SAP MDG Techno-Functional Lead

The SAP MDG Techno-Functional Lead is a senior individual contributor and strategic leader within the Enterprise Data Management organization, responsible for shaping, architecting, and governing the global SAP Master Data Governance (MDG) strategy as part of Fresenius Medical Care’s multi-year ERP Transformation initiative. Operating in a regulated GxP environment and collaborating across business units, this role provides deep technical and functional expertise while driving long-term data governance capability, standardization, and digital enablement.

The role owns the global MDG roadmap and influences enterprise architecture, ensuring that MDG evolves into a scalable, resilient, and compliant backbone for all core master data domains including Material Master, Business Partner, Finance, and custom objects. As a senior strategic contributor, the individual sets direction in partnership with functional domain leads, steering design principles, shaping solution architecture, and advising leadership to position MDG as a foundational component for operational excellence, compliance, and analytics.

This role directs both the technical and functional roadmap for MDG across domains such as Material (Finished Goods, APIs, Packaging, BOM, Serialization), Business Partner (Customer, Vendor, Employee, Bank Details), Finance (G/L Accounts, Cost Centers, Profit Centers), and additional custom object structures. The individual co-owns the MDG product strategy with business and functional teams, bridging technology and operations to ensure integration integrity, compliance, sustainable governance, and delivery of scalable, future-ready MDG solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise MDG Strategy & Product Leadership

• Define and drive the multi-year SAP MDG product vision and roadmap, ensuring alignment with corporate data strategies, regulatory mandates, and ERP transformation milestones. Serve as the enterprise MDG subject matter authority, balancing strategic design decisions with hands-on leadership across all governed domains, including:
  • Material Master (MM): Finished Goods, APIs, Packaging, Plant/Storage, BOM, Serialization
  • Business Partner (BP): Customer, Vendor, Employee, Contact Persons, Bank Details
  • Finance (FI/CO): G/L Accounts, Cost Centers, Profit Centers, Company Codes, Internal Orders
  • Custom Objects: Regulatory attributes, product hierarchy, and other domain-specific data
• Establish global MDG design standards, governance frameworks, and data stewardship models that deliver consistent, high-quality master data across all regions and business units. Shape and refine enterprise-level policies, data models, workflow designs, UI modelling, and validation controls including BRF+, BAdIs, and process modelling, ensuring MDG evolves in line with business growth and changing regulatory expectations.
• Champion MDG best practices for harmonization, consolidation, and first-time-right creation, driving adoption across global business teams. Ensure compliance with GxP, SOX, GDPR, and internal audit requirements while supporting the rollout of data governance frameworks, workflow orchestration, and stewardship processes. Oversee timely delivery of all MDG technical and functional components, ensuring alignment with ERP program milestones and enterprise architecture standards.

2. Technical Design, Architecture & MDG Hub Implementation

• Own and continuously evolve the global SAP MDG Hub architecture, ensuring long-term scalability, stability, high availability, and alignment with enterprise and SAP architectural standards. Define the system landscape strategy and architectural patterns for MDG-to-S/4HANA integrations, including replication frameworks such as DRF, SOA, IDoc, APIs, PI/PO, and MuleSoft, as well as interoperability with non-SAP platforms including Collibra, CDQ, MDQ, MuleSoft, LexisNexis, and other downstream consumers.
• Lead conceptual and solution architecture for MDG Hub deployment across global business units, covering domain-specific staging, reuse patterns, key and value mapping frameworks, UI/Fiori strategy, workflow extensibility, and configuration standards. Shape the enterprise’s master data orchestration models to ensure secure, compliant, and efficient data flow across manufacturing, supply chain, finance, and commercial landscapes.
• Direct end-to-end architecture reviews, ensuring all technical designs including WRICEF objects, OData services, BADIs, enhancements, SMT mappings, and RFCs meet quality, compliance, scalability, and strategic alignment requirements. Oversee workflow and change-request design, Fiori integration, and extensibility to support centralized governance with domain-level flexibility and version control.
• Drive inbound and outbound data replication frameworks, ensuring reliable and compliant data distribution across SAP and non-SAP ecosystems. Partner with BASIS, Integration, and Security teams to define system sizing, performance tuning, and high-availability configurations for the MDG Hub.
• Integrate MDG with key S/4HANA modules (MM, SD, PP, FI/CO, EWM, Ariba, GTS) and third-party governance and quality tools. Align all architecture and configuration activities with SAP Activate methodology, S/4HANA extensibility principles, and enterprise data stewardship models. Promote adoption of SAP MDG best practices for first-time-right data creation, mass processing, consolidation, and harmonization.

3. Data Governance, Security, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all MDG processes, configurations, and integrations comply with GxP, SOX, GDPR, ITGC, InfoSec, and internal audit requirements, maintaining continuous regulatory readiness. Lead design authority decisions related to compliance, segregation of duties, and data access governance, guiding the creation of validation documentation and audit reporting for all MDG-related processes.
• Define and maintain MDG security roles, authorization concepts, and role-based access models across all SAP environments (DEV, QA, PROD). Establish and govern workflow security patterns, authorization frameworks, and BRF+ rule alignment in collaboration with functional, BASIS, and IT security teams.
• Oversee the alignment of Fiori catalogues, workflow authorizations, and domain-specific access controls to ensure consistent governance across the MDG landscape. Lead the execution of positive/negative role testing, integration testing, and regression validations to verify secure and compliant system behaviour.

5. Strategic Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Influence senior stakeholders including VPs, transformation leaders, global data governance councils, and design authorities to ensure MDG principles and solution integrity are upheld across all programs. Act as the strategic bridge between business process owners, data stewards, compliance teams, security, integration, system integrators, and ERP functional teams, aligning priorities, resolving cross-domain issues, and shaping cohesive enterprise-level solutions.
• Drive workshops, enablement sessions, and knowledge-sharing forums to elevate MDG understanding and adoption across business and IT teams. Provide thought leadership on master data trends, S/4HANA roadmaps, and digital enablement opportunities related to data quality, automation, and integration. Represent MDG in governance boards, steering committees, and architecture forums while offering expert guidance and mentorship to both functional and technical teams.

Technical Leadership & Execution Excellence

• Provide high-level oversight and hands-on guidance for MDG configuration, custom development, interface design, data modelling, BRF+, workflow, and Fiori enhancements.
• Analyse complex data flows and system interactions, diagnosing performance issues and defining architectural improvements.
• Ensure technical deliverables meet defined standards and quality thresholds, participating in critical design sessions, code reviews, and release planning.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives for data quality, automation, monitoring, and governance analytics.

Required Skills & Qualifications/ Technical & Functional Expertise

Leadership & Influence

• Proven ability to influence executives and cross-functional teams without direct authority (strong IC leadership).
• Experience leading design authority forums, steering committees, or product councils.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and Agile/DevOps delivery capabilities.
• Proven leadership in large-scale MDG or ERP transformation programs.
• Excellent collaboration and influencing skills across global teams.

Strategic & Analytical Skills

• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate long-term vision into actionable solutions.
• Highly analytical with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Strong analytical mindset with focus on data quality, performance, and compliance.
• Ability to balance technical depth with business process understanding and governance needs.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and strategic decision-making skills.

Technical Expertise

• 12+ years SAP experience, with at least 8+ years in SAP MDG (Hub or Co-Deploy).
• Proven delivery experience across Material, Business Partner, and Finance domains.
• Strong hands-on expertise in:
  • ABAP OO, BRF+, SMT Mapping, BADIs, OData, CDS Views
  • SOAMANAGER, DRF, ALE/IDoc, API, PI/PO, MuleSoft
  • Fiori/UI5, Workflow, and Integration Design
• Deep understanding of S/4HANA MDG (v9.2 → 2023) and Cloud-ready architectures.
• Experience with regulated environments (GxP, Pharma, Medical Devices) and validation documentation.
• Familiarity with data quality and governance tools such as Collibra, CDQ, MDQ.
• Demonstrated experience in large-scale ERP or global transformation programs.

Operational Skills

• Ability to operate independently in a high-complexity, global, matrixed environment.