SAP AMS Lead

Advises, leads and works on high impact activities within the systems development lifecycle, and provides advisory work for the IT function itself.

The SAP AMS Lead is responsible for overseeing the Application Management Services (AMS) function for SAP landscapes across ECC, S/4HANA, and integrated solutions. The role ensures the stability, performance, and continuous improvement of SAP systems while managing incidents, problems, service requests, enhancements, and small projects. This position requires strong SAP functional/technical expertise, leadership skills, and stakeholder management to align AMS operations with business objectives and SLAs.

Key Responsibilities:

Service Delivery & Operations

Lead and manage day-to-day SAP AMS operations across multiple SAP modules (FI, CO, MM, SD, PP, PM, HR, Basis, ABAP, etc.).

Ensure adherence to ITIL-based AMS processes (Incident, Problem, Change, Service Request Management).

Monitor SLA/KPI performance and drive improvements to meet or exceed contractual obligations.

Oversee system health, performance, batch jobs, transports, and integration points.

Team Leadership & People Management

Lead a team of SAP consultants (onshore/offshore), providing guidance, mentoring, and career development.

Allocate work effectively across L1, L2, and L3 support levels, ensuring resource optimization.

Foster a culture of accountability, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.

Conduct regular governance and team performance reviews.

Stakeholder & Business Engagement

Act as the primary point of contact for business stakeholders for AMS topics.

Translate business priorities into AMS support objectives.

Manage escalations and communicate proactively with business and IT leadership.

Partner with SI/vendor resources for escalated or specialized support.

Continuous Improvement & Transformation

Identify recurring issues and drive problem management to reduce incidents.

Implement automation, monitoring tools, and proactive maintenance to reduce manual effort.

Collaborate with business and project teams to ensure smooth transition of projects into AMS (KT, documentation, stabilization).

Drive adoption of SAP best practices, S/4HANA features, and clean core principles in the AMS landscape.

Governance & Compliance

Conduct regular AMS governance meetings (weekly/monthly) with business and IT leadership.

Ensure compliance with audit, SOX, security, and data privacy requirements.

Manage AMS financials including cost optimization, capacity planning, and vendor contracts.

Prepare performance dashboards and reports for leadership visibility.

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or related field.

Background on Sales/Solutioning and Consulting 10+ years of overall SAP experience with at least 35 years in AMS leadership or service delivery management.

Strong background in at least 12 SAP functional modules (e.g., FI/CO, MM, SD) or technical areas (Basis, ABAP).

Experience managing AMS operations for SAP ECC and/or S/4HANA; knowledge of integration with SAP Ariba, Coupa, SuccessFactors, or other SaaS solutions is a plus.

Familiarity with ITIL practices; ITIL certification preferred.

Prior experience working with offshore delivery models and global teams.

Strong vendor management and contract negotiation experience.

Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.

Key Competencies

Leadership & Influence: Ability to lead global teams and manage stakeholders across business and IT.

Service-Oriented Mindset: Focused on delivering stable, efficient, and cost-effective SAP operations.

Analytical Thinking: Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.

Change Agility: Ability to manage AMS during SAP transformation journeys (e.g., ECC to S/4HANA migration).

Strategic Mindset: Ability to balance run operations with continuous improvement and innovation.

Additional Information:

This position is based at our Manila office.