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At Ferrara, Ferrero, Fox’s Burton’s, and The Fine Biscuits Company, we’re loved by people of all generations for the joy we bring—and that joy is crafted by our people. Join us and explore a whole world to discover, where your passion will find its place.

Today, Ferrara is the #1 sugar confectioner in the U.S, with global sales in more than 40 countries. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of over 9,000 employees around the world who deliver and create hundreds of iconic and beloved products.

In the U.S., more than 67 million households annually enjoy our popular brands like NERDS®, Brach’s®, Jelly Belly®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli®. In Brazil, Dori has become a household name with snacking products that include brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100. And, in France, Carambar & Co have earned generations of loyal customers through the timeless appeal of iconic candy and chocolate brands such as Carambar, Lutti, Krema, Poulain, Vichy and Terry’s. A privately held company, Ferrara Group is headquartered in Chicago. Ferrara boasts a network of over 30 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities.

Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

Principal , IT Product Manager, SAP Platform

Work Location: Chicago

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

The Principal IT Product Manager, SAP Platform plays a strategic role in designing and governing SAP platforms and solutions across a large-scale, complex enterprise environment. This role ensures Ferrara’s Platforms across RISE S4HANA Private Cloud Edition, IBP & Ariba Public Cloud Platforms and SAP Middleware Technologies CPI, CI-DS, RTI and CIG are secure, scalable, standardized, upgraded periodically as a part of release management and aligned with strategic business and technology roadmaps.

The Principal IT Product Manager, SAP Platform, will work directly with Business leaders, IT Leaders and external Service Providers leading enterprise-wide SAP, non-SAP Saas technology platforms facilitating the delivery of scalable, easy-to-sustain standardized solutions. A keen understanding of the goals and objectives of cross-functional SAP Enterprise Applications is required.

Ways you will make a difference

Product Management Strategy & Delivery

Design and maintain enterprise-level architecture (spread across S4HANA, Ariba, IBP, BTP, Integration with ancillary SaaS Applications)
Act as a trusted advisor to business teams and BRMs articulating SAP BTP and RISE’s value proposition and differentiation
Help design and deliver compelling demonstrations, proofs-of-concept, and architectural guidance aligned to business needs
Continuously develop deep expertise in SAP BTP, industry trends, and emerging technologies (AI, ML, data-driven applications)
Drive adoption and consumption of BTP solutions, ensuring business value realization.
Develop team goals, foster professional growth, and manage roles and accountability across the department.
Allocate resources to support new and advanced capabilities.
Lead root cause analyses for new and sustaining products.
Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and capital equipment planning.
Maintain a strong focus on safety across all functional areas.

Security, Compliance & Risk Management

Embed enterprise-grade security and compliance controls into all cloud applications.
Ensure solutions adhere to corporate policies, regulatory standards, and industry frameworks
Collaborate with Security & Infrastructure team to enable best-in-class release management, Technology Upgrades and Identity Access Platforms across corporate functions and manufacturing sites across the globe
Lead risk assessments for new cloud solutions and vendors to ensure operational continuity through robust disaster recovery and resilience patterns.

Technology Advisory Leadership

Lead architectural efforts for large-scale transformation programs partnering with Enterprise Architect
Work across multiple business lines, IT domains, and project teams to guide architecture decisions and resolve technical challenges.
Experience in BTP Platform, enterprise integration platform, integration with ancillary systems
Managing budget for planned technical release and coordinate with leadership on functional releases
Review solution designs and implementation approaches to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture principles.

Automation, Standardization & Optimization

Define and support the development of enterprise platforms, standardization across global manufacturing sites, automate processes and drive Continuous Improvement/Continuous Deployment Model across the organization
Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders (OTC, M&L, Supply Chain, PTP etc) and partner ecosystem to ensure consistent engagement and alignment.
Create scalable architectures for mission-critical SAP applications, processes, data platforms, and integration layers that span across multiple platforms and end-to-end business process
Manage internal and external SAP Basis Teams
Oversee the design of highly available, geo-distributed architectures optimized for performance and resilience.
Enable best-in-class platform and products across cross-functional business requirements
Develop technology roadmap aligned with business recommendations, solution concepts and business cases for new investments.
Develop governance models, security guardrails, and architectural policies to ensure consistent delivery of projects.

Product Management - Delivery

Provide technical and leadership guidance to the cross-functional team delivering standard SAP Products and value-driven custom enhancements
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop, standardize, and optimize business processes.
Manage multiple projects concurrently, ensuring alignment with production priorities and business objectives.
Drive initiatives to improve quality, reduce costs, and implement advanced technologies such as automation and mechanization.
Oversee timely release of engineering documentation and technical processes.
API Management & Integration: Guide business and cross-functional teams on securely connecting and orchestrating applications, data, and processes across hybrid landscapes.
Business AI: Inspire adoption of responsible, enterprise-grade AI capabilities to deliver measurable business outcomes.
Partner with operations leadership to meet design, build, and test milestones for complex programs.
Ensure robust engineering fundamentals and processes are applied consistently to maintain product integrity and process capability.
Process Improvement: Continuous enhancement of operations to improve productivity and efficiency.
Drive practical cost optimization with proven deployment models, established budgeting models

Stakeholder Alignment & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Engage with senior leaders, enterprise architects, and business SMEs to translate enterprise needs into scalable solutions and architectures.
Present architecture recommendations, trade-offs, and risk assessments to executive, functional and technical audiences.
Collaborate with Business Stakeholders, Business Relationship Manager, vendor partners, system integrators, SaaS providers, internal teams, and third-party integrators to ensure alignment with enterprise standards.

Skills that will make you successful

Strategic thinker who can simplify complexity and drive clarity in large organizations.
Strong communicator capable of influencing decision-making across business units and technical teams.
Highly collaborative, with the ability to lead discussions with architects, engineers, and executives.
Proactive, structured, and detail-oriented with a focus on delivering enterprise value.

Experiences that will support your success

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. Master’s degree preferred
10+ years of IT experience, with at least 3–5 years in a Director/Lead role in SAP Platform Management
Experience with S4 HANA is a plus

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we’re proud to support our employees by providing comprehensive benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, a 401(k), and paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $141,216 - $197,700 annually.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.