IT Director Symphony ERP

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

     

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Abbott is seeking a visionary and results-driven Director of IT, Symphony ERP to lead the global technology strategy, solutions, and services supporting multiple divisions including Abbott Nutrition, CoreDx, Diabetic Care, Enterprise Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Molecular, Point of Care, and Medical Devices. This role spans critical business functions such as Commercial, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, Supply Chain, and Compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the global leader for the Symphony SAP ERP platform, enabling business transformation through strategic technology initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership, including Divisional Vice Presidents and Affiliate General Managers, to drive standardization, modernization, and adoption of best-in-class processes.
• Lead enterprise-wide initiatives in application modernization, cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide thought leadership and governance across end-to-end business processes, ensuring alignment with Abbott’s diverse operational needs.
• Oversee the successful migration of the Symphony ERP platform to SAP S/4HANA (2027–2030), ensuring zero disruption to business operations and continuity of $20Bn in revenue processing.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in delivering large-scale SAP ERP solutions across global enterprises.
• Deep understanding of cross-functional business processes including commercial, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, legal, procurement, and supply chain.
• Expertise in software delivery methodologies, tools, and governance within complex ERP landscapes.
• Strong organizational and change management capabilities, with a track record of driving enterprise transformation.

Financial Scope

• Accountable for managing an annual budget of $20MM, with a projected $100MM total spend over five years to support Symphony programs and enhancements.

Specific IT Responsibilities

• ERP Solution Delivery and Global Support
  Lead the global delivery and sustainment of the Symphony ERP POD, ensuring seamless operations and continuous expansion of the ERP landscape. Partner across all IT functions to drive robust solution architecture, design, resource alignment, and capability development. Establish and manage global support teams to maintain ERP applications that power Abbott’s worldwide operations.
• Strategic Business Partnership
  Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on IT solutions within Symphony ERP. Collaborate cross-functionally to translate business requirements into actionable technology strategies. Champion innovation to enable strategic initiatives such as greenfield manufacturing and margin improvement programs.
• Enterprise Program Management
  Oversee the Symphony ERP and contribute to the evolution of next-generation ERP technologies. Coordinate with BTS functions including Business Relationship managers, Business, Infrastructure, Digital, and Cybersecurity to support $15B in global revenue, $20B in intercompany transfers, and $4B in throughput without any disruption.
• Global Budget Oversight
  Manage a global IT budget of ~$20MM annually for ERP program delivery and sustainment, contributing to a broader strategic investment portfolio of ~$100MM. Ensure fiscal discipline and alignment with enterprise priorities.
• Regulatory & Policy Compliance
  Ensure full adherence to corporate and divisional policies, as well as internal and external regulatory requirements. Maintain a strong compliance posture across all ERP-related operations.
• Cybersecurity Governance
  Provide oversight and enforcement of cybersecurity policies and regulatory mandates across ERP functions. Safeguard enterprise systems and data through proactive risk management and security controls.
• Stakeholder Relationship Management
  Strengthen relationships with internal customers and external suppliers. Foster trust and collaboration to enhance service delivery and business outcomes.
• High-Performance Team Leadership
  Lead a global team of ~150 professionals, including 40 employees and 110 service providers. Drive excellence in servi