Source-to-Pay Deployment Lead

Our client, a leading global healthcare organization, is seeking an experienced Source-to-Pay (S2P) Deployment Lead to join their global SAP S/4HANA transformation program. This role is responsible for leading the planning, coordination, and execution of Procure-to-Pay (P2P) deployment activities, ensuring the successful rollout of procurement and accounts payable processes, standardized business practices, and new ways of working across multiple business units and regions. The primary objective of this role is to ensure timely, high-quality, and low-risk deployments while maintaining business continuity within legacy systems during the transition to SAP S/4HANA. Acting as the key liaison between Procurement, Finance, Technology, Operations, and business stakeholders, the Source-to-Pay Deployment Lead will ensure that global process designs are successfully implemented, deployment milestones are achieved, defects are effectively managed, and local business readiness is established to support a successful go-live. This is a contractual role which will run through 2026, with likelihood of extension well into 2027. The candidate must be flexible to work in the client’s preferred working hours, which will be the CEST time zone., * Develop comprehensive deployment plans, including project scope, milestones, resource requirements, and risk mitigation strategies.

• Translate global business process designs into practical site-level deployment plans and user adoption strategies.

• Coordinate cross-functional business and technical teams to ensure successful and timely implementation across all deployment phases.

• Track project status, identify risks, escalate blockers, and communicate progress to stakeholders.

• Own the defect management process throughout testing by triaging issues and working closely with ITS and System Integrator teams to ensure timely resolution.

• Monitor legacy system initiatives throughout the deployment period while ensuring delivery quality and minimizing operational disruption.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Direct Procurement and Procure-to-Pay process-related activities.

• Act as the business representative for Direct Materials deployment activities with local implementation teams, including Plant Managers and Supply Chain leaders.

• Lead and coordinate User Acceptance Testing (UAT) activities for Direct Materials processes.

• Validate complex SAP scenarios including:

• Subcontracting

• Consignment

• Quality Inspection integration

• Ensure SAP system readiness by actively participating in testing rather than solely coordinating activities.

• Support Train-the-Trainer initiatives across deployment sites.

• Ensure Key Users understand new SAP S/4HANA transactions and successfully transition from legacy business processes to standardized SAP processes.

• Monitor deployment performance, KPIs, compliance levels, and identify continuous improvement opportunities.

• Drive issue resolution during deployment, hypercare, and stabilization phases.

• Ensure a smooth transition from project implementation to Business-as-Usual (BAU) support teams.

• Defect closure rate during System Integration Testing (SIT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT), with a target of zero critical defects before Go-Live.

• Stakeholder satisfaction and confidence regarding communication, deployment support, and overall project execution.

• Strong collaboration across Procurement, Finance, Accounts Payable, and IT functions to ensure alignment on standardized business processes.

• Minimum 8+ years of experience in Direct Procurement, Material Management, or Procure-to-Pay (P2P) environments.

• Proven experience supporting or leading SAP implementation projects, preferably SAP S/4HANA deployments.

• Demonstrated experience delivering successful rollout and deployment projects with a clear understanding of common implementation challenges and mitigation strategies.

• Strong understanding of Direct Procurement Procure-to-Pay business processes.

• Hands-on experience working within SAP MM/PP, including the ability to navigate SAP transactions such as:

• MRP analysis (MD04)

• Purchase Order message outputs

• Experience using Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) tools such as:

• Jira

• VERA

• ServiceNow

• Experience managing testing activities, defects, and issue resolution.

• Knowledge of process mapping techniques, data analysis, and root cause analysis methodologies.

• Ability to review, interpret, and refine Signavio process maps to ensure alignment between business processes and SAP system functionality.

• Ability to translate large volumes of technical information, defects, and project updates into concise executive-level status reports.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively across technical and business audiences.

• Ability to drive business readiness, user adoption, and successful SAP S/4HANA deployments.