SAP S/4HANA Development Lead (12-Month Contract)
Global FMCG - London (3 Days Onsite per Week)
A leading global FMCG organisation is seeking an experienced SAP S/4HANA Development Lead to play a pivotal role in a major ERP transformation programme, transitioning from ECC to S/4HANA. This senior leadership position is suited to a technical expert who has recently led or delivered S/4HANA implementations and is committed to building a clean, future-ready digital core.
The role is accountable for shaping the end-to-end development strategy, leading global development teams, and ensuring high-quality delivery of custom applications, extensions, and integrations across a complex, multinational FMCG landscape. This programme will form the foundation of global operations for many years ahead, offering a significant opportunity to influence architecture and drive modernisation.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategy
Serve as the Development Lead for the global S/4HANA transformation, owning the application development workstream.
Translate the programme roadmap into a clear development and delivery strategy aligned with business and architectural requirements.
Define and enforce clean core principles, custom code strategy, and governance frameworks for development, testing, and transport management.
Work closely with Enterprise Architecture, Functional, and Integration teams to maximise standardisation, reuse, and innovation.
Technical Delivery
Oversee all custom development across the S/4HANA ecosystem, including in-app and side-by-side extensions.
Manage interfaces, APIs, and integrations using SAP BTP, CPI, and related tools.
Lead SAP Fiori/UI5 application development and modern UX enablement.
Drive custom code remediation and optimisation from ECC to S/4HANA, including CDS views, ABAP on HANA, and ABAP Cloud.
Lead and manage a global development factory (internal and offshore teams) to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.
Apply Agile and DevOps practices, enabling iterative development, automated testing, and continuous deployment.
Governance, Compliance & Quality
Ensure all development complies with GxP, SOX, and GDPR requirements within a regulated FMCG environment.
Establish coding standards, review processes, and automated testing frameworks (e.g., ABAP Unit, ATC).
Partner with QA and Validation teams to ensure deliverables meet regulatory and audit standards.
Maintain full documentation and traceability across the SDLC.
Stakeholder Management
Act as the primary development point of contact within the S/4HANA programme.
Collaborate with business process owners, functional teams, and integration partners to translate requirements into robust technical designs.
Communicate risks, issues, progress, and dependencies to programme leadership and stakeholders.
Mentor global development teams, fostering capability growth and collaboration.
Continuous Improvement
Champion modernisation through SAP BTP, Fiori, automation, and best-practice engineering techniques.
Drive system performance tuning and post-go-live optimisation.
Support knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across SAP development teams.
Qualifications & Experience
Essential
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field.
10+ years of SAP technical experience, including recent leadership of S/4HANA implementation workstreams.
Expertise in:
ABAP on HANA, CDS, AMDP, OData
SAP Fiori/UI5 development and extensibility
SAP BTP, CPI, and modern integration patterns
Custom code remediation and optimisation for ECC to S/4HANA transformation
Strong understanding of clean core strategy and global development leadership.
Experience working in regulated industries such as FMCG, food, pharma, or consumer health.
Strong knowledge of SAP development tools (Eclipse), SAP Solution Manager or Cloud ALM, transport and release management, and DevOps toolchains.
Desirable
SAP certifications in ABAP for S/4HANA, SAP BTP, or Fiori.
Experience with SAP Activate and Agile methodologies.
Familiarity with MES, PLM, LIMS, and external manufacturing system integrations.
Exposure to data migration tools such as LTMC or BODS.
Experience in multi-country, multi-entity environments with complex supply chains.
Awareness of emerging AI and automation capabilities in SAP development.
Key Competencies
Strategic and hands-on leadership within global transformation programmes.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
Confidence operating within a matrixed, multinational environment.
Commitment to quality, compliance, and business value delivery.
Why This Opportunity Stands Out
This is a rare chance to contribute to a major global FMCG S/4HANA transformation that will define operational capabilities for the next decade. The role offers exposure to leading-edge SAP technologies, complex global landscapes, and the opportunity to make a significant long-term impact.
