SAP Transformation Lead

Job Description:

Your Impact

Join Leonardo UK as an SAP Transformation Lead and play a pivotal role in reshaping the digital backbone of a leading defence organisation. This is a rare opportunity to lead a complex, enterprise-wide SAP transformation—driving innovation across engineering, manufacturing, and operations while ensuring the highest standards of security, performance, and compliance in a mission-critical environment.

You will take ownership of a major SAP upgrade programme, guiding the organisation from a legacy landscape to a future-ready platform aligned with long-term strategic goals. Working at the intersection of technology and business, you will define the transformation roadmap, lead solution design and integration across SAP, PLM, and MES systems, and enable a seamless digital thread that enhances visibility, efficiency, and decision-making across the enterprise.

In this role you will:

• Own and drive the end-to-end upgrade of the legacy SAP system (including all functions). Ownership of end-end business processes which impact on SAP (BD –Planning - Engineering- Manufacturing – Customer Support – Finance).
• Define and manage the upgrade strategy, including scope, deployment approach, risk mitigation, and resource planning.
• Lead technical assessment, solution design, data migration strategy, and cutover planning.
• Ensure all processes, custom code, and integrations are mapped, rationalised, or redesigned to meet future business needs.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year SAP technology roadmap aligned with business objectives and defence-industry compliance requirements, which is to include the system management of secret (or higher) parts or products in an operational environment.
• Identify opportunities for standardisation, process harmonisation, automation, and adoption of new SAP capabilities.
• Define governance frameworks for enhancement requests, prioritisation, and change control.
• Serve as the primary SAP interface with PLM and MES programme teams.
• Design and own the integration strategy between SAP, PLM, and MES to ensure seamless engineering, manufacturing, and supply-chain workflows.
• Ensure data alignment, Bill of Materials (BOM) synchronisation, configuration management, and traceability across systems (including secret parts or products).
• Champion end-to-end digital thread capability.
• Collaborate with Future Factory, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, IT Security, and Programme Leadership to define requirements and ensure solution alignment.
• Manage external partners and system integrators, ensuring delivery quality and adherence to standards.
• Communicate progress, relevant KPI’s, risks, and decisions to senior leader.
• Ensure all SAP solutions comply with defence-sector regulations, cybersecurity standards, export controls, and audit requirements.
• Establish high-quality documentation, system standards, and configuration controls.

What you'll bring

• Proven experience leading major SAP upgrade or S/4HANA transformation programmes.
• Expert knowledge of core SAP modules (e.g., PP, MM, QM, SD, FI/CO) and integration technologies (BAPIs, IDocs, APIs).
• Strong background in SAP integration with PLM and MES environments.
• Experience working in highly regulated or defence/aerospace industries.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity, configuration control, and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with SAP EWM, IBP, or SAP Cloud products.
• Knowledge of digital thread, model-based engineering, and Industry 4.0 principles.
• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile).
• Experience with classified system environments.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit:

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.