Project Manager – Demand Management    £60k+bonusLocation: Crawley

This role ensures the integrity of all demand management processes within the SAP/APO platforms by providing global direction, cohesion and consistency to demand management processes from beginning to end. The role has a broad scope since it includes the pulling together of processes from cross-functional areas, as well as other bespoke systems. The role includes staff responsibility for one team member.

Purpose of the role• Design, develop, implement and support best practice for world-class, global demand management processes and procedures applicable to Edwards Limited line of business through investigation of customer needs, current practices and best practice.• Maintain the integrity of the APO demand management system processes and ensure support issues are resolved in line with the defined global process.• To provide input to the business on best practice application and operation of demand management systems.• To provide clear ownership of the technical solution behind all the demand management processes and the associated master data processes, enabling process improvements to be realised.

The ideal Project Manager - Demand Management will have extensive experience in:

• Multiple APO DP implementations.• SAP APO 7.• SAP ECC 6.• SAP BW.• Working in a manufacturing environment, with complicated distribution and freight planning.• Experience in APO configuration and BW/BO reporting architecture.• Strong written and spoken communication with the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation and System Integrators to articulate proposed solutions and impacts.• Strong consultancy experience in APO planning modules.• Excellent consulting skills with the ability to understand business requirements and translate these in to viable solutions within the SAP Solution Footprint (Blueprinting, writing of functional specifications, testing).

Systems development• Manage the configuration and development of the required enhancements to the SAP/APO systems functionality and the implementation of consistent system processes globally. Specific responsibility for the core modules of DP, BW and associated master data.• Medium term objective is also to take a number of bespoke systems and bring them under the SAP/APO umbrella.• Maintain & update documentation of systems, processes, procedures and training materials resulting from enhancements and developments.• Works in tandem with the Business Process Manager to agree the pipeline of work, the priorities, the different delivery phases and the change management required.• Work closely with supply planning and service logistics teams to collect the functional requirements of the planning systems, and design and deliver a viable solution.• Identify and deliver initiatives that will provide continuous improvement of the global demand management processes, procedures and systems.• Provide APO expertise and advice to the business community with respect to changing business requirements to ensure the system continues to support the reporting requirements.

Systems support• A key requirement of the role is to ensure that global users are provided with a satisfactory level of support such that the Demand Planners and regional sales teams are able to leverage the functionality of the system. This third line-support role will be providing the expert knowledge to a few key subject matter experts.• This support includes break-fix as well as process improvement support to a level that is manageable within the priorities of implementation and improvement.• Manage the third party outsourced technical resource based in India to ensure changes being made to the SAP/APO systems meet the global design for Edwards Limited.• Ensure Sarbanes Oxley controls are maintained within our control system which is used to manage all system changes to the SAP/APO production systems. Ensure adequate approval is given for all changes and each change is assessed to ensure cross functional impacts are assessed. Ensure adequate testing, including cross functional testing, is fully carried out and documented.

Knowledge, skills, experience required• Graduate, with ideally 10 years' experience in a commercial organisation.• Experience in the implementation/development of APO Demand Planning, with knowledge of corresponding ECC and planning systems.• Experience in change management and project management.• Strong computer literacy, with experience in using, configuring, managing and implementing APO systems.• Strong interpersonal skills are a necessity. Specifically must be an excellent team player forming strong working relationships within the IT function and the business community, have excellent listening and oral communication skills, be persuasive and assertive, be plausible and effective when dealing with senior managers.

Principal accountabilities• Accountable for reporting status and progress for ongoing support, enhancements and developments. Includes coordination of the cross functional processes.• Understand in detail the way each relevant business process operates, and how the solutions enable those processes.• Accountable for preparing, implementing and maintaining the documentation of the each solution, mapping to back to the equivalent business process. • Ensure adequate, documented controls are followed with regards system changes to ECC and APO.• Keep abreast of changing internal business strategies and structures. • Identify and implement process changes and improvements in order to maintain/improve the relevance of information systems and processes.

Nature and scope• Will be a member of the Global IT (Information Technology) team, working closely with the business process managers, and must be highly regarded by business management. • Will have to acquire a good knowledge of the business operations and the relevant systems processes and procedures.• Will be the Demand Management team lead for the SAP team and in that position will have a reporting line into the IT Business Process Manager. • Is responsible for Demand Management developments of SAP/APO and ongoing support.• Close integration will be required with the cross functional team leads.

The role is international in scope and therefore a level of travel is vital to its success. It is not expected that international travel will make up more than 2 each year.

Goals to be achievedImplementation:• Meet and build relationships with key subject matter experts and business process owners in each region.• Investigate and understand processes in each region and division.• Design, configure and test solutions to global processes.• Managing implementation of projects within agreed resources and timescales.• Contribute to the re-alignment of enabling function roles and responsibilities to the global organisational structure.

Continuous improvement:• Address the changing needs of the business, identify and create solution for new business processes.• Design and implement solution monitoring mechanisms to identify weaknesses and guide future development needs.• Maintain contact with internal customers to promote best understanding and use of the systems.• Attend relevant seminar and training events to keep abreast of world-class practice.