Head of Application Development

The Head – IT Applications will play a pivotal leadership role, driving the digital transformation and application landscape, including SAP S/4HANA ERP, for a major consumer durables company listed in India. This individual will work closely with business and technology leadership to deliver scalable, reliable, and innovative IT application solutions supporting complex sales channels—Modern Trade, General Trade, E-commerce, and Institutional Sales—while based out of Bangalore.

Key Responsibilities

• ERP & Business Applications Leadership:

  Direct the end-to-end management, optimization, and delivery of the company’s SAP S/4HANA ERP platform and all critical business applications. Lead implementation initiatives, upgrades, integrations, and ensure maximum utilization and alignment with business objectives.

• Application Portfolio Management:

  Oversee the full lifecycle (design, delivery, enhancement, support) of core business applications, including trade, sales, supply chain, finance, and customer engagement systems. Ensure seamless integration between channel-specific solutions (Modern Trade, General Trade, E-commerce, Institutional Sales).

• Digital Transformation:

  Champion innovation projects and leverage technology to drive process improvements, automation, analytics, and customer experience across all business divisions.

• Stakeholder Collaboration:

  Partner with business unit leaders, including Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain, and Finance, to translate requirements into effective IT solutions. Maintain strong vendor relationships and manage third-party software and service providers.

• Strategy and Governance:

  Set and execute the IT applications strategy, establishing governance, security, and compliance frameworks, plus budget and resource planning for application teams.

• Data Analytics & Reporting:

  Lead implementation and management of data analytics platforms to provide actionable business insights, dashboarding, and performance tracking for all sales channels.

• Change Management:

  Drive user training, adoption, and change management for new systems, upgrades, and digital initiatives.

• Service & Incident Management:

  Ensure robust processes for service management, applications support, incident management, and system performance monitoring consistent with industry best practices and SLAs.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• At least 12–15 years of progressive experience in IT, including 5+ years in application management leadership for a consumer electronics or FMCG/retail company.
  
• In-depth technical and functional experience with SAP S/4HANA or ECC, including project lifecycle management, upgrades, and integrations across diverse functions.
  
• Proven delivery of IT solutions for Modern Trade, General Trade, E-commerce, and Institutional/Enterprise sales processes.
  
• Strong analytical, vendor management, and change management capabilities.
  
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and leadership skills.
  
• Knowledge of cybersecurity, application compliance, and IT operations best practices.
  
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field.
  

Desired Attributes

• Strategic Vision:

  Ability to align IT application strategy with business growth goals.

• Technical Acumen:

  Strong expertise in SAP HANA, ERP architectures, and related technologies.

• Team Leadership:

  Track record of building and leading high-performing enterprise IT application teams.

• Channel Savvy:

  Deep understanding of multi-channel retail and sales environments relevant to Indian consumer electronics.

Reporting

Reports to the MD

Location:

Industry Background: