SAP MES Lead

Job Title: SAP MES Lead Company: HCLTech Job Category: SAP PP Roles & Responsibilities: SAP MES Lead Work Location: ABu DHabi We are seeking an accomplished Senior SAP Lead with deep Manufacturing Execution System (MES) expertise to lead application management, production support, technical governance, and continuous improvement for a mission\-critical SAP landscape. The role will own stable and secure integration between SAP S/4HANA or ECC and SAP or third\-party MES platforms, ensuring production continuity, traceability, data integrity, controlled change, and measurable service performance within a highly regulated environment. Key Responsibilities * Lead end\-to\-end SAP AMS delivery for manufacturing and MES\-integrated processes, covering incidents, service requests, problems, changes, minor enhancements, releases, and operational improvements. * Act as the senior design authority for integration across SAP S/4HANA or ECC, MES, shop\-floor equipment, middleware, quality systems, warehouse systems, and other operational technology applications. * Own critical incident resolution and major incident management, including business impact assessment, technical triage, stakeholder communication, workaround definition, root\-cause analysis, and prevention plans. * Direct Level 2 and Level 3 support teams; establish support procedures, knowledge articles, escalation paths, shift coverage, resource plans, and technical quality standards. * Ensure reliable exchange of production orders, routings, bills of material, work instructions, confirmations, material consumption, goods movements, quality results, equipment status, labor data, serialization, and genealogy records. * Review and approve solution designs, functional and technical specifications, integration mappings, custom developments, interfaces, test evidence, deployment plans, and rollback procedures. * Lead proactive monitoring, performance tuning, interface reconciliation, batch\-job governance, defect elimination, problem management, and automation of repetitive support activities. * Coordinate with production, engineering, quality, supply chain, warehouse, cybersecurity, infrastructure, Basis, development, integration, and vendor teams. * Maintain SLA and KPI performance, including availability, response and resolution time, backlog aging, change success rate, repeat\-incident reduction, interface reliability, and service improvement benefits. * Support disaster recovery, business continuity, audit readiness, access reviews, segregation of duties, vulnerability remediation, patching, and evidence retention. * Manage service reviews, risk and issue registers, capacity planning, demand prioritization, release calendars, and executive reporting. * Mentor consultants, improve cross\-functional capability, and serve as the primary escalation point for complex SAP manufacturing and MES issues. * Strong expertise in SAP manufacturing processes, with hands\-on knowledge of SAP PP, PP\-PI, MM, QM, PM, EWM or WM, and their integration with MES. * Deep experience with SAP Manufacturing Execution, SAP Digital Manufacturing, SAP MII, or leading third\-party MES products. * Proven design and support experience for discrete, repetitive, or complex manufacturing processes, including production execution, work\-in\-progress, quality inspection, nonconformance, rework, traceability, serialization, and as\-built records. * Strong knowledge of SAP–MES integration using IDocs, BAPIs, RFCs, APIs, web services, OData, event or message\-based interfaces, SAP Integration Suite, SAP Process Integration or Process Orchestration, or equivalent middleware. * Ability to diagnose failures across SAP application, middleware, MES, databases, network, and shop\-floor or operational technology layers. * Working knowledge of custom ABAP developments, enhancements, forms, workflows, Fiori applications, interface monitoring, and SAP transport and release management. * Experience with IT service management and monitoring platforms such as ServiceNow, SAP Solution Manager, SAP Cloud ALM, or equivalent tools. Defence\-Sector and Security Responsibilities * Operate in accordance with customer security policies, approved data\-classification rules, least\-privilege access, secure administration, and need\-to\-know principles. * Ensure all changes are traceable, authorized, tested, documented, and supported by complete audit evidence. * Support compliance with applicable UAE Information Assurance, data\-protection, cybersecurity, export\-control, and customer\-mandated defence requirements. * Apply secure\-development and secure\-integration practices, including privileged\-access controls, encryption, logging, monitoring, vulnerability management, and controlled movement of data between enterprise and operational technology zones. * Respect restrictions on data residency, remote access, removable media, offshore support, production\-system connectivity, and disclosure of sensitive information. * Be willing and eligible to undergo customer background verification, security screening, and access authorization as required. * Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Manufacturing, or a related discipline. * 0-3 years of experience, including substantial leadership responsibility in manufacturing\-focused implementation, support, or AMS engagements. * At least 7 years of strong MES\-related experience, including SAP–MES architecture, integration, production support, and improvement programs. * Demonstrated experience leading complex, business\-critical SAP AMS services with distributed teams and multiple vendors. * Strong understanding of ITIL practices, service governance, major incident management, problem management, change control, release management, and continual service improvement. * Experience supporting high\-availability manufacturing operations and working directly with plant, engineering, quality, and operational technology stakeholders. * Excellent analytical, communication, documentation, negotiation, and senior stakeholder\-management skills. * Professional proficiency in English; Arabic capability is advantageous. * Ability to work on\-site in the UAE and provide scheduled or emergency support outside standard business hours when required. * Stable and secure SAP–MES operations with minimal production disruption. * Consistent achievement of agreed SLA, availability, incident, problem, and change\-management targets. * Reduction in repeat incidents, interface failures, manual reconciliations, and support backlog. * Improved production traceability, transaction accuracy, audit readiness, and stakeholder satisfaction. * Timely delivery of approved enhancements and measurable continual\-service\-improvement outcomes. Work Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates Availability: Full time

Experience: 15\+ Years Required Qualifications and Experience * SAP certification in S/4HANA Manufacturing, Production Planning, Digital Manufacturing, Manufacturing Execution, or a related area. * ITIL 4 Foundation or higher certification. * Certification or practical exposure in architecture, integration, project management, information security, or operational technology security. * Prior experience with defence, aerospace, aviation, regulated engineering, or critical\-infrastructure customers in the UAE or wider GCC. * Experience with controlled manufacturing, configuration management, serial\-number governance, product genealogy, maintenance, calibration, and stringent quality documentation. Key Skills: SAP PP, Production Planning, Production Orders, Capacity Planning Salary: Not disclosed