IT Director Symphony ERP

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Job Description:

Abbott is seeking a visionary and results-driven Director of IT, Symphony ERP to lead the global technology strategy, solutions, and services supporting multiple divisions including Abbott Nutrition, CoreDx, Diabetic Care, Enterprise Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Molecular, Point of Care, and Medical Devices. This role spans critical business functions such as Commercial, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, Supply Chain, and Compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the global leader for the Symphony SAP ERP platform, enabling business transformation through strategic technology initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership, including Divisional Vice Presidents and Affiliate General Managers, to drive standardization, modernization, and adoption of best-in-class processes.
• Lead enterprise-wide initiatives in application modernization, cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide thought leadership and governance across end-to-end business processes, ensuring alignment with Abbott’s diverse operational needs.
• Oversee the successful migration of the Symphony ERP platform to SAP S/4HANA (2027–2030), ensuring zero disruption to business operations and continuity of $20Bn in revenue processing.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in delivering large-scale SAP ERP solutions across global enterprises.
• Deep understanding of cross-functional business processes including commercial, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, legal, procurement, and supply chain.
• Expertise in software delivery methodologies, tools, and governance within complex ERP landscapes.
• Strong organizational and change management capabilities, with a track record of driving enterprise transformation.

Financial Scope

• Accountable for managing an annual budget of $20MM, with a projected $100MM total spend over five years to support Symphony programs and enhancements.

Specific It Responsibilities

• ERP Solution Delivery and Global SupportLead the global delivery and sustainment of the Symphony ERP POD, ensuring seamless operations and continuous expansion of the ERP landscape. Partner across all IT functions to drive robust solution architecture, design, resource alignment, and capability development. Establish and manage global support teams to maintain ERP applications that power Abbott’s worldwide operations.
• Strategic Business PartnershipServe as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on IT solutions within Symphony ERP. Collaborate cross-functionally to translate business requirements into actionable technology strategies. Champion innovation to enable strategic initiatives such as greenfield manufacturing and margin improvement programs.
• Enterprise Program ManagementOversee the Symphony ERP and contribute to the evolution of next-generation ERP technologies. Coordinate with BTS functions including Business Relationship managers, Business, Infrastructure, Digital, and Cybersecurity to support $15B in global revenue, $20B in intercompany transfers, and $4B in throughput without any disruption.
• Global Budget OversightManage a global IT budget of ~$20MM annually for ERP program delivery and sustainment, contributing to a broader strategic investment portfolio of ~$100MM. Ensure fiscal discipline and alignment with enterprise priorities.
• Regulatory & Policy ComplianceEnsure full adherence to corporate and divisional policies, as well as internal and external regulatory requirements. Maintain a strong compliance posture across all ERP-related operations.
• Cybersecurity GovernanceProvide oversight and enforcement of cybersecurity policies and regulatory mandates across ERP functions. Safeguard enterprise systems and data through proactive risk management and security controls.
• Stakeholder Relationship ManagementStrengthen relationships with internal customers and external suppliers. Foster trust and collaboration to enhance service delivery and business outcomes.
• High-Performance Team LeadershipLead a global team of ~150 professionals, including 40 employees and 110 service providers. Drive excellence in service delivery through standardized processes, tools, and performance metrics. Negotiate strategic contracts with alliance partners to ensure scalable and cost-effective operations.

Span of Business Function Control
 

Position Overview – ERP Transformation Leader

This role is accountable for driving the strategic roadmap, long-range investment planning, and execution of the Symphony ERP transformation program across all Abbott divisions as well as Corporate functions such as Procurement, International Trade, and Tax. It also supports global Financial Planning and Shared Services teams.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy & Transformation
Define and execute the ERP strategy to enable digital transformation across commercial, manufacturing, procurement, finance, quality, logistics, distribution, and supply chain functions. Deliver integrated technology solutions that support both divisional operations and corporate functions including Treasury, Accounts Receivable, Disbursements, Tax, Customs, Internal Audit, and Expense Reporting.

ERP Landscape Management
Oversee a complex ERP ecosystem comprising SAP ECC, SRM, APO (planning), PI/CPI/TIBCO (integration), eWM (warehouse), P30, Abbott Vascular SAP, German Payroll, and SAP GRC (governance and compliance). Ensure seamless integration with over 500+ non-SAP platforms such as CMS Next, XMS/ERT, ACE, Tracer, Hyperion and more.

• Change Enablement & Business Continuity
• Ensure successful implementation of organizational changes across all business functions, enabling transformation without disruption to business goals.

The base pay for this position is

$168,000.00 – $336,000.00

In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

Job Family:

IT Operations

Division:

BTS Business Technology Services

Location:

United States > Waukegan : J46

Additional Locations:

Work Shift:

Standard

Travel:

Yes, 10 % of the Time

Medical Surveillance:

Not Applicable

Significant Work Activities:

Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day)Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdfEEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf