Delivery Lead Full Time

Delivery Lead Jobs in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Role Overview 

As Delivery Lead – Digital Transformation, you will play a critical role in driving the rollout of standardized digital processes and solutions across more than thirty business entities within a large, diverse high-tech, aerospace, and defense group. You will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery lifecycle, from Discovery through to Go-Live and Hypercare, ensuring the successful deployment of the group’s Digital Transformation program.

This role leads cross-functional teams and external service providers to achieve on-time, on-budget, high-quality deployments with strong user adoption and template adherence. Deep SAP S/4 HANA implementation and data migration expertise are essential, along with proven people leadership and vendor management skills.

At the heart of the program is an SAP S/4 HANA ERP core, integrated with a wide array of complementary platforms, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM, SAP Ariba, SAP SuccessFactors, and Microsoft Project Server. The transformation is driven by a template-based rollout model, with limited localization, ensuring consistency and efficiency across a heterogeneous landscape spanning manufacturing, software development, services, and security operations.

Key Responsibilities

Program & Wave Planning

• • Build and maintain the multi-wave rollout plan and roadmap for all entities, aligning scope, capacity, and dependencies across eight process domains.
  • Define entity readiness criteria and entry/exit gates for each phase (SAP Activate Discover, Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy, Run/Operate/Hypercare).
  • Orchestrate a “rollout factory” model, standardizing assets, playbooks, and accelerators to drive scale and repeatability.

Delivery Management (SAP Activate)

• • Discover: Lead entity assessments, fit-to-standard posture, value case, and high-level solution/ integration scoping.
  • Prepare: Mobilize teams, environments, and tools; finalize the delivery plan, RAID, and governance; confirm data migration and testing strategies.
  • Explore: Execute fit-to-standard workshops; manage gaps, extension design, and controlled localization; ensure template alignment and change control.
  • Realize: Oversee configuration, developments (WRICEF), integrations, data migration cycles, and test phases (SIT, UAT, performance, security).
  • Deploy: Manage cutover planning and execution (incl. data loads), business readiness, training, and go/no-go governance.
  • Run/Hypercare: Stabilize post–go-live, resolve defects, transition to AMS, and hand off to run operations with KPIs and lessons learned.

Data Migration Leadership

• • Own the end-to-end data migration strategy, governance, and execution (scope, mapping, cleansing, ownership, quality KPIs, mock loads).
  • Select and apply tools such as SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit, SAP Data Services, or equivalent ETL/ DQ platforms.
  • Coordinate master data governance and cutover/data load plans; achieve load success criteria and reconciliation signoffs.

Vendor & Partner Management

• • Lead external service providers (SI, data migration, testing, change partners): scope and SOWs, SLAs, deliverables, and performance management.
  • Resolve delivery constraints and escalations; ensure consistent ways of working and knowledge transfer.

Stakeholder, Change & Training

• • Engage Business Process Owners, Entity Leadership, PMO, Entity Key Users, and Change Champions.
  • Collaborate closely with the change management team to shape communications and training content with a fit-to-standard mindset and controlled deviations.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• • Run program governance, reporting, and financials; manage RAID, quality gates, and audits.
  • Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory needs relevant to aerospace/defense (e.g., export controls, cybersecurity frameworks).

People Leadership

• • Lead and coach cross-functional and matrixed teams; forecast and allocate resources; develop talent and a delivery culture focused on outcomes.
  • Model collaborative, transparent, and data-driven decision-making.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• • Institutionalize and maintain reusable assets (config guides, migration objects, test scripts).
  • Implement DevOps and automated testing pipelines to reduce wave cycle times.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• 12+ years of large-scale SAP implementation experience, including at least 3 full-cycle SAP S/4 HANA rollouts in engineering, manufacturing or aerospace/ defense environments.
• Extensive practical knowledge of using template/ fit-to-standard approaches with controlled localization in a complex, multi-entity environments.
• Proven track record as a Program or Delivery Lead managing concurrent rollouts/ waves across 10+ legal entities.

• Demonstrable mastery of SAP Activate across all phases (Discover, Prepare, Explore, Realize, Deploy, Run/Hypercare).
• Strong data migration expertise, from strategy through execution (mapping, cleansing, mock loads, cutover); hands-on knowledge of SAP Migration Cockpit and at least one other ETL/ DQ tool (e.g., SAP Data Services, LSMW, ChainSys, Syniti, etc.).
• Demonstrated success in selecting, contracting (SoWs), and managing international system integrators with on-site and remote delivery models.
• Hands-on familiarity with at least two of the eight core process domains (Lead-to-Cash, Supply-to-Demand, Plan-to-Produce, Engineer-to-Manufacture, Procure-to-Pay, Record-to-Report, Hire-to-Retire, Acquire-to-Dispose).
• Excellent program management skills: plan/ budget control, RAID, KPIs, and executive reporting.
• Strong leadership, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

Preferred

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Business or equivalent; MBA or MSc a plus
• Project/ Program management credentials (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent) desirable
• Experience with project management tools (MS Project, Jira, etc.) and test management/ test automation tools.