Supplier Helpdesk Project Manager – SAP Ariba

Job Title: Supplier Helpdesk Project Manager – SAP Ariba

Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Experience: 10+ Years

Position Overview

We are looking for an experienced Supplier Helpdesk Project Manager – SAP Ariba to lead and manage supplier support operations across supplier onboarding, registration, qualification, enablement, and supplier lifecycle management.

The successful candidate will be responsible for end-to-end service delivery, project mobilization, transition, operational governance, SLA/KPI management, stakeholder engagement, supplier escalations, and continuous improvement across SAP Ariba and related procurement platforms.

The role will serve as the primary point of contact for client stakeholders and supplier communities, ensuring high-quality supplier support, operational excellence, SLA compliance, and continuous enhancement of the supplier experience.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supplier Helpdesk & Service Delivery

Lead end-to-end supplier helpdesk operations through phone, email, portal, and ticketing channels.

Manage supplier onboarding, registration, qualification, enablement, and profile maintenance activities.

Ensure timely and accurate resolution of supplier queries related to SAP Ariba and procurement processes.

Define and monitor SLAs, KPIs, quality standards, and service performance.

Act as the escalation point for critical supplier and business issues.

Drive improvements in First Contact Resolution (FCR), turnaround time, and supplier satisfaction.

2. SAP Ariba Operations

Oversee supplier support processes across:

Supplier Registration

Supplier Enablement

Supplier Qualification

Supplier Lifecycle & Performance Management

Supplier Profile Management

Ariba Network Support

Catalog Management

Supplier Master Data

Coordinate with Procurement, Sourcing, Category Management, IT, and SAP Ariba teams to resolve operational and technical issues.

Support SAP Ariba enhancements, upgrades, testing, releases, and process optimization.

Ensure adherence to defined procurement processes and governance standards.

3. Project & Transition Management

Lead project mobilization, knowledge transition, service transition, and go-live activities.

Develop and maintain project plans, RAID logs, risk registers, governance frameworks, and transition plans.

Manage transition readiness assessments and ensure operational preparedness before go-live.

Coordinate knowledge acquisition and documentation from incumbent teams or client stakeholders.

Plan and execute onboarding and training programs for helpdesk resources.

Ensure smooth transition from project implementation into steady-state operations.

4. Stakeholder & Supplier Management

Act as the primary interface between the service provider, client stakeholders, procurement teams, suppliers, and technology partners.

Build strong relationships with business and supplier communities.

Conduct regular service reviews, governance meetings, operational reviews, and performance discussions.

Manage supplier escalations and business-critical issues through effective resolution and communication.

Drive initiatives to improve supplier experience and engagement.

5. Team Leadership & Resource Management

Lead Team Leads, SAP Ariba SMEs, Helpdesk Associates, and support teams.

Define team objectives, performance metrics, and operational targets.

Conduct performance reviews and implement coaching and development plans.

Manage resource planning, capacity, shift coverage, and workload balancing.

Build SAP Ariba and supplier-support capabilities within the team.

Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

6. Reporting & Governance

Establish and manage operational governance frameworks.

Prepare and present:

SLA/KPI Dashboards

Weekly/Monthly Governance Reports

Operational Performance Reviews

Executive Steering Committee Updates

Supplier Satisfaction Reports

Service Improvement Plans

Monitor ticket volumes, resolution times, backlog, escalations, FCR, and supplier feedback.

Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and implement corrective and preventive actions.

Provide management with insights, trends, risks, and improvement recommendations.

7. Continuous Improvement & Automation

Identify opportunities to optimize supplier support processes and reduce operational effort.

Implement self-service portals, knowledge bases, FAQs, chatbots, and AI-enabled supplier support.

Drive automation of repetitive supplier queries and operational processes.

Identify opportunities for cost optimization and productivity improvement.

Apply Lean Six Sigma / continuous improvement methodologies where applicable.

Improve supplier onboarding cycle time, resolution efficiency, and overall supplier experience.

Required Skills & Experience

10+ years of overall experience in IT service delivery, project management, procurement operations, or supplier management.

Strong experience managing SAP Ariba supplier enablement/support operations.

Hands-on understanding of SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance (SLP), Supplier Registration, Supplier Qualification, and Ariba Network.

Experience managing supplier onboarding and enablement programs.

Strong understanding of Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Source-to-Contract (S2C), and supplier management processes.

Proven experience managing supplier helpdesk / service desk operations.

Strong experience in SLA, KPI, CSAT, FCR, ticket management, and service governance.

Experience in project mobilization, transition, knowledge transfer, and go-live management.

Strong stakeholder and supplier management skills.

Experience managing large, multi-functional teams.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, and escalation-management capabilities.

Experience with service improvement, process optimization, and automation initiatives.

Strong communication, presentation, and executive stakeholder management skills.

Experience working with global or enterprise-scale procurement environments is preferred.

Preferred Certifications

SAP Ariba Certification preferred.

PMP / PRINCE2 preferred.

ITIL Foundation / ITIL 4 preferred.

Lean Six Sigma certification is an advantage.

Agile/Scrum certification is an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

Supplier Satisfaction (CSAT)

First Contact Resolution (FCR)

SLA Compliance

Average Ticket Resolution Time

Query Resolution Accuracy

Supplier Onboarding Cycle Time

Escalation Rate

Ticket Backlog Reduction

Knowledge Base / Self-Service Utilization

Team Productivity

Automation & Cost Efficiency

Supplier Experience Improvement