ERP Platform Lead

Position Title: Associate Director - ERP Platform Lead

Location:  Remote/Hybrid

Reports to: Senior Director, Technology Business Partnering for Finance, Corporate Services & ERP

Direct Reports: 3

ABOUT THE WELLA COMPANY

Together, WE enable individuals to look, feel, and be their true selves.

Wella Company is one of the world’s leading beauty companies, comprised of a family of iconic brands such as Wella Professionals, Clairol, OPI, Nioxin and ghd. With 6,000 employees globally, presence in over 100 countries, Wella Company and its brands enable consumers to look, feel, and be their true selves. As innovators in the hair and nail industry, Wella Company empowers its people to delight consumers, inspire beauty professionals, engage communities, and deliver sustainable growth to its stakeholders. For additional information about the Wella Company please visit www.wellacompany.com.

THE ROLE

The Associate Director - ERP Platform Lead is a strategic and hands-on leader responsible for the end-to-end ERP application platform — spanning SAP ECC, S/4HANA, and satellite systems. This role owns the ERP (SAP) platform roadmap, oversees outsourced delivery partners, and ensures architectural alignment with Wella’s enterprise standards. Sitting within the Foundational Platform ERP team, the ERP Platform Lead partners closely with Business Process Owners, Solution Architects, and Service Delivery to ensure the stability, scalability, and modernization of SAP systems.

In addition, the role contributes to SAP innovation, vendor roadmap alignment, budget and licensing optimization, and works closely with infrastructure teams on cloud capacity and performance management — ensuring the SAP platform supports current needs and is fit for future transformation. The ERP Platform Lead influences technical policy, monitors emerging technologies, and maintains readiness of both production and non-production environments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Platform Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and evolve the ERP (SAP) application platform roadmap aligned with enterprise strategy
• Own lifecycle plans including upgrades, migrations, patching, and modernization
• Coordinate across application teams and enterprise architects to align SAP with platform standards
• Drive SAP-related innovation and align with vendor product roadmaps

2. Technical Governance & Operations

• Ensure architectural consistency across SAP instances, interfaces, and satellite systems
• Manage change control, transport strategy, and performance tuning across SAP environments
• Track technical debt, assess risks, and plan remediation for inclusion in platform roadmap
• Ensure non-production SAP environments are fit for purpose

3. Vendor & Budget Oversight

• Manage AMS/vendor delivery, ensuring SLA adherence and service quality.
• Contribute to licensing model optimization and contract negotiations.
• Define SAP-related costing inputs and support budget management.
• Collaborate with infrastructure teams to ensure SAP environments run effectively on underlying computers, storage, and cloud platforms (without owning infra directly)

4. Security, Audit & Compliance

• Enforce platform standards for security, reliability, and compliance
• Define access policies in collaboration with InfoSec
• Ensure compliance with IT general controls, SoD, and audit requirements

5. Leadership & Collaboration

• Simplify complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders
• Guide decision-making, balancing trade-offs in cost, scalability, and performance
• Build strong collaboration across IT, business leadership, and global teams

ESSENTIAL SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Deep understanding of SAP technical architecture, Basis, and landscape management
• Experience with hybrid SAP environments (on-prem, cloud, managed hosting)
• Ability to partner effectively with infrastructure teams, with awareness of cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, containers, serverless)
• Strong vendor management, negotiation, and contract oversight skills
• Familiarity with SAP licensing models and cost optimization
• Ability to model alternative architectures and assess emerging technologies
• Skilled communicator, able to engage both technical and business stakeholders
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, or related discipline
• SAP technical certifications (Basis, HANA, or related) preferred
• 10+ years in SAP platform leadership, architecture, or enterprise application roles
• Proven track record in large ERP environments (SAP essential; other ERP experience desirable)
• Experience managing AMS/vendor delivery models in regulated/global organizations
• Hands-on experience with modern cloud platforms, containers, and automation
• Knowledge of testing methodologies and tools
• Prior collaboration with Corporate Functions (Finance, Supply Chain, HR, R&D)
• Strong problem-solving, results orientation, and ability to work independently or in a team

WHAT WE OFFER

• 25 days holiday + additional day off for your birthday (not including bank holidays)
• 3 days’ personal leave for your own signification life events
• 2 paid days off for volunteering/charity work
• Optional Wella Pension Scheme (8% employer contribution, 3% employee contribution)
• Optional Family Private Medical Insurance Cover
• Income Protection
• Life Insurance (8x base salary up to 2 million payable in the event of your death in service of Wella)
• Staff Discount (80% of all hair products, 40% OPI, 1 x 50% ghd)
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Gym Benefits
• Eye Tests
• WOW Program (Bonus following exit from KKR, eligible after successful probation. For permanent employees only)
• Workplace/Nursery Benefits
• 4 weeks working remotely abroad
• Early Friday Finish during Summer

EEO OPPORTUNITIES

The Wella Company wants to meet the aims and commitments set out in its equality policy. This includes not discriminating under the Equality Act 2010 and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.

We offer equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals without regard to race, religion or belief, color, national origin, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Wella Company with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact us at: https://www.wellacompany.com/consumer-affairs

We strongly believe that cultivating a diverse workplace gives a company strength. The combination of unique skills, abilities, experiences and backgrounds creates an environment that produces extraordinary results. EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled.

English - Please click on this link to review the Notification of Equal Opportunity Rights poster