SAP RISE Transformation Strategy Advisor (S/4HANA, Federal Sector)

Role Overview

The SAP RISE Transformation Strategy Advisor serves as a trusted, independent advisor to a federal agency operating SAP S/4HANA in a Private Cloud environment and evaluating or executing a transition to SAP RISE with SAP. The advisor is responsible for defining the business case, technical feasibility, risk posture, and execution roadmap for moving to RISE while ensuring continuity of mission operations, regulatory compliance, and long-term platform sustainability.

This role integrates enterprise architecture, cloud strategy, SAP commercial models, federal compliance requirements, and S/4HANA technical realities to guide executive decision-making and oversee a controlled, auditable transition.

Key Objectives

• Define a federal-appropriate RISE adoption strategy for an already-live S/4HANA system.

• Assess readiness, risks, and constraints associated with moving from Private Cloud to SAP RISE.

• Establish a clear execution roadmap that minimizes operational disruption while aligning with SAP’s strategic direction.

• Advise leadership on commercial, architectural, and governance implications of RISE adoption.

Core Responsibilities

1. Current-State Landscape & Operating Model Assessment

• Evaluate the existing S/4HANA Private Cloud environment, including:

  • Hosting model and hyperscaler dependencies

  • System sizing, performance, and availability requirements

  • Custom code footprint and extensibility approach

  • Integration landscape (SAP and non-SAP systems)

• Assess current operating responsibilities across the agency, system integrator(s), hosting provider, and SAP.

2. RISE with SAP Feasibility & Readiness Analysis

• Determine technical eligibility for RISE, including:

  • S/4HANA release and support pack alignment

  • Custom code compliance with RISE restrictions

  • Use of SAP-supported vs. non-standard configurations

• Evaluate readiness for:

  • SAP-managed infrastructure and Basis operations

  • Standardized SLAs and SAP operational controls

  • Reduced customer-level control over low-level system access

3. Federal Compliance & Risk Assessment

• Analyze RISE implications relative to:

  • FedRAMP authorization models and boundary definitions

  • Agency Authority to Operate (ATO) requirements

  • Data residency, encryption, and access control expectations

• Advise on changes required to:

  • System Security Plans (SSPs)

  • Incident response, audit logging, and evidence collection

  • Separation of duties and privileged access management

4. Commercial & Contractual Advisory

• Assess the RISE commercial model, including:

  • Subscription structure and bundled services

  • Impact on existing SAP licenses and support agreements

  • Cost predictability vs. flexibility tradeoffs

• Advise on:

  • Contractual alignment with federal procurement rules

  • Risk of vendor lock-in and exit strategies

  • SLA enforceability and escalation paths in a federal context

5. Architecture & Extensibility Strategy

• Define a future-state architecture under RISE, addressing:

  • Clean Core principles and extensibility boundaries

  • Use of SAP BTP under RISE constraints

  • Integration patterns with federal enterprise platforms

• Assess impacts to:

  • Existing enhancements and modifications

  • Side-by-side applications and analytics platforms

  • DevOps and transport strategies under SAP-managed operations

6. Execution Roadmap & Transition Governance

• Develop a phased migration roadmap that includes:

  • Pre-RISE remediation and stabilization activities

  • Cutover strategy and operational transition planning

  • Post-transition optimization and governance model

• Define decision checkpoints, success criteria, and rollback options.

• Establish a governance framework aligning SAP, integrators, and agency stakeholders.

7. Executive & Stakeholder Advisory

• Act as a strategic sounding board for agency CIO leadership, SAP CoE leadership, and acquisition officials.

• Translate complex RISE implications into clear executive decision frameworks.

• Support leadership briefings, investment reviews, and acquisition documentation.

Areas of Analysis 

The advisor is expected to lead deep analysis across the following domains:

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 12–15+ years of SAP platform experience

• Direct experience with:

  • SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud and/or RISE with SAP

  • Large-scale SAP hosting or cloud transitions

• Demonstrated advisory experience in federal or highly regulated environments

Technical & Strategic Expertise

• Deep understanding of:

  • SAP S/4HANA architecture and lifecycle

  • RISE with SAP scope, responsibilities, and constraints

  • SAP Basis, cloud operations, and hyperscaler models

• Strong grounding in enterprise cloud strategy and IT governance

Advisory Skills

• Proven executive advisory capability (CIO / CTO / Chief Architect level)

• Strong communication skills suitable for federal leadership audiences

• Ability to challenge assumptions while remaining vendor-neutral

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal SAP Centers of Excellence (CoE)

• Familiarity with FedRAMP Moderate / High environments

• Prior involvement in SAP commercial negotiations or RISE contracting

• Background in enterprise architecture or cloud governance

Engagement Characteristics

• Strategic advisory role (not staff augmentation)

• Emphasis on independent analysis, roadmap development, and executive guidance

• Collaboration with SAP, system integrators, and federal stakeholders

• Typical deliverables:

  • RISE readiness and feasibility assessment

  • Risk and compliance impact analysis

  • Target-state architecture definition

  • Phased transition roadmap and executive briefings