SAP Planning Team Lead at BG Group

Reference Number ADV0137

SAP Planning Team Lead

Closing date for applications 14 February 2010 Country United Kingdom City Reading Function/Discipline Global IT & Technology Employment Category This is a permanent role This role is offered on local conditions Working Hours Standard hours apply Full/Part-Time Full Time Number of Roles Available 1 Salary Competitive salary and excellent benefits

The Organisation BG Advance is one of the major business divisions of BG Group providing the functional and technical excellence that supports all our activities. With a firm emphasis on developing best practice and improved standards and capabilities, BG Advance keeps us at the cutting edge of industry performance as we focus on our business objectives and long-term plans.

Position Summary This is a role in the Global IT and Technology organisation, fulfilling the position of SAP Planning Team Lead for the Corporate Business Solutions team. The position provides an opportunity for the successful candidate to join BG’s SAP Centre of Excellence taking on a leadership role within the SAP Planning support team being an SAP Planning subject matter expert, in particular with respect to BG’s design. The SAP Planning Team Lead will be responsible for the management of all SAP Planning configuration, change and support activities, including supervising and providing direction to both permanent and contract staff within the group. The main team activities include performing business analysis and gathering business requirements for SAP Planning changes and projects before configuring appropriate solutions; ensuring suitable consideration is given to global impact, change management, strategic fit and on-going support in order to deliver a world class solution.

Key Accountabilities Accountabilities specific to this role: • Management of all SAP Planning support activities • Make authoritative recommendations related to SAP Planning within Solution & Service Development and provide professional IT&T solutions within this functional area • Line management responsibility for a team of BG Group professional staff , lead, motivate, develop and appraise team members so that their individual and collective performance is of the required standard and meets the current and future needs of the business • Make recommendations to improve best practice and tools within the area of SAP Planning support for Global IT&T • Provide expert analytical advice and consultancy, advising on solutions for business decisions, determine the application of policy in the absence of precedent with a view to achieving consistency of application • Provide advice on IT&T policy and processes for SAP Planning and manage all issues within this area of expertise • Identify and manage SAP Planning configuration dependencies between different projects • Recognise and evaluate potential issues/opportunities and take appropriate action • Define standardised business processes and performing gap analysis and providing alternate solutions • Contribute to the negotiation of SLAs for the delivery of SAP Planning support services with BG business • Translate business requirements and processes into solutions within SAP Planning • Day to day management of contractor resources • Ensure compliance with the BG HSSE policy and taking a proactive approach to HSSE

Unique Knowledge, Skills, Experience and Attribute Incumbent should have the following professional experience: • Must have significant SAP implementation experience with expert knowledge and strong configuration skills in the planning solutions, including: o Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC) o OutlookSoft • Prefer to have knowledge of: o BI Integrated Planning (BI-IP) o Business Planning and Simulation (BW-BPS/SEM-BPS) • Has completed a minimum of 1-3 full cycle implementations in a planning environment with at least SAP SEM or ideally SAP NetWeaver 2004s • Experienced in leading and managing SAP support teams • Has completed at least one complete global SAP life cycle project • Experience in all phases of IT projects that are large and complex • Candidates who are SAP certified, have experience of IS-OIL or who have worked in the energy sector would have a distinct advantage • Ideally had some consulting experience during their careers. The key for this role is ambition to match BG’s expanding footprint, dynamism and enthusiasm to be a self-starter with strong customer-facing skills as well as a combination of functional SAP Planning and business skills • Must strong business acumen and hands-on operational experience in the following areas: o Financial planning o Performance management o Financial management o Information management The candidate would preferably possess: • A degree or equivalent in a related subject • Professional knowledge in a financial planning arena, supported by professional accreditation is preferred Incumbent should also have the following professional and personal skills for this role: • Must have good analytical, interpersonal skills and communication skills and be able to work with all parts of the business • The ability to manage successful relationships, influence stakeholders and share knowledge effectively • People Management skills • Facilitation Skills to run successful workshops • The ability to build, maintain and manage customer expectations and relationships • Project management skills and methodology (preferably ASAP) and knowledge of SAP Solution Manager will be an advantage • Working knowledge and integration experience with other SAP modules such as FI/CO and BI will be looked upon highly • The ability to contribute to operational debates, identify and address future opportunities and challenges • Must be a team player, demonstrate the ability and willingness to support colleagues and work in a way which ensures correct procedures are followed and that a clear audit trail is maintained • Be decisive, focus on priorities, demonstrate high engagement levels and communicate upwards with no surprises • Overcome challenges in remote working such as overseas locations, cultural differences, split time-zones to ensure positive interactions

Additional Information for External Candidates BG Group values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities; applications are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates.   Please note that after the closing date you will no longer be able to apply for the vacancy. The specific time of closing is midnight UK time on the date displayed. BG Group also reserves the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date without prior notice Apply here