Customer Success and Delivery - Market unit Head, Japan

Customer Success & Delivery (CS&D) Market Unit Head is a senior leader responsible for implementing the agreed CS&D strategy in their Market Unit. They have overall accountability at country level for managing a wide spectrum of services delivery ranging from expert consulting- cloudified services, premium engagements to innovation services and solutions in a holistic manner. This leader has a strong emphasis on customer success and delivery excellence in combination with a focus on managing the P&L for their results (revenue and margin) whilst maintaining employee trust and engagement.

This leader represents the CS&D organization in customer interactions, with a focus on C-Level, partner ecosystem, public events, and SAP-internal activities within their Market Unit.

The successful Head of CS&D has a clear understanding of SAP strategy, current priorities and strategic aspirations, and transforms them into an actionable plan, organize and inspire their organization to execute and implement the strategy. Further, this role will actively focus to drive Clean Core for our customers and rally around the AI agenda ardently- in line with the SAP strategy.

With the qualifications, experience and business acumen in managing a diverse and territorially distributed team in a matrix structure, and managing relationships with senior external and internal stakeholders, this person can manage a regional Profit and Loss (P&L) of more than € xx m, as a portfolio of engagements that are strategically aligned and agreed within each Market Unit.

The leader has overall accountability for their delivery portfolio performance month-on-month, year-on-year. They ensure that all Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are understood and consistently cascaded down to their teams. These are tracked and managed in accordance with the established governance framework and cadence. Where targets are identified as being at risk, the CS&D Market Unit Head works directly with their Market Unit Business Managers to define and drive improvement initiatives to achieve them.

A competent and recognized people manager, the CS&D Market Unit Head coaches and develops their team to reach their full potential and achieve personal success. 

Key Areas of Responsibility and Tasks

Leadership

• Understand the SAP strategy and communicate a clear vision of the future: discuss, explain and actively promote the vision within their market unit and to their customers
• Align the CS&D strategy to their Market Unit and drive adoption across all segments
• Act as a member of the Market Unit and regional management teams. Represent SAP and CS&D in internal and external events, partner and customer interactions
• Strong leader at both the strategic and tactical levels, sees and articulates the bigger picture
• Sound knowledge of the SAP market and competition; a strong negotiator who has experience in ensuring customer success and reference - ability as well as supporting profitability targets
• Solid understanding of the operational and financial aspects of running a services business. P&L awareness and ownership
• Create trusted relationships with strategic customers and partners
• Solid understanding of the innovation technologies landscape and trends. Ability to cover those topics in public events and C-Level customer conversations.

Delivery Excellence and Management

• Executional Excellence: Ability to consistently achieve results and exceed targets
• Champion an environment where the Market Unit Business Managers are transparent in providing oversight across all engagements, from the initial bid process to project completion, by working closely with their direct reports, License Sales, Services Sales, Delivery Management Office, and other stakeholders
• Understanding of the SAP implementation principles in different methodologies and able to articulate this clearly to customers
• Tightly monitor Market Unit revenue, margin and contribution, take corrective action to ensure commitments are met. Monitoring profit dilution, correct distribution of revenue and costs, including distributed and undistributed revenue
• Evaluate complex situations accurately and identify viable solutions that create successful and predictable outcomes for their engagements and customers, balancing SAP objectives

Operational Excellence

• Ensure transparency and predictability of the business on all levels. Maintain highest standards of business integrity and compliance
• Ensure tracking and realization of the financial targets and other KPIs at each level of the P&L within the Market Unit down to individual levels
• Workforce Management including Supply, Demand and Forecast Management.  Effective resource planning and allocation across their accounts – matching the right capability and skills to the right customer engagement
• Understand Partner Management aspects relevant to their Market Unit and individual customers and assist with implementation of partner management strategy
   

Sales and Business Development

• Develop a clear and structured Go-to-Market strategy for the Market Unit
• Grow the business together with Customer Success teams within the Market Unit by identifying opportunities, scoping customer needs, and deploying solutions that will meet the expected outcomes
• Collaborate with Service Portfolio Management and drive the success of new service offerings and delivery models

Team management, Coaching & Mentoring

• Develop and execute the people agenda aligned with the SAP strategy and CS&D priorities
• Set clear team goals that are directly linked to their MU goals
• Monitor team performance and report on metrics with clarity and consistency
• Recognize high performance and reward accomplishments through the SAP programs offered
• Serve as mentor / advisor / decision-maker to leaders within your Market Unit for issues related to corporate politics, external politics, client relations, and delivery excellence

• In-depth understanding of SAP’s strategy and market position
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making skills
• Profound understanding of Digital Transformation and its impact on customer business and the relevant vendors such as SAP
• Demonstrate a high level of maturity and self-confidence in order to interact with high-level executives, inside and outside the company and often in a boardroom environment
• Strong process-orientation and organizational change skills
• Outstanding communication and networking skills
• High ambition, drive for, and focus on results and execution
• Experience managing a geographically and culturally diverse team
• High level of flexibility, integrity, and confidentiality
• Excellent verbal and written language skills in English 
• Be an excellent listener and communicator capable of articulating and simplifying complex situations with a focus on action both verbally and in writing. Ability to utilize a combination of formal authority and persuasion skill sets to invoke action
• Liaison and consultative skills: negotiating and conflict management skills
• Excellent time management and priority management, especially is distressed periods and situations
• Ability to train, mentor and develop team members in portfolio, program and project management methodologies and their application

Experience & Language Requirements

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, enduring focus on Customer Success and experience in engaging with the C-suite
• Proven experience in successfully leading cross functional teams without authority / in a matrix construct
• Experience with managing a sizeable P&L
• Experience in leading and managing a diverse and territorially distributed team in a matrix structure
• The ideal candidate will have relevant and current experience with running a professional services organization in SAP environment. This must include SAP’s newer technologies
• Proven ability to drive delivery execution within their area of responsibility, proficiency in aligning cross-topic objectives and approaches within a matrixed organisation
• Solid knowledge of key SAP solutions and respective industry business process understanding

Languages

• English: Fluent

Education

• Bachelor degree or equivalent work experience
• MBA highly desirable