Senior Director SAP Cognizant Burbank

Job Description
Cognizant SAP Vertical Service Leader (VSL) Job Responsibilities Own and manage overall relationship between Cognizant SAP Practice and assigned industry verticals. Measured on overall SAP PL within assigned verticals, including revenue, customer profitability and customer satisfaction across all existing and new SAP accounts in assigned verticals.
Sales Accountability in a collaborative selling model (jointly with the industry vertical sales/account teams across a matrix organization model), and leading the engagement process as the key orchestrator in developing a program level customer solution while managing business goals by owning the key decisions on the financial constructs from a PL perspective.


During Sales process work with internal teams to build the proposal and solution.
SAP Practice Point–Of-Contact for any and every customer or prospect related communication from Vertical or Global Sales Leaders in the GEO” responsibility for Manage virtual solution/proposal team on customer bids while leading on the responsibility of the overall solution.
Overall “Sales Cycle” responsibility for bid strategy, executive customer communications, and executive summary in proposal and all financial constructs related to SAP and the overall deal to
maximize opportunity to win business and profitability.
Develop Win themes and differentiation
Research about the company and identify key pain points and tie those pain points to SAP solution
Identify levers for cost savings
Develop value prop against the competition
A very good knowledge about the competitive landscape
A good knowledge of SAP product direction
Ability to read the customers and identify explicit and implicit goals and objectives of the customers
Work in an onsite offshore model
Global network delivery model
Good with financial modeling and what is analysis
Ability to price to sell and deliver to profitability
Creative ways to meeting customer needs and meeting internal goals.
Incubate and develop new F1000, G200 Logos through consultative selling of SAP Implementation Services (i.e. Solution Based Selling) combined with Thought Leadership actions through various marketing actions and conference forums.
Effectively manage the Practice resources to identify, validate and evaluate opportunities based on specific strategies to open and develop new markets and services, leading to business differentiation in a highly competitive environment.
Continuously grow knowledge on market data research, practice capabilities across all verticals, including competition capabilities to develop winning strategies and play books to drive higher value services and offerings for all type of scenarios ranging from a 2 or 3 competitor all incumbent competition scenario to multi-vendor RFP based selection and continuously evolve towards higher share of consultative sold engagements.
Planning, managing, leveraging and driving joint initiatives on multiple dimensions of co-marketing, co-branding, co-selling, co-innovation with SAP and as required specific key Technology, Infrastructure and BPO Partners
Capture larger share of wallet through awareness and understanding of the complete Enterprise Applications Eco-System of customers and prospects to bring maximize the value to the customer in terms of Business Solutions Outcomes aligned to engaging and leveraging the overall capabilities of the Cognizant EAS Services.
Complete oversight responsibility in leading and guiding the SAP Practice Business Development Managers in building winning propositions working in collaboration with the Delivery and COE Leaders both at Onsite and Offshore.
In conjunction with delivery leaders across services, VSL is responsible to ensure that the SAP Practice meets its contractual delivery requirements, manage customer's expectations and continuously drive and evolve thought leadership through visioning and workshops
Meet in person quarterly with all key SAP clients within assigned vertical to review status and issues, not just limited to participation on a delivery related steering committee or qu
Maintain communications with key customer executives to ensure knowledge of changing customer environment.
Continually evaluate SAP delivery efforts within verticals and put plans in place to improve as needed.
Understand long-term opportunities within each customer engagement to define and plan for SAP White Space Solutions through collaboration with various SAP stakeholders engaging with the SAP Industry Principals and in many cases the individual IBU's to partner on creating a presence and offering on the SAP Solution Roadmap working jointly with the Practice Product Group.
Review and approve on-boarding and transition plans for key Project Milestones, especially while transitioning ownership of a new win or expansion to the delivery organization. Required to validate the overall delivery plans against the contractual commitments
Cognizant SAP Vertical Service Leader Skills and Experience - Attributes
15+ years experienced senior delivery, business development, and/or solution manager/executive in SAP outsourcing, managed services, professional/consulting services to Enterprise Customers.
Successful business development track record in generating new business opportunities in SAP Consulting Services across Transformation and Run Operations Services.
Demonstrated capabilities in taking a complete hands-on approach to managing the business and customers, including producing deliverables (as necessary), managing leadership workshops to visibly demonstrating customer ownership and accountability.
Experienced in managing a PL, preferably in a SAP or similar Technology Consultancy Services environment and can demonstrate how the relationship between Change Service Delivery is a constant, continuously driving higher value and profitability.
Experience with varied global delivery model(s) in Information Technology and good understanding of operations and management of service delivery built on a foundation of core delivery expertise in progressive lead roles through Project and Program management responsibilities. Prior Big-5 experience is a plus.
Proven track record of ability to operate strategically at the CXX level and tactically at the D and lower levels through various stages of the life-cycle of sales and service.
SAP SME with strong technical acumen and ability to work effectively (or adapt very quickly as required) engaging with suctioning teams in multiple dimensions of Scope, Effort, Methodology (including ASAP, ASAP8 and now SAP for Agile), Tools (SOLMAN, ARIS, others), Process and Value Stream Modeling (across multiple streams O2C, P2P, H2R, etc.) with previous hands-on configuration experience in one or more module of SAP like FI, CO, SD, MM, PP, HR, QM, PM and a core understanding of ABAP and PI Technologies as it relates to WRICEF Development and Systems Integration
Excellent communications and negotiations skills – “Mindset” of a Deal Closer.
Strong leadership skills with ability to operate in a virtual team structure
Motivated, self-starter who does not fear to ask “why” and demonstrate high level of creativity with building innovative options and alternatives while maintaining strong adherence to policies and engaging delivery teams to enhance, expand and extend capabilities.
Road Warrior (50% travel) and demonstrated high responsiveness to time critical and decision making situations in terms of flexibility and schedules.
Specific commercial industry expertise is desirable, with expertise in pricing negotiations.
Experience in PMO and Governance roles overseeing risk and compliance related to MSA, SOW, and Legal Contractual Instruments as applicable.
Understanding of Program Delivery review processes such as specific IT Audits and similar PMR processes in context of validating both service quality and financial liability..