Client Programme Manager

SAP BusinessObjects; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

SAP is seeking a Client Program Manager to lead large, multi-stream SAP programs with a strong public sector focus. The role requires 10+ years of SAP delivery experience and a track record of governance, commercial, and risk management excellence.

The candidate will oversee multi-functional teams, manage senior stakeholders, and ensure alignment with business objectives and financial targets in high-pressure environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of SAP project/program delivery experience.
• Experience delivering large, multi-stream SAP programs (S/4HANA, SAP TRM, ECC).
• Executive-level stakeholder management and governance.
• Strong risk, contract, and financial management.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end SAP program delivery with scope, schedule, quality, and financial targets.
• Lead cross-functional SAP teams across S/4HANA, ECC, or hybrid landscapes.
• Interface with senior customer executives and steering committees.
• Ensure governance, regulatory, and audit compliance in public sector engagements.

Skills

SAP delivery leadership

Multi-stream SAP programs

Executive stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Risk governance

Multi-vendor delivery

Team leadership

PM/Agile methodologies

Communication & negotiation

Public sector experience

SAP certifications

PMP/PRINCE2

SAP Activate

Pre-sales / solutioning

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Job description

The SAP Client Program Manager is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of large and complex SAP programs, with a strong focus on public sector engagements. This role requires a seasoned leader with 10+ years of SAP delivery experience, capable of driving multi-stream implementations while ensuring alignment with business objectives, governance standards, and financial targets.

As the primary point of accountability, the SAP Program Manager oversees delivery excellence, manages senior stakeholder relationships, safeguards commercial outcomes, and leads cross-functional teams in high-pressure environments. The role demands a blend of technical/functional SAP expertise, strategic thinking, and strong leadership capabilities to deliver successful transformation programs.

Key Skills

Must Have

• 10+ years of experience in SAP project/program delivery
• Proven experience in roles such as SAP Program Manager / Delivery Director / Senior Delivery Manager
• Strong expertise in SAP technical or functional domainS - SAP TRM,
• Experience in delivering large, complex, multi-stream SAP programs (S/4HANA, SAP TRM, ECC, or hybrid landscapes)
• Extensive stakeholder management experience, including executive-level interactions
• Strong commercial acumen (contracts, gross margin, revenue, and cost management)
• Expertise in risk management, governance, and escalation handling
• Experience managing multi-vendor and distributed delivery environments
• Strong leadership and team management skills with ability to drive high-performance teams
• Proficiency in Agile, Scrum, and traditional project/program management methodologies
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills

Nice to Have

• Experience in public sector or government SAP programs
• SAP certifications in relevant modules or technologies
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent program/project management certification
• Exposure to SAP Activate methodology and digital transformation initiatives
• Experience in pre-sales, solutioning, and account growth strategies
• Familiarity with regulatory, audit, and compliance requirements in large programs

Key Responsibilities

Delivery & Program Leadership

• Own end-to-end SAP program delivery, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, quality, and financial objectives
• Lead and govern large-scale, multi-stream SAP implementations across S/4HANA, ECC, or hybrid environments
• Act as the single point of accountability for overall delivery performance
• Ensure compliance with governance, regulatory, and audit requirements, particularly in public sector engagements

Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary interface for senior customer stakeholders, including executives and steering committees
• Build and maintain strong, trusted client relationships
• Manage customer expectations, risks, and escalations proactively and effectively
• Resolve complex business and delivery challenges by aligning stakeholders, teams, and solutions

Team Leadership & Delivery Management

• Lead, mentor, and manage large cross-functional SAP teams (functional, technical, and PMO)
• Drive a high-performance culture with focus on accountability, resilience, and continuous improvement
• Oversee project managers and solution leads to ensure alignment with program goals
• Promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and talent development within teams

Commercial & Financial Management

• Own program-level commercial governance, including contracts, SOWs, and change requests
• Monitor and manage financial performance, including revenue, costs, and gross margins
• Provide insights and recommendations to business leadership on financial and delivery risks
• Support sales and account teams with renewals, upsell opportunities, and pipeline growth

Risk, Issue & Escalation Management

• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate delivery, financial, and reputational risks
• Lead resolution of complex issues and high-impact escalations with strong decision-making
• Maintain composure and demonstrate leadership in high-pressure and challenging environments

Business Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, the ability to communicate with others clearly and concisely.
• Understands business processes for focus areas or modules.
• Ability to do research and perform detailed tasks.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Understands business functionality related to SAP module/application as well as can identify and understand touch points between modules.
• Understands how to solve detailed SAP problems.
• Understands and can explain best business practices, especially those that SAP enables.

Consulting Skills

• Strong consulting mindset with the ability to understand client business objectives and align SAP solutions to drive measurable outcomes
• Ability to engage with senior stakeholders to shape transformation agendas, define roadmaps, and influence strategic decisions
• Expertise in translating complex business requirements into scalable SAP solutions through structured problem-solving and fit-gap analysis
• Capability to challenge client assumptions constructively and recommend best practices aligned with SAP standards and industry benchmarks
• Experience in driving business process transformation, not just system implementation, with a focus on value realization
• Strong facilitation skills to lead workshops, design thinking sessions, and executive discussions
• Ability to provide advisory on SAP roadmap, release strategy, and innovation opportunities (e.g., S/4HANA transformation)
• Commercially aware consulting approach, balancing client value with delivery feasibility and profitability
• Skilled in stakeholder alignment across business and IT teams, ensuring consensus on priorities and solutions
• Ability to operate in ambiguous environments, providing clarity, structure, and actionable recommendations
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills to manage conflicting priorities and drive program success