Sr Manager, SAP Basis & Security

Job Overview

This role is part of the RF360 Enterprise Applications portfolio, an enterprise-wide SAP ecosystem supporting critical business processes across Finance, Procurement, Sales, Logistics, and integrated non-SAP solutions. The landscape includes SAP ECC EHP running on Oracle Database, SAP S/4HANA On-Premise, SAP BTP services, SAP Integration Suite (CPI), and hybrid cloud environments.

The Lead SAP Basis & Authorization Security is a senior technical and people leader responsible for the stability, security, compliance, performance, and continuous modernization of the SAP platform. The role combines deep SAP technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, stakeholder management, and operational ownership to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable SAP services globally.

The successful candidate will lead the OneIT India SAP Basis and SAP Authorization Security teams and serve as a key partner for global SAP operations, working closely with business stakeholders, enterprise architects, and global IT leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Platform Ownership

• Own end-to-end SAP Basis and Authorization Security operations across SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, ABAP, and Java stacks.

• Provide technical leadership for SAP ECC EHP on Oracle Database and SAP S/4HANA On-Premise environments.

• Define, maintain, and enforce SAP technical standards, operational procedures, security policies, and governance frameworks.

• Lead SAP upgrades, system conversions, migrations, refreshes, installations, and landscape transformation initiatives.

• Architect and guide global SAP landscapes across on-premise, hybrid, and cloud platforms.

• Ensure high availability, performance, scalability, business continuity, and disaster recovery readiness of SAP systems.

• Drive technical innovation, automation, and continuous service improvement across SAP operations.

• Manage distributed SAP architectures including SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BTP, SAP Integration Suite (CPI), and cloud-based services.

SAP Security, Authorizations & GRC

• Lead SAP Authorization Security strategy, design, governance, and operational execution.

• Oversee user administration, role design, authorization concepts, and access governance.

• Ensure effective Segregation of Duties (SoD) controls and compliance monitoring.

• Support internal and external audits, IT General Controls (ITGC), and regulatory compliance requirements.

• Apply Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) principles to SAP security processes and controls.

• Drive continuous risk assessment, mitigation, and security improvement initiatives.

• Partner with IT Risk, Audit, Cybersecurity, and Compliance teams to maintain secure SAP operations.

Operations, Monitoring & Performance Management

• Own SAP operational excellence across all productive and non-productive environments.

• Oversee performance monitoring, tuning, root-cause analysis, and proactive health management.

• Lead incident, problem, change, and release management processes.

• Ensure effective SAP Transport Management System (TMS) governance and release controls.

• Drive automation and operational efficiencies using industry best practices and monitoring platforms.

• Establish and maintain KPIs, SLAs, and operational reporting for SAP Basis and Security services.

• Ensure effective utilization of SAP Cloud ALM for monitoring, operations, lifecycle management, and service transparency.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Provide disciplinary leadership for the OneIT India SAP Basis and SAP Authorization Security teams.

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of approximately 10 SAP professionals across Basis and Authorization Security domains.

• Conduct performance reviews, goal setting, talent development, succession planning, and recruitment activities.

• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

• Act as the primary escalation point for critical technical and operational issues.

• Plan and manage team capacity, workload balancing, and delivery commitments.

• Drive effective collaboration across global SAP teams and stakeholder groups.

Resource Planning & Strategic Alignment

• Work in close partnership with the India IT leadership and the central SAP Basis & Authorization Manager in Munich to align resource planning, budget requirements, team development, operational priorities, and strategic SAP initiatives across the global SAP landscape.

• Support workforce planning, hiring strategies, skills development, and organizational growth initiatives.

• Contribute to budget planning and resource forecasting while ensuring alignment with global SAP priorities and business objectives.

• Balance operational stability, project delivery requirements, and strategic transformation initiatives.

Stakeholder & Business Engagement

• Act as a trusted SAP technical advisor to senior business and IT stakeholders.

• Translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and supportable SAP solutions.

• Collaborate effectively with enterprise architects, project teams, service providers, and leadership teams.

• Communicate complex technical topics clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Build strong working relationships across global teams, particularly between India and European stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications (Must Have)

• 15+ years of SAP Basis experience with increasing leadership responsibility.

• Minimum 5 years of people management experience including disciplinary leadership.

• Extensive hands-on experience operating SAP ECC EHP environments on Oracle Database.

• Deep expertise in SAP S/4HANA On-Premise administration, operations, and migration projects.

• Strong hands-on experience with SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).

• Strong hands-on experience with SAP Integration Suite / SAP CPI.

• Experience implementing and operating SAP Cloud ALM.

• Proven experience leading large-scale global SAP technical projects and transformations.

• Strong experience in SAP Authorization Security, role design, compliance, and access governance.

• Demonstrated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) knowledge in SAP environments.

• Strong understanding of SAP technical infrastructure, including ABAP and Java stacks.

• Experience with:

• SAP monitoring and automation tools

• ITSM and ticketing platforms

• Capacity and demand management processes

• Change and release management

• Experience managing geographically distributed teams and stakeholders.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills.

• Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)

• Experience operating SAP environments hosted on AWS.

• Experience with RISE with SAP and SAP Private Cloud environments.

• Strong knowledge of hybrid SAP cloud architectures and cloud operating models.

• Experience with SAP HANA administration, replication, and high-availability concepts.

• Experience with SAP Focused Run, Solution Manager, or similar monitoring platforms.

• Experience with Embedded Analytics, Fiori, and BW on HANA.

• Full lifecycle experience across multiple global SAP implementations.

• Knowledge of DevOps, automation, and continuous improvement practices within SAP operations.

• Experience working in multinational organizations with distributed teams across India, Europe, and other regions.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate combines deep SAP Basis and Authorization Security expertise with strong people leadership capabilities. They are able to lead technical teams, drive operational excellence, support strategic transformation initiatives, and collaborate effectively across global organizations. The individual must be comfortable balancing day-to-day operations, long-term platform strategy, resource planning, and stakeholder engagement while maintaining a strong focus on security, compliance, and service quality.