Senior Strategic Supplier Management Lead; m​/f​/d

We help the world run better At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong.

What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

The Technology, Supplier Management & Governance (TSG) team is the engine room of SAP’s Global Procurement Organization. We connect policies, processes, systems, and data into a coherent Source-to-Pay (S2P) landscape. Our mission is to keep procurement efficient, compliant, and user-friendly while driving innovation through AI, advanced analytics, and Free Cash Flow optimization. As we transition to Nex Gen Ariba and implement agentic AI, TSG is where procurement governance meets digital transformation.

We are seeking an experienced and visionary professional to join our Global Procurement Organization as the (Senior) Strategic Supplier Management Lead (f/m/d). In this pivotal role, you will take ownership of our strategic supplier management program, building on the existing framework to create a highly strategic and impactful approach. Your work will enable Vice Presidents and Category Managers to apply the framework effectively across procurement categories — driving commercial benefits, enhancing sustainability impact, and identifying opportunities for co‑innovation and ensure that our technical landscape—centered on SAP Ariba SLP and the SAP Business Network
—supports a seamless, data‑driven journey for both users and suppliers.

• Develop and implement supplier relationship and performance management strategies aligned with SAP’s business objectives.
• Drive the business and process design for supplier management as part of the multi‑year Nex Gen Ariba implementation program.
• Integrate supplier assessment tools (e.g., Integrity Next, Eco Vadis, Process Unity) into the supplier lifecycle to enable compliance and sustainability within our supplier base.
• Partner with the AI leads to implement the Supplier Management AI Agent
  , unifying data to track performance and monitor risk automatically.

• Identify and drive partnerships to foster supplier‑enabled innovation.
• Leverage SAP technologies (e.g., SAP Ariba) to streamline supplier management processes and enable co‑innovation.

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership.
• Drive enablement: facilitate trainings, support VP and Category Manager guidance needs, and ensure program adoption across the organization.

The ideal candidate brings a strong background in supplier management and procurement technology, including:

• Proven experience in implementing, coordinating, and running supplier management programs across multiple business units or categories.
• Hands‑on experience with procurement solutions such as SAP Ariba
  , particularly in areas like Supplier Lifecycle & Performance (SLP), Supplier Risk, or Guided Buying enablement.
• A background in management consulting or system implementation is highly preferred, specifically in leading large‑scale procurement transformations.
• Demonstrated ability to design or evolve supplier management processes and governance frameworks.
• Experience engaging senior stakeholders (VP level and above) with strong communication and influencing skills.
• A passion for process excellence, technology‑enabled procurement, and best‑practice supplier engagement.
• Ability to use tools like Signavio and SAC/BDC reporting to reveal process bottlenecks and drive automation.

SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end‑to‑end business application software and related…