Job DescriptionThe
SAP Business Integration Lead will play a critical role in shaping Avient's global digital transformation journey by leading the design, delivery, and continuous improvement of SAP-enabled business processes. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership opportunity for an experienced SAP practitioner who has successfully led multiple full lifecycle implementations and thrives in complex, global environments. In this role, you will partner closely with business leaders, system integrators, functional experts, and internal IT teams to translate strategic priorities into scalable, sustainable SAP solutions. You will be expected to own outcomes, anticipate challenges, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive decisions that protect solution quality, program momentum, and long-term business value.
This role offers the opportunity to influence a global SAP transformation at scale, working at the intersection of technology, business process, and enterprise change. The successful candidate will have meaningful visibility to senior leaders, the ability to shape how global teams work, and the opportunity to build solutions that enable greater speed, consistency, and insight across Avient. If you are energized by solving complex problems, leading through ambiguity, and creating lasting business value through SAP, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact.
ResponsibilitiesEssential Functions- Lead SAP implementation and transformation initiatives end-to-end, including discovery, blueprint/design, build, integration, testing, cutover, deployment, hypercare, and continuous improvement across ECC and/or S/4HANA environments.
- Serve as a strategic partner and trusted bridge between business and IT, helping stakeholders make informed decisions on process design, scope, standardization, prioritization, and long-term SAP roadmap alignment.
- Challenge business and technical assumptions constructively to ensure project decisions support global process consistency, operational efficiency, scalability, and value realization.
- Facilitate global process workshops, requirement-gathering sessions, and fit/gap discussions; convert outcomes into clear functional specifications, design documentation, test scenarios, and implementation plans.
- Own solution quality and process fit by ensuring SAP configuration, enhancements, interfaces, and data approaches align with best practices and Avient's standardized global processes rather than perpetuating unnecessary customization.
- Proactively identify, assess, escalate, and resolve project risks, issues, dependencies, and decision points; maintain a disciplined approach to issue tracking and closure to prevent delays or downstream business impact.
- Direct and hold accountable system integrators, consultants, and third-party partners by reviewing deliverables, validating assumptions, ensuring commitments are met, and driving timely resolution of open items.
- Lead and coordinate testing cycles, including SIT, UAT, regression testing, integration testing, defect triage, business readiness validation, and executive status updates related to quality and risk.
- Plan and execute cutover and go-live activities, including data migration validation, business readiness, contingency planning, stakeholder communications, and post-go-live stabilization.
- Partner with change management, training, and business process owners to support adoption, knowledge transfer, and sustained capability within the organization.
- Mentor and guide analysts, functional team members, and business users, raising the overall SAP capability of the team while fostering accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business, Information Systems, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, or a related field required; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- 10-15 years of progressive SAP experience, including significant hands-on leadership of full lifecycle SAP implementations, transformations, upgrades, or major process redesign initiatives.
- Deep functional and process knowledge in one or more SAP domains such as Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, Plan to Produce, Finance, Warehouse/Logistics, Master Data, or related enterprise process areas.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex global initiatives with multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and high expectations for delivery, quality, and business continuity.
- Proactive ownership mindset with the ability to anticipate problems, surface risks early, drive accountability, and act decisively without waiting for direction.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex SAP concepts into clear business implications for leaders, process owners, and project teams.
- Courage to challenge business stakeholders, technical teams, and partners when a decision may put the project, process integrity, or solution quality at risk, while maintaining trust and strong working relationships.
- Relentless issue-resolution orientation with a disciplined approach to tracking, prioritizing, communicating, and closing open items.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to understand the "why" behind requirements and align technical decisions to measurable business outcomes.
- Ability to remain decisive, calm, and solution-oriented under pressure, particularly during testing, cutover, go-live, and stabilization periods.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with SAP ECC or SAP S/4HANA transformation approaches, including greenfield, brownfield, or selective data transition strategies.
- SAP certification(s) in relevant module(s), SAP Activate methodology, project management, or related enterprise transformation disciplines.
- Experience in manufacturing, chemicals, specialty materials, distribution, or other complex global operating environments.
- Familiarity with SAP integrations to surrounding systems such as MES, PLM, EDI, middleware, analytics, planning tools, warehouse systems, or customer/supplier platforms.
- Experience working with global process owners, shared services, regional business teams, and external implementation partners in a matrixed environment.
