IT Specialist - SAP Infrastructure & Platforms

About the Role

This is a critical technical role within our newly established IT team in Belfast, instrumental in ensuring the stability, performance, and security of our SAP landscape. You will be the on-site digital/IM representative for infrastructure and platform activities, providing a vital link between our local Belfast operations and the central SAP ERP Centre of Excellence (CoE) focusing specifically on platforms. Initially, you will be heavily involved in the 2-3 year transition period, during which the business will be using existing IT tools and services provided by the current supplier. A key aspect of your role will be to assess the service we are receiving, contributing to the tracking and management of service performance in partnership with them. You will also work alongside the current supplier's IT team as they implement a new SAP S/4HANA system. Critically, you will need to strategically influence and ensure this S/4HANA implementation is configured in a way that facilitates an easier migration to a future SAP solution owned directly by us. This means looking beyond the immediate transition, understanding the bigger picture, and driving decisions that align with our long-term objectives. Beyond this, you will play a crucial role in maintaining and optimizing our SAP environment, ensuring high reliability, availability, and performance as we evolve our IT landscape. This position offers a unique opportunity to apply deep technical SAP expertise, lead key projects and activities, and contribute strategically to the success of our manufacturing ramp-up in a dynamic environment undergoing significant transformation.

Location: Belfast, United Kingdom (On-site)

Reporting To: Site IT Manager (with a dotted line to the Central SAP ERP CoE - Platforms)

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Influence & Future Planning: Actively engage with the current supplier's S/4HANA implementation team to understand the system setup and influence decisions that will enable a smoother migration to a future SAP solution owned by Airbus.
• Service Performance Management (Transition Period): During the transition, you will assess the IT services received from the existing supplier and contribute to the tracking and management of their service performance in collaboration with them.
• Project & Activity Leadership: Take the lead on various infrastructure and platform-related projects and activities, ensuring successful delivery and alignment with strategic goals.
• SAP System Administration & Monitoring: Administer and maintain multiple SAP instances (development, test, and production) within the SAP environment. Proactively monitor system health, performance, and stability.
• HANA Landscape Administration: Administer and monitor the SAP HANA landscape, ensuring optimal performance and availability.
• Change Management & Transport: Coordinate and manage end-to-end change management and transport processes within the SAP landscape, ensuring adherence to structured approaches that minimize risk.
• Incident Management: Coordinate and follow end-to-end incident management for SAP infrastructure and platform related issues, ensuring timely resolution and minimal disruption.
• System Configuration & Interfaces: Support the configuration of Basis settings, interface creation, and Data Dictionary (DDIC) changes, ensuring technical alignment with business processes.
• Technical Architecture & Best Practices: Develop a deep understanding of the business processes and technical architecture of the SAP landscape. Define and champion SAP best practices and 'Golden Rules' for system operations and development.
• Performance Tuning: Conduct functional and technical performance tuning of existing SAP systems to optimize efficiency and responsiveness.
• SAP Security: Implement and maintain SAP system security parameters and related processes to ensure the permanent security of the environment.
• Upgrade & Patch Management: Contribute to planning and executing upgrades and patches within SAP systems, ensuring smooth transitions and minimal impact.
• Collaboration & Liaison: Provide the critical link between Belfast local teams and the central SAP ERP CoE (Platforms), ensuring effective communication and alignment on technical requirements and solutions.
• Consulting & Technical Delivery: Provide proven technical delivery and operational support on SAP technology, acting as an internal consultant to ensure optimal system performance and reliability.
• Transition Support: Actively participate in the SAP S/4HANA implementation by the current supplier, focusing on infrastructure and platform implications, and contributing to the 'Day 2' separation strategy.

Skills & Experience (Not all essential)

• Proven experience in SAP Basis administration and system management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects and activities within a technical IT environment.
• Strong understanding and hands-on experience with change management and transport processes within SAP.
• Experience in coordinating and managing end-to-end incident resolution for complex SAP environments.
• Proficiency in monitoring and configuring SAP Basis settings, interface creation, and DDIC changes.
• Demonstrable experience in the administration and monitoring of SAP HANA landscapes.
• Solid understanding of the technical architecture of SAP landscapes and how they support business processes.
• Experience in defining and implementing SAP best practices.
• Familiarity with SAP system security parameters and their implementation.
• Ability to perform functional and technical performance tuning on SAP systems.
• Knowledge of upgrade processes within SAP systems.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to step back, see the big picture, and influence long-term technical direction.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of translating technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborative mindset, adept at working in multi-functional and international teams.

Ideal Skills & Experience

• Hands-on experience with SAP ABAP development, debugging, and functional support.
• Proven consulting background in providing both technical delivery and operations on SAP technology.
• Understanding of legacy non-SAP systems not yet migrated onto SAP S/4HANA (e.g., Maximo, Class, SGM).

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company: Airbus Operations Limited

Employment Type: Permanent

Experience Level: Professional

Job Family: Digital

By submitting your CV or application you are consenting to Airbus using and storing information about you for monitoring purposes relating to your application or future employment. This information will only be used by Airbus. Airbus is committed to achieving workforce diversity and creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome all applications irrespective of social and cultural background, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Airbus is, and always has been, committed to equal opportunities for all. As such, we will never ask for any type of monetary exchange in the frame of a recruitment process. Any impersonation of Airbus to do so should be reported to emsom@airbus.com. At Airbus, we support you to work, connect and collaborate more easily and flexibly. Wherever possible, we foster flexible working arrangements to stimulate innovative thinking.