Introduction 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. Your role and responsibilities In this role, the selected candidate will lead and deliver SAP Ariba programs, act as the primary solution architect across Sourcing and Procurement solutions and oversee a team of SAP Ariba consultants. The position requires strong technical expertise, strategic thought leadership, and the ability to execute in a fast-paced, evolving environment. The role will also involve engaging with senior stakeholders across internal and client organisations. The successful candidate will contribute by: Project Leadership: Drive end-to-end delivery of SAP Ariba projects including new implementations, global rollouts, and system enhancements. Ensure projects are delivered within agreed timelines, budget, and scope while maintaining strong governance and communication with all stakeholder groups. Solution Design & Configuration: Serve as the solution SME, ensuring design integrity and functional excellence across SAP Ariba platforms. Lead configuration, enhancements, and template design across all major Ariba modules (Sourcing, Contracts, Category Management, Supplier Management, and Buying & Invoicing). Demonstrate deep expertise of Ariba administration, features, and best-practice solution design. Business Process Optimization: Apply deep understanding of end-to-end Source-to-Pay processes to evaluate current business practices, identify improvement opportunities, and recommend best-practice workflows enabled through SAP Ariba to improve efficiency, compliance, and user experience. Integration Management: Oversee seamless integration between SAP Ariba and customer ERP systems (SAP and Non-SAP), along with other third-party platforms. Ensure data accuracy, system stability, and optimal integration performance. Stakeholder Engagement: Engage closely with business stakeholders and IT leadership to gather requirements, translate them into robust technical solutions, and ensure alignment with broader business strategies and transformation goals. Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a team of SAP Ariba professionals, providing hands-on guidance, managing work allocation and capacity, nurturing capability growth, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance team culture. Practice Development: Contribute to continuous improvement of delivery methodologies, accelerators, templates, and reusable assets. Develop internal capability and coach consultants and architects. Stay abreast of SAP Ariba innovation and champion adoption of emerging capabilities and industry trends. Required technical and professional expertise Experience: 10 years of overall experience in IT consulting and enterprise application delivery, with 6 years of hands-on SAP Ariba implementation experience across multiple modules (Sourcing, Contract Management, Category Management, Supplier Management, Buying & Invoicing). Proven track record delivering end-to-end SAP Ariba programs including new implementations, global rollouts, and transformation initiatives in large-scale organisations. Demonstrated experience in SAP Ariba Solution Architecture, including solution scoping, blueprinting, configuration, testing, deployment, and hyper-care support. Strong exposure to SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC integration with Ariba, involving Cloud Integration Gateway (CIG), middleware integration, and master/transactional data flows. Hands-on experience designing and optimising Source-to-Contract and Procure-to-Pay processes in complex operating environments. Experience in leading functional teams, managing consultants, and working closely with cross-functional delivery teams including technical, data, PMO, and change management. Experience in project governance, Agile/Waterfall delivery methodologies (SAP Activate), risk management, and quality assurance. Prior consulting experience with a global SI or technology consulting firm (preferred). Technical & Soft Skills: Expert level proficiency in SAP Ariba configuration, customization, and administration Advanced knowledge of procurement processes, sourcing methodologies, and contract management Strong understanding of integration technologies, APIs, and data management Experience with SAP Ariba Analytics, reporting tools, and spend analysis platforms Knowledge of supplier risk management and compliance frameworks Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities with attention to detail Strong presentation and training skills for diverse audiences Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in fast paced environments Negotiation skills and commercial acumen Preferred technical and professional experience Education: - Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Information Technology, or related field - Master's degree or professional procurement certification preferred Certifications: SAP Ariba certifications in multiple modules (required) Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent (preferred) SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP certification (advantageous) Industry Knowledge: · Understanding of regulatory compliance requirements and industry specific procurement practices · Knowledge of global sourcing, supplier diversity, and sustainability initiatives · Familiarity with procurement best practices and emerging technologies in the space IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and 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, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
