Senior Strategic AI Program & Release Manager

Position Overview We are seeking a talented Senior Strategic AI Program & Release Manager with 8 plus years of experience to drive planning, execution, and delivery of cross‑functional AI initiatives within the SAP Application AI (CoE) Strategy team in the Product Engineering board area. The team focuses on execution of SAP’s AI strategy and leads cross‑P&E initiatives. In this role, you will manage complex, high‑impact programs across multiple initiatives, partner closely with engineering and product teams to enable secure and scalable delivery, and drive continuous process improvements through strong program governance. Role This position is based in California and will play a critical role in supporting the Application AI Strategy team's key initiatives, including: Forward Deployed Engineering – actively contributing to engineering programs and managing cross‑functional processes related to cross‑board and customer outcome KPIs Deep Research & Experience Generation AI product – supporting research programs and initiatives Shared AI Services – partnering for services delivery and governance programs You will contribute to these initiatives through collaboration with P&E development teams, program governance, and strategic initiatives execution. You will also work very closely with S&O and CS&D board areas. Key Responsibilities Lead end‑to‑end planning, execution, and delivery of cross‑functional AI/ML and engineering programs (including release readiness), providing thought leadership and building trusted‑advisor relationships with cross‑functional teams Develop and maintain work plans, schedules, resource plans, and governance cadences; establish and evolve operating models, program governance, and delivery best practices Manage programs of high volume or high risk/complexity, ensuring goals and milestones are met, dependencies are actively managed, and approved budgets are tracked appropriately Communicate program status, risks, dependencies, and outcomes to leadership and stakeholders; manage escalations appropriately and provide regular, crisp updates and reporting Collaborate with engineering, product, and design teams to align delivery to standards and processes; drive CI/CD and release management best practices to support secure, scalable solution delivery Ensure adherence to security, privacy, and compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, DPP, internal security standards); coordinate security validations, AI onboarding, AI ethics, and commercialization readiness processes Support execution of AI strategy across research, engineering, and shared services initiatives (including Forward Deployed Engineering and Experience Generation programs); monitor progress, engage in technical solution delivery where needed, and manage interdependencies across teams Build strong cross‑functional partnerships across SAP (including Board and L1 Offices) to drive alignment, resolve cross‑functional and cross‑regional challenges, and enable high‑impact AI use cases Identify and resolve overlaps in scope and functionality across AI strategy initiatives; identify and implement process improvements to enhance delivery efficiency and quality Represent SAP to customers and partners on AI strategy initiatives Actively contribute to customer's usage and adoption of SAP's latest AI innovations across all Application AI Strategy initiatives Qualifications Over 8 years of experience leading and delivering complex programs, particularly in AI/ML, technology strategy, product development, engineering, or research domains Prior management consulting or corporate strategy experience preferred but not required Technical Skills Familiarity with AI/ML, LLM frameworks, and modern AI technologies which would help drive project management across functional teams Understanding of CI/CD, GITHUB, system architecture, SAST tools Knowledge of AI Ethics assessment and AI commercialization processes Knowledge of compliance topics DPP, GDPR and industry security standards Overview of basics services of hyperscalers such as Azure, AWS Overview of Sirius release management tool Soft Skills Strong communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills Excellent problem‑solving, organizational, and analytical abilities Ability to work independently and manage priorities in a global environment Compensation Targeted combined range for this position is 148,600 – 252,600 USD per year. The actual amount offered will be within that range depending on education, skills, experience, scope of the role and location. Variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount; actual payout depends on company and personal performance. Equal Employment Opportunity SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, etc.), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability. AI Usage in the Recruitment Process For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process. Any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process. Recruitment Details Requisition ID: 447047 | Work Area: Software-Design and Development | Expected Travel: 0 – 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #J-18808-Ljbffr SAP