IT Global Process Owner- Purchasing (SAP & Oracle)

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Global ERP Director the Global Process Owner (GPO) for Purchasing is responsible for the global governance, standardization, optimization, and continuous improvement of enterprise Purchasing and Source-to-Pay (S2P) processes across SAP and Oracle ERP platforms.

The GPO serves as the executive owner of purchasing business processes, ensuring global process standardization, compliance, and adoption while enabling business objectives through effective use of technology. This role partners closely with Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, IT, and regional business leaders to establish and maintain a common global process framework and ERP template.

The GPO is accountable for process performance, business requirements, governance, process design decisions, and the successful deployment of purchasing capabilities across all regions and business units.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Global Process Owner has primary responsibility for governance and continuous improvement of global Purchasing and Source-to-Pay processes and supporting ERP solutions. In this role, the GPO is expected to:

Process Ownership & Governance
•    Own the global Purchasing and Source-to-Pay process strategy across SAP and Oracle environments.
•    Establish and maintain global process standards, policies, procedures, and controls.
•    Govern global ERP templates and process designs to ensure consistency across business units and regions.
•    Chair process governance reviews and approve or reject deviations from approved global standards.
•    Ensure alignment between business objectives and ERP functionality.
•    Drive process harmonization initiatives across acquisitions, divestitures, and transformation programs.
•    Establish and monitor process compliance and audit requirements.

Business Process Leadership
•    Act as the global business authority for Purchasing processes across the enterprise.
•    Define future-state process designs and roadmaps.
•    Facilitate cross-functional alignment among Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, and IT organizations.
•    Lead process improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, cost reduction, compliance, supplier performance, and user experience.
•    Resolve global process design conflicts and make timely decisions regarding process standards.
•    Ensure that process changes support enterprise-wide objectives rather than local optimization.

SAP & Oracle ERP Ownership
•    Govern Purchasing-related functionality within SAP and Oracle ERP solutions.
•    Ensure consistent deployment and utilization of purchasing capabilities across all implementations and enhancement projects.
•    Collaborate with ERP functional teams to prioritize business requirements and system enhancements.
•    Evaluate proposed configuration changes and ensure compatibility with the global template.
•    Partner with IT and business teams to define solution architectures supporting purchasing operations.
•    Support ERP upgrades, migrations, integrations, and digital transformation initiatives.

Procurement Excellence
•    Drive best practices across: 
o    Strategic sourcing
o    Requisitioning
o    Purchase order management
o    Supplier onboarding and maintenance
o    Contract management
o    Supplier collaboration
o    Spend management
•    Promote standardization of supplier and purchasing master data.
•    Establish governance for purchasing policies and approval workflows.
•    Drive initiatives to maximize procurement efficiency and spend visibility.

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Procurement, Operations Management, Finance, Information Systems, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Purchasing, Procurement, or Source-to-Pay processes.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in process ownership, business transformation, ERP implementation, or procurement excellence.
• Deep expertise in purchasing operations within a global manufacturing organization.
• Experience with SAP Purchasing solutions (MM, ECC Procurement or equivalent).
• Experience with Oracle EBS Procurement, or other Oracle purchasing solutions.
• Proven experience leading global process standardization and governance initiatives.
• Experience supporting global ERP implementations, upgrades, or transformation programs.
• Strong understanding of procurement controls, compliance requirements, and supplier management practices.

Skills

Strong knowledge of:
•    Procure-to-Pay (P2P)
•    Strategic Sourcing
•    Supplier Relationship Management
•    Contract Management
•    Purchase Requisition Management
•    Purchase Order Processing
•    Supplier Performance Management
•    Master Data Governance
•    ERP Governance and Change Control

Language Skills
•    Fluent in English (written and verbal)
•    Additional languages are desirable

Competencies
•    Enterprise-wide mindset with the ability to balance global standards and local business requirements.
•    Strong leadership presence and ability to influence without direct authority.
•    Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
•    Outstanding communication and presentation abilities.
•    Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
•    Proven change management and transformation leadership skills.
•    Strategic thinker with a continuous improvement mindset.
•    Ability to lead cross-functional global teams.
•    Results-driven and customer-focused.
•    Strong organizational and decision-making skills.
•    Ability to operate effectively in a complex, global environment.