Business Transformation Officer

Job Description

SAP Development Lead – ERP Digital Transformation

Organization: World Food Programme (WFP)
Location: Rome, Italy
Employment Type: International Professional Position (Full-Time)
Reports To: Chief Digital Services
Department: Technology Division – Digital Transformation Team

About WFP

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, working to save lives during emergencies and build pathways toward peace, stability, and prosperity. As the recipient of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, WFP operates globally to combat hunger and support vulnerable communities affected by conflict, disasters, and climate change.

Job Purpose

WFP is seeking an experienced SAP Development Lead to design, implement, and govern the SAP landscape and development strategy supporting the organization’s global ERP transformation initiatives.

The successful candidate will define and drive SAP custom development standards, oversee SAP solution delivery across multiple business domains, and lead technical innovation while ensuring alignment with SAP best practices, organizational objectives, and digital transformation goals.

Key Responsibilities
SAP Strategy & Architecture
Define and implement the SAP development strategy aligned with the ERP roadmap.
Establish standardized development methodologies and governance frameworks across SAP teams.
Drive optimization and consistency in SAP solution design and implementation.
SAP Solution Delivery
Oversee the design, development, testing, and deployment of SAP solutions across WFP’s ERP landscape.
Ensure compliance with SAP development standards and industry best practices.
Lead technical design reviews and validate supplier deliverables.
Custom Development & Optimization
Evaluate business requirements and challenge unnecessary customizations.
Promote adoption of SAP standard functionality wherever possible.
Reduce maintenance complexity and upgrade risks through effective customization management.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management
Build and maintain strategic relationships with internal stakeholders, implementation partners, and offshore vendors.
Ensure effective collaboration between development and support teams.
Manage supplier performance and solution quality.
Innovation & Continuous Improvement
Research and evaluate emerging SAP technologies and innovations.
Identify opportunities for business process improvements through technology enablement.
Drive digital transformation initiatives supporting organizational objectives.
Agile Delivery & Business Analysis
Promote Agile development methodologies and cross-functional collaboration.
Facilitate requirements gathering, analysis, documentation, validation, and prioritization.
Translate business objectives into scalable SAP solutions.
Team Leadership
Lead, mentor, and develop SAP technical teams.
Provide coaching, performance management, and career development support.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
Required Qualifications
Education
Advanced University Degree in:
Computer Science
Information Technology
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
Economics
Or a related field

OR

First University Degree with additional years of relevant professional experience and specialized training.
Experience
Minimum 8 years of professional experience delivering SAP-based services and solutions.
Proven experience in ERP development, configuration, administration, and support.
Experience working within international or global organizations.
Strong background in enterprise-scale SAP implementations and transformations.
Technical Skills
SAP Technologies
ABAP
Object-Oriented ABAP
SAP NetWeaver
SAP Fiori
SAP UI5
SAP Process Integration (PI)
SAP Enterprise Portal (EP)
SAP Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC)
SAP Solution Manager
Additional Expertise
Global ERP implementation experience.
SAP solution delivery within regulated and validated environments.
Vendor and system integrator management experience.
Agile software development methodologies.
SAP architecture and integration best practices.
Leadership Competencies
Strategic thinking and planning.
Strong stakeholder management skills.
Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
Team leadership and people management.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking.
Ability to work effectively in multicultural and geographically distributed environments.
Language Requirements
Mandatory
Professional Fluency (Level C) in English.
Preferred

Intermediate proficiency (Level B) in one of the following UN official languages:

Arabic
Chinese
French
Russian
Spanish
Portuguese
Benefits & Compensation

WFP offers an internationally competitive compensation package, including:

International Professional Salary Package
Post Adjustment Allowance
Relocation Assistance
Visa Sponsorship
Travel & Shipment Allowances
Medical Insurance
Pension Plan
30 Days Annual Leave
Home Leave Benefits
Education Grant for Dependent Children
Additional Information
Open to applicants of all nationalities.
Selected candidates will be required to relocate to Rome, Italy.
This position is classified as Non-Rotational.
Background verification may be required before appointment.
Application Requirements

Interested candidates should submit:

Updated CV/Resume (English)
Cover Letter

Applications can be submitted through WFP’s recruitment platform.

For application support or technical issues, candidates may contact:

Email: hq.talentacquisition@wfp.org