programs across global teams.

Key Responsibilities
Program Leadership
Lead end-to-end SAP programs, including S/4HANA implementations, migrations, and enhancements
Define program strategy, roadmap, governance, and delivery framework
Manage multiple project workstreams across functional, technical, and integration teams

Stakeholder Management
Serve as the primary point of contact for executive stakeholders, business leaders, and IT teams
Drive alignment across business units, ensuring program objectives meet strategic goals
Present program status, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership

Delivery & Execution
Oversee program planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and timelines
Ensure delivery of milestones within scope, cost, and schedule
Establish and enforce program governance, standards, and best practices

Risk & Issue Management
Identify, assess, and mitigate program risks and dependencies
Drive issue resolution and escalation management
Ensure compliance with enterprise risk and quality standards

SAP Transformation Expertise

Lead transformation initiatives involving:
SAP S/4HANA (Greenfield, Brownfield, or Hybrid)
SAP ECC enhancements and upgrades
Integration with cloud platforms and third-party systems

Guide business process optimization across:
Finance (FI/CO)
Supply Chain (MM, SD, PP)
Manufacturing and Logistics

Financial & Vendor Management
Manage program budgets (often $5M–$50M+)
Oversee vendor/partner relationships (SI partners, SAP, third-party providers)
Negotiate contracts and ensure delivery accountability

Team Leadership
Lead and mentor program managers, project managers, and functional leads
Coordinate global, cross-functional delivery teams
Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement

Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in IT, Business, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred)
10–15+ years of SAP experience, with at least 5+ years in program management roles
Proven track record managing large-scale SAP programs ($10M+ budgets)
Hands-on experience with:
SAP S/4HANA implementations or transformations
Full project lifecycle (Explore, Realize, Deploy, Run phases)

Strong understanding of multiple SAP modules (FI/CO, MM, SD, PP, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications
SAP Activate or Agile delivery methodology experience
SAP certifications (e.g., S/4HANA, Project Management, SAP Activate)
Experience with:

Global rollouts and multi-country deployments
Cloud platforms (SAP BTP, Azure, AWS)
Data migration and integration strategies

Key Skills
Program & Portfolio Management
Executive communication & stakeholder engagement
Risk and issue management
Financial/budget management
SAP delivery expertise
Leadership and team development

Nice to Have
PMP, PgMP, or similar certification
Experience in industries such as Manufacturing, Retail, or Life Sciences
Familiarity with DevOps, Agile frameworks, and SAP Solution Manager / ALM tools

Required education
Bachelor's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise

10–15+ years of SAP experience, with at least 5+ years in program management roles
Proven track record managing large-scale SAP programs ($10M+ budgets)

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM’s consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients’ businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

- Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

- Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

- Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

- Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

- Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.