SAP functional delivery manager (12 month FTC)

Location: The role will be based at our London office, with a blend of in-office (3 days) and homeworking (2 days) per week.

Lead the teams, governance and operational readiness behind Hachette UK’s next phase of SAP transformation.

Hachette UK is a creative powerhouse and the UK's second largest book publishing group. Our mission is to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment and opportunity.We're made up of 10 autonomous publishing divisions and over 60 imprints with a rich and diverse history and an incredible range of authors. We're also the market leader in e-books and publish a range of bestsellers in audio format, the fastest growing part of our business.

Our award-winning adult publishing divisions are Little, Brown, which won Publisher of the Year at the 2026 British Book Awards; Orion (2021 Publisher of the Year Award Winner); John Murray Press; Hodder & Stoughton; Headline; Octopus, and Bookouture. They publish fiction and non-fiction in digital, audio and print format, from the world's best and most diverse authors, including Brit Bennett, Candice Carty-Williams, Martina Cole, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, Stephen King, Stieg Larsson, Nelson Mandela, Stephenie Meyer, Maggie O'Farrell, Delia Owens, Ian Rankin, J.K. Rowling, Colson Whitehead, and Malala Yousafzai. Hachette Children's Group publishes a wide and vibrant range of books for children across all age ranges, while Hachette Learning is a market leader in resources for both primary and secondary schools.

Hachette UK is part of Hachette Livre, the world's third largest trade and educational publisher. As well as our headquarters in Carmelite House, London, and our state-of-the-art book distribution centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire, we have recently opened five new offices in Manchester, Bristol, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Edinburgh. The UK region also includes offices in Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, the Caribbean, and Ireland.

It's an exciting time to join our business because the publishing market continues to grow and thrive. The UK remains the largest exporter of physical books in the world and book adaptations for film and TV are the foundation of the UK's creative industries.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the project Finance and Sales & Distribution functional teams through OAT, cutover, go-live and hypercare.
• Drive solution quality, business readiness and delivery performance across the SAP functional workstreams.
• Own Operational Acceptance Testing (OAT) and SAP S/4HANA operational readiness.
• Act as the primary functional lead to the Systems Integrator, resolving issues, defects and delivery risks.
• Partner with the Cutover Manager to ensure a seamless transition into operational support.
• Work with OCM and Functional Leads to upskill SAP BAU teams and embed knowledge transfer.
• Shape the future SAP Functional operating model, governance framework and service organisation.
• Lead the transition of SAP Functional services, change governance and operational ownership into BAU.
• Drive the identification and prioritisation of deferred scope, enhancement opportunities and technical debt.
• Build and maintain a prioritised SAP continuous improvement roadmap aligned to business priorities.
• Provide clear reporting on delivery progress, readiness, risks and dependencies through governance forums.

These are the essential requirements of the role but not an exhaustive list. The role will evolve alongside the organisation's SAP roadmap and business needs.

Who we are looking for

Experience/Knowledge

• Proven track record leading SAP Functional teams within complex enterprise environments.
• Delivered one or more end-to-end SAP S/4HANA transformation programmes.
• Strong knowledge of SAP Finance and Sales & Distribution processes, with a broader understanding of adjacent SAP functional areas.
• Comfortable operating within multi-vendor environments, working closely with Systems Integrators and delivery partners.
• Knowledge of SAP operating models, service transition and the move from project delivery into BAU support.
• Understanding of governance, change control, service management and continuous improvement practices.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior business and technology leaders.

Desirable Experience

• Led SAP delivery through testing, cutover, go-live and hypercare.
• Developed or implemented SAP operating models, support organisations or service transition frameworks.
• Experience within Distribution, Supply Chain, Manufacturing or Publishing environments.
• SAP S/4HANA certification.

Personal Attributes/Skills

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to motivate, coach and influence teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Pragmatic, delivery-focused and outcome-oriented.
• Strong decision-making capability with the ability to balance risk, quality and delivery timelines.
• Collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Highly organised with excellent planning and prioritisation skills.
• Calm and resilient under pressure, particularly during critical programme milestones.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
• Demonstrates accountability, ownership and integrity in all aspects of work.
• Passionate about continuous improvement and delivering business value through technology.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• SAP certification desirable.
• Evidence of ongoing SAP professional development.

What we offer

Our staff are our greatest asset, and our benefits reflect this:

• 28 annual leave days per year, increases to 29 days after 2 years' service and goes up to 30 days after 5 years' (+ bank holidays)
• Generous pension schemes
• Rent deposit loans
• 2 community days per year
• Summer hours (finishing at 1pm on Fridays during the summer months)
• Retail discounts through Hachette rewards
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Wide-ranging training library
• Development programmes (including mentoring)
• Up to 70% off book purchases
• A charity bookshelf
• An active range of staff-led employee networks that are voluntary, including AgeWise, Gender Balance, Thrive, Pride, All Together, Wellbeing, Women in Techand religious networks
• Season ticket loans
• And much more!

Our commitment

Hachette employs people on the basis of their abilities. We aim to attract and develop talent from a base as broad as the world of readers we want to reach, with a wide and representative range of age, faith, disability, race, gender, sexuality and socio-economic, regional and cultural backgrounds.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to perform at their best during our recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, you can let us know at the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application. We’ll make sure you’re supported throughout the process.

The Book Trade Charity offers financial support to people looking to enter the book trade but who may struggle to afford the costs of attending interviews and undertaking junior roles. For more information visit https://btbs.org/grants

We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries.

Please make sure that you state in your application that you found this role via Creative Access.