Senior Managing Consultant - SuccessFactors Core HR (m/w/d)

IBM; Köln; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global IT services firm in Cologne is seeking a Senior Managing Consultant for SuccessFactors Core HR. This role involves leading the design and implementation of HR solutions, managing multi-country projects while collaborating with stakeholders. The ideal candidate should have 8 to 10 years of consulting experience and over 5 years specifically in SAP SuccessFactors. Proficiency in both English and German is essential for effective communication with clients in diverse environments.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in HR technology consulting.
• At least 5+ years in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central.
• Strong understanding of global HR processes and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of core HR solutions using SAP SuccessFactors.
• Manage the full delivery lifecycle of large-scale SAP SuccessFactors programmes.
• Act as the primary Core HR advisor for senior HR stakeholders.

Skills

HR technology consulting

SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central

Workshop facilitation

Stakeholder management

Data migration

Fluent in English

Fluent in German

Job description

Senior Managing Consultant – SuccessFactors Core HR (m/w/d)

IBM – Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

A career in IBM Consulting is rooted by long‑term relationships and close collaboration with clients across the globe. You’ll work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio; including Software and Red Hat. Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation to success in IBM Consulting. In your role, you’ll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions resulting in ground‑breaking impact for a wide network of clients. Our culture of evolution and empathy centers on long‑term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience. As a SAP SuccessFactors Consultant you will serve as a client‑facing practitioner who sells, leads and implements expert services utilizing the breadth of IBM’s offerings and technologies. A successful Consultant is regarded by clients as a trusted business advisor who collaborates to provide innovative solutions used to solve the most challenging business problems.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As consultant for SAP SuccessFactors Core HR you are a senior subject matter expert responsible for leading the design, configuration, and delivery of core HR solutions using SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central (EC). This role ensures HR processes are standardised, compliant, and integrated across the organisation, providing a single source of truth for employee data. As a trusted advisor, the consultant partners with HR leadership, IT teams, and stakeholders to drive HR transformation, optimise processes, and ensure that SAP SuccessFactors Core HR solutions deliver measurable business value and provide leadership for complex, multi‑country implementations.

Your Primary Responsibilities Include

• Solution Consulting & Design
  • Lead discovery sessions to capture HR business requirements, organisational structures, and operational processes.
  • Translate requirements into functional designs for Employee Central, including position management, organisational management, workflows, and business rules.
  • Configure EC to support end‑to‑end HR processes and country‑specific requirements.
  • Ensure solution designs follow SAP SuccessFactors best practices and enterprise standards.
  • Define scope and estimate efforts for the implementation of SuccessFactors EC and related modules based on client specified requirements.
• Implementation Leadership
  • Serve as functional lead for Core HR workstreams in large‑scale SAP SuccessFactors programmes.
  • Manage the full delivery lifecycle including requirements gathering, configuration, testing, data migration, training, deployment and go‑live support.
  • Oversee parallel runs and validation of HR data before go‑live.
  • Provide leadership to implementation partners and internal teams.
• Data Management & Governance
  • Define data governance frameworks for employee master data.
  • Work with HR and IT teams to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR).
  • Support master data migration strategies and cleansing activities.
• Client Engagement & Advisory
  • Act as the primary Core HR advisor for senior HR and business stakeholders.
  • Present solution options, impact analysis, and recommendations to decision‑makers.
  • Facilitate workshops and change management activities to ensure successful adoption.
• Integration & Data Considerations
  • Design and oversee integrations between Employee Central and downstream systems such as Payroll (incl. third‑party Payroll solutions), Time & Attendance, Talent Management, and ERP/Finance.
  • Collaborate with integration specialists to ensure secure, efficient data flows using SAP CPI or other middleware tools.
  • Validate integration scenarios and troubleshoot issues.
• Release & Continuous Improvement
  • Monitor SAP SuccessFactors release updates relevant to Core HR and assess applicability.
  • Recommend adoption of enhancements to improve efficiency, compliance, or user experience.
  • Lead post‑implementation optimisation initiatives.
• Knowledge Sharing & Mentoring
  • Mentor junior consultants and configuration specialists in SAP SuccessFactors Core HR.
  • Contribute to internal best practice documentation, tools, and templates.
  • Support pre‑sales activities, including proposals, demonstrations, and scoping exercises.

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• 8–10+ years of experience in HR technology consulting, with at least 5+ years in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central.
• Strong understanding of global HR processes, compliance requirements, organisational design, as well as role‑based permission and security concepts. Understanding of core compensation is beneficial.
• Experience in data migration, governance, and integration with payroll, time, and talent systems.
• Experience in multi‑country, large‑scale implementations.
• Excellent workshop facilitation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work across business and technical teams to deliver complex solutions.
• Language skills: Fluent in written and spoken English and German.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Strong communication and negotiation skills, as well as mental flexibility.
• Strong ability to analyse situations and solve problems.
• Willingness to work on‑site with our customers.

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Consulting, Information Technology, and Sales

Industries

IT Services and IT Consulting