SAP ARIBA FUNCTIONAL LEAD CONSULTANT

SUMMARY:
Location: Hybrid – Centurion (Minimum 3 Days Onsite) + Remote Work + Monthly Travel to Operations
Duration: 12-Month contract

Gijima Staffing Solutions is recruiting on behalf of a client for an experienced SAP Ariba Functional Lead Consultant to take ownership of the SAP Ariba platform across a complex enterprise supply chain environment.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the end-to-end functional leadership, solution delivery, governance, and business alignment of SAP Ariba solutions, ensuring stable, compliant, and fit-for-purpose procurement and supply chain processes within a mining operational environment. This role requires a highly experienced SAP Ariba professional with strong architecture, implementation, leadership, and stakeholder engagement capability.

POSITION INFO:

Minimum Requirements

• NQF Level 6 qualification or higher in Information Technology or related field
• SAP Ariba certification (Upstream and Downstream) – mandatory
• SAP S/4 HANA Sourcing & Procurement and/or Business Process Integration certification advantageous
• Minimum 10 years’ SAP Ariba experience
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in full lifecycle SAP Ariba implementations
• Extensive experience across SAP Ariba core modules:
  • Supplier Lifecycle & Performance
  • Strategic Sourcing
  • Commerce Automation
  • Cloud Integration Gateway
• Minimum 5 years’ experience integrating SAP Ariba with SAP ECC 6.0 or SAP S/4 HANA MM and related downstream modules
• Strong understanding of:
  • SAP architecture and solution design
  • Purchase-to-Pay processes
  • ITIL and IT Service Management frameworks
  • HTML5 and web technologies
  • Procurement and supply chain leading practices
• Proven experience leading and governing internal teams, offshore teams, vendors, and systems integrators
• Strong leadership, analytical, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities
• Advanced MS Office skills including Excel and Pivot Tables
• Strong executive engagement and presentation capability

Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management capability
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• High attention to detail and governance compliance
• Ability to work effectively across complex enterprise environments
• Customer-focused and delivery-oriented mindset
• Commitment to continuous improvement and knowledge transfer

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, optimization, and implementation of SAP Ariba solutions across:
  • Supplier Lifecycle & Performance
  • Strategic Sourcing
  • Commerce Automation
  • Cloud Integration Gateway
• Lead business process improvement initiatives across procurement and supply chain functions
• Assess and manage integration efforts between SAP Ariba, SAP S/4 HANA, SAP ECC 6.0, and third-party applications
• Serve as the primary SAP Ariba functional interface for Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations stakeholders
• Facilitate business workshops, design authority sessions, and steering committee engagements
• Translate business requirements into practical SAP Ariba and SAP S/4 HANA solutions
• Provide executive-level recommendations, risk assessments, and solution options
• Design, configure, test, and validate system customizations and WRICEF objects
• Review and manage functional specifications and testing activities across the application landscape
• Create and execute unit and integration test scenarios and obtain business sign-off
• Develop and maintain user manuals, technical documentation, and configuration documentation
• Lead, coordinate, and performance manage SAP Ariba functional teams, including internal resources, offshore teams, systems integrators, consultants, and vendors
• Review and govern third-party functional deliverables to ensure quality and alignment
• Mentor and upskill internal team members to reduce long-term vendor dependency
• Ensure SAP Ariba solutions comply with:
  • IT governance frameworks
  • Procurement policies and approval frameworks
  • Audit, risk, segregation-of-duties, and cybersecurity requirements
• Support internal and external audit activities with complete and accurate documentation
• Design resilient solutions suitable for operational mining environments and remote site connectivity constraints
• Monitor inbound and outbound interfaces and resolve integration errors
• Maintain knowledge bases, known error databases, testing documentation, and continuous improvement plans
• Lead SAP Ariba release readiness activities, implementations, and security-related updates
• Provide technical leadership and ensure high standards of accountability, quality, and delivery across the functional team

Key Accountabilities

• Drive end-to-end functional delivery of SAP Ariba initiatives across projects and BAU operations
• Own functional design decisions, solution quality, and platform stability
• Ensure audit readiness and compliance of SAP Ariba solutions
• Drive business adoption, process optimization, and value realization
• Manage risks, dependencies, and integration challenges proactively
• Provide leadership and governance across SAP Ariba functional delivery teams