Program Head - Planning System(Kinaxis/o9/SAP)Transformations)

About Thoucentric:

Role Overview

Lead large-scale, Advanced Planning System (APS)
transformation programs like Kinaxis, o9, SAP etc. for complex and large
programs The role oversees end-to-end delivery across multiple workstreams—including
APS functional implementation, enterprise integrations, data readiness,
testing, cutover, change management, and business adoption.

This is a strategic leadership role responsible for program
governance, multi-vendor orchestration, stakeholder alignment, and delivery
excellence, ensuring the APS implementation delivers measurable business
value and transforms planning processes across the enterprise.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Leadership & Governance

• Provide
  overall leadership for the APS transformation, ensuring alignment with
  business objectives and long-term planning strategy.
  
• Establish
  and run a comprehensive program governance structure (SteerCos, PMO, RAID
  management, design authority, cross-stream syncs).
  
• Define
  program charter, scope, KPIs, milestones, and value realization framework.
  
• Lead
  planning, budgeting, and execution across global and regional teams.
  

2. Oversight of Multi-Stream Delivery

• Direct
  and coordinate all APS program workstreams, including:
  
• Planning
   functional design & configuration
  
• Integration
  with enterprise systems (ERP, WMS, MES, Data Lake, Reporting)
  
• Data
  and master data readiness
  
• Testing
  (SIT, UAT), cutover, and hypercare
  
• Business
  process harmonization
  
• Change
  management and planner adoption
  
• Manage
  dependencies and ensure seamless integration across functional and
  technical tracks.
  

3. Vendor & Partner Management

• Work
  with multiple vendor partners handling APS implementation, integrations,
  data engineering, infra, and change management.
  
• Drive
  joint planning, milestone alignment, contractual governance, and
  performance tracking.
  
• Ensure
  partners deliver high-quality outputs and adhere to timelines, budget, and
  scope.
  

4. Scope, Budget, and Risk Management

• Own
  and control program scope; run structured change-management processes for
  all new asks.
  
• Track
  and manage budgets, forecasts, invoicing, and financial health of the
  program.
  
• Identify
  risks early, formulate mitigation strategies, and drive issue resolution.
  
• Protect
  the program from scope creep, misalignment, and delivery slippage.
  

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Act
  as the primary liaison between business leadership, supply chain teams,
  IT, and vendors.
  
• Engage
  with senior stakeholders to drive decisions, align priorities, and
  communicate progress transparently.
  
• Produce
  executive dashboards, governance reports, and program-level updates.
  
• Facilitate
  decision-making forums and steer planning councils.
  

6. Business Alignment & Change Adoption

• Ensure
  APS design aligns with business processes, planning cycles, and
  organizational KPIs.
  
• Lead
  process harmonization, SOP design, future-state mapping, and adoption
  strategy.
  
• Support
  training, onboarding, cutover readiness, and post go-live stabilization.
  
• Drive
  adoption metrics, planner engagement, and value realization tracking.
  

7. Quality Assurance & Delivery Control

• Implement
  structured review mechanisms for design, configuration, integration, and
  testing.
  
• Ensure
  program deliverables meet quality standards, architectural guidelines, and
  business acceptance criteria.
  
• Maintain
  reusable knowledge artifacts—program documents, templates, playbooks, and
  SOPs.
  

Required Skills & Experience

1.  Functional Expertise

• Strong
  understanding of Advanced Planning Systems, supply chain planning
  processes, and APS implementation lifecycle.
  
• Experience
  with one or more platforms preferred: Kinaxis, o9, SAP IBP, Blue Yonder,
  etc.
  
• Solid
  knowledge of enterprise integration landscapes, data models, and planning
  algorithms.
  
• Ability
  to review functional designs, validate technical architecture, and guide
  functional/technical teams.
  

2. Program Management Excellence

• 12–18+
  years of experience with at least 5–7 years leading large, global
  programs.
  
• Proven
  success running multi-stream, multi-vendor enterprise transformation
  programs in supply chain, IT, or planning domains.
  
• Strong
  command of program governance, RAID management, budgeting, and stakeholder
  management.
  
• Experience
  managing large cross-functional teams (40–100+ resources) across
  geographies.
  

3. Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Exceptional
  communication and senior stakeholder management experience.
  
• Ability
  to influence business leaders, IT architects, and global process owners.
  
• Strong
  decision-making in ambiguous or high-pressure environments.
  
• Highly
  structured, detail-oriented, and excellent at driving clarity and
  accountability.
  

Educational Background & Certifications

• Bachelor's/MBA
  from Tier 1; Tier 2 college
  
• Certifications
  such as PMP, PgMP, SAFe, CSM, CSPO, or equivalent are a strong advantage.
  
• APS-related
  certifications (Kinaxis/O9/IBP/Blue Yonder) preferred but not mandatory.
  

Personal Attributes

• Strategic
  thinker with strong ownership mindset.
  
• Resilient,
  calm under pressure, and able to work in complex stakeholder environments.
  
• Strong
  organizational and prioritization skills.
  
• Collaborative
  team player with an ability to motivate diverse teams.
  
• Pragmatic
  problem-solver with a business-outcome-first approach.
  

Requirements