SAP S/4HANA MES Liaison/MES Upgrade Assessment Lead

Role Summary
The SAP S/4– MES Liaison serves as the primary bridge between enterprise ERP (SAP S/4) and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ensuring alignment of testing schedule and data, with escalation of issues found.
This role will also assess each MES upgrade release from the MES vendor for assessment and upgrade readiness. Each release will require an executive summary and recommendation from the Upgrade lead to MES Leadership.
This role is part of the MES Center of Excellence.
_________________________________________________________________
Key Responsibilities
ERP–MES Integration & Functional Liaison
● Act as the day-to-day liaison for testing sche3dul4e and data creation for SAP S/4HANA program teams.
● Facilitate the end-to-end process view across SAP and MES (e.g., production orders, confirmations, backflush, material staging, labor reporting, scrap/rework, genealogy/traceability, quality results, batch/serial management).
● Translate manufacturing requirements into SAP/MES functional specifications and integration requirements.
● Partner with solution architects to define integration patterns (e.g., APIs, IDocs, middleware/eventing) and ensure reliable, auditable data flows.
● Drive master data alignment and governance across SAP and MES (materials, BOMs, routings/recipes, work centers/resources, production versions, serial/batch rules).
MES Upgrade Assessment & Readiness (Primary Focus)
● Lead structured MES upgrade assessments including:
○ Current-state MES capability and configuration review
○ Interface/integration inventory and criticality scoring
○ Performance, scalability, and availability assessment
● Develop upgrade options and recommendations (e.g., in-place vs. migration, phased rollout vs. big-bang), including pros/cons, risks, dependencies, and cost/effort estimates.
● Produce a comprehensive MES Upgrade Assessment Report and roadmap aligned with SAP S/4HANA milestones.
Program Delivery Support (Planning through Hypercare)
● Manage integrated workplans across SAP, MES, and middleware teams; track RAID (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies).
● Plan and execute testing strategy spanning SAP and MES:
○ SIT/E2E scenarios, regression, performance testing
○ Data reconciliation and interface validation
○ Shop-floor pilot testing and production readiness
● Support cutover planning, including downtime analysis, fallback strategies, and shop-floor continuity planning.
_________________________________________________________________
Required Qualifications
● Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, or equivalent experience.
● 5+ years experience in manufacturing systems roles involving MES and SAP (ECC and/or S/4HANA).
● Demonstrated experience supporting or leading MES upgrades/major version changes (assessment, planning, execution, hypercare).
● Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and data flows
● Experience with integration concepts and tools (e.g., SAP IDocs/BAPIs, REST/SOAP APIs, middleware such as SAP CPI/PO, MuleSoft, Boomi, Kepware, or similar).
● Excellent facilitation, requirements elicitation, and documentation skills.
_________________________________________________________________
Preferred Qualifications
● Hands-on knowledge of common MES platforms (e.g., Siemens Opcenter, Rockwell FactoryTalk ProductionCentre, Korber PAS-X, GE Proficy, Dassault DELMIA Apriso, SAP Digital Manufacturing, Critical Manufacturing, Ignition/MOM frameworks).
● Exposure to SAP manufacturing-related modules and processes: PP/DS, PP-PI, QM, EWM/IM, PM, Batch Management, Serial Number Management.
● Experience with ISA-95 models and manufacturing integration standards.
● Experience in multi-site deployments and global template rollouts.
● Experience with CSV/validation and regulated manufacturing.
● SAP certification(s) and/or MES vendor certification(s).
_________________________________________________________________
Core Competencies
● Systems thinking across ERP–MES s
● Structured assessment and roadmap development
● Risk management and stakeholder alignment
● Strong analytical and troubleshooting ability
● Clear written and verbal communication
● Ability to operate effectively in both plant-floor and corporate IT settings
_________________________________________________________________
Travel & Work Environment
● Travel may be required to manufacturing sites during assessment, testing, and go-lives.
● Occasional off-shift support may be required during cutovers or critical shop-floor events.