Head of Enterprise Platforms & Applications

Job description

The Job At STICHD, we connect technology, processes, and people to enable business growth across our global operations. Our enterprise platforms are at the heart of everything we do, from product creation and supply chain execution to finance, planning, logistics, and customer delivery. We operate a modern SAP S/4HANA landscape complemented by PLM, WMS, Supply Planning, Integration, and other business-critical applications. As we continue our transformation towards a product-oriented and agile operating model, we are looking for an experienced leader who can combine technology leadership, operational excellence, and people development. This is not a traditional application management role. We are looking for a transformative leader who can build high-performing teams, modernize ways of working, and create an environment where stability, innovation, and continuous improvement go hand in hand. As Head of Enterprise Platforms & Applications, you will lead the teams responsible for delivering, supporting, and continuously improving our enterprise application landscape. You will be responsible for SAP S/4HANA, surrounding enterprise platforms, and the people who make them successful. You will drive the evolution from a traditional functional support organization towards a product-led delivery model where multidisciplinary teams own both operational excellence and business outcomes. Your mission is clear: Keep the core stable. Deliver change faster. Develop people. Your Mission As Head of Enterprise Platforms & Applications, you will lead the teams responsible for delivering, supporting, and continuously improving our enterprise application landscape. You will be responsible for SAP S/4HANA, surrounding enterprise platforms, and the people who make them successful. You will drive the evolution from a traditional functional support organization towards a product-led delivery model where multidisciplinary teams own both operational excellence and business outcomes. Your mission is clear: Keep the core stable. Deliver change faster. Develop people. Enterprise Platform Leadership Own the strategy, roadmap, and operational performance of the enterprise application landscape. Ensure enterprise platforms support current and future business objectives. Balance operational stability with business innovation and transformation initiatives. Drive modern application management practices across the organization. Act as a trusted advisor to senior business and technology stakeholders. SAP S/4HANA Leadership Lead the SAP S/4HANA platform strategy and delivery organization. Drive adoption and governance of Clean Core principles. Lead SAP upgrade initiatives, release planning, and technology modernization efforts. Oversee SAP Fiori adoption and continuous user experience improvements. Ensure sustainable architecture, standardization, and reduction of technical debt. Govern SAP enhancements, developments, integrations, and lifecycle management activities. Landscape & Environment Management Own the end-to-end enterprise application landscape strategy. Lead environment governance across Development, Test, Acceptance, and Production environments. Oversee landscape refreshes and data replication activities. Ensure non-production environments are regularly refreshed with relevant production data while meeting compliance, security, and quality requirements. Improve testing effectiveness by providing reliable and representative test environments. Collaborate with infrastructure, security, and integration teams to maintain a robust application ecosystem. Agile Product Delivery & DevOps Lead a sprint-based enterprise application organization operating under Agile and DevOps principles. Transform functional consultant teams into Product Owners, Product Experts, and business partners. Establish clear ownership of products, services, backlogs, and business outcomes. Drive effective sprint planning, backlog refinement, reviews, and retrospectives. Ensure teams balance Run, Change, and Innovation activities within a single operating model. Improve delivery predictability, quality, and responsiveness to business demand. Foster a culture where success is measured through delivered business value rather than completed activities. People Leadership & Talent Development Lead, coach, and inspire a multidisciplinary team of Application Owners, Product Owners, Functional Consultants, Technical Specialists, and external partners. Develop future leaders and subject matter experts within the organization. Build a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning. Manage performance through clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and coaching. Create development plans that support both individual ambitions and organizational needs. Empower teams to make decisions and take ownership without micromanagement. Enterprise Application Portfolio Provide leadership, governance, and direction across business-critical platforms including: SAP S/4HANA SAP Fiori Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) Supply Planning Solutions Integration Platforms Business Process Automation Solutions Future enterprise platforms supporting business growth You will ensure application owners and product owners operate as one aligned team focused on delivering measurable business value. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence Create a culture focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence. Drive simplification, standardization, automation, and process optimization. Reduce recurring incidents, technical debt, and operational inefficiencies. Establish meaningful KPIs and service performance measures. Improve system reliability, stakeholder satisfaction, and delivery velocity. Ensure lessons learned from incidents, releases, and projects are embedded into future ways of working. Business Partnership & Stakeholder Management Partner closely with Functional Excellence teams, Business Process Owners, Process Excellence Leads, Enterprise Architects, and senior business leaders. Build strong relationships between business and technology teams. Translate business priorities into clear delivery roadmaps and actionable backlogs. Facilitate alignment across commercial, product creation, supply chain, logistics, planning, finance, and technology domains. Create an environment where business and technology jointly own outcomes and success. What Success Looks Like Within your first 24 months, you will have: Established a mature product-oriented operating model. Successfully developed functional consultants into business-focused Product Owners and Product Experts. Improved collaboration between Enterprise Applications, Functional Excellence, Process Owners, Architecture, and Business stakeholders. Increased delivery speed while improving platform stability. Successfully delivered SAP upgrades and landscape modernization initiatives. Reduced technical debt through effective Clean Core governance. Improved employee engagement, ownership, and accountability. Created a culture of continuous improvement and measurable business value delivery. Your Talent A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in IT, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field. Extensive experience leading enterprise applications, ERP landscapes, and digital transformation initiatives. A strong track record in managing SAP S/4HANA environments, including upgrades, modernization programs, and Clean Core governance. Experience with broader enterprise platforms such as PLM, WMS, Supply Planning, and integrations. Proven success in Agile, DevOps, and product-led operating models. The ability to lead high-performing teams, collaborate with external partners, and build strong relationships across business and technology functions. Who you are A people-first leader who inspires teams and helps others grow. A coach who empowers ownership, accountability, and decision-making. Equally comfortable discussing long-term strategy and rolling up your sleeves to get things done. Pragmatic, collaborative, and focused on delivering measurable business value. Passionate about continuous improvement, innovation, and building strong partnerships. Someone who naturally connects technology, processes, and people to drive business success. This role is based in Den Bosch, the Netherlands. Working remotely from other countries is not possible. To apply for this role, you must already have the legal right to work in the Netherlands. We will not apply for work or residence permits. We Offer Our salaries are based on 38 hours per week, but full-time work is 40 hours per week. Instead, you choose between a lot of holidays; 40 per year ór choose for a 40-hour salary per month with still 28 holidays. You can switch every six months; Annual bonus scheme; New hires (introduction) days; Great offer of e-learnings and a training offer for personal development; Enough free fruit for you daily vitamins; Provided lunch for low cost; Choose between lease-bike, NS Business Card or travel by car for € 0,25 per km (>10km). 8% holiday allowance, employee insurances and a good pension scheme; Employee discount on the PUMA, Levi’s, Fuelforfans and BMW Lifestyle websites; Hybrid working. On fulltime basis 3 days in the office and 2 days at home (incl. allowance for home working); Flexible working hours, modern workspace and a good working atmosphere; International working environment with colleagues of more than 50 different nationalities; Wellbeing activities (f.e. yoga, pilates and bootcamp) and an inhouse gym; Community involvement (STICHD impact tool); STICHD drinks 5/6x per year in the city center of Den Bosch; Work hard, play hard. Our STICHD-events are legendary. About Us We like to think of ourselves as a family of experts. Ok, we know what you’re thinking: at over 700 members, that’s a pretty big family. But what we really mean is that, whatever our skills or our story, whatever the task or the time pressure, we’re in it together. Pushing each other, backing each other and believing in each other, always. We’re one STICHD. And that matters, because this one company does a lot. We partner with some of the world’s most iconic brands to create products that people love. From socks and underwear to swim and fanwear. From PUMA and Levi’s to Formula 1 and Manchester City. From design and logistics to retail and events. From our HQ in the Netherlands to sales offices and logistics centres all over the world. Like we said: a lot. Why join us? Because at STICHD, you get the best of both worlds. The buzz and exposure of working on a global scale with the world’s biggest brands. The freedom and flexibility to find your own passion and follow your own path. But most of all, because we care. We really care. About our brands and products. About each package and every fan’s experience. About one another. We have some amazing people at STICHD. People with different backgrounds and skillsets, perspectives and personalities. Global leaders in their field who always stay curious, grounded and never stop learning. Does this sound like it could be you? Click ‘apply’ and show us what you’ve got! AQCUISITION AS A RESULT OF VACANIES IS NOT APPRECIATED STICHD provides equal opportunities for all job applicants, regardless of race, colour, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Equality for all is one of the core principles at STICHD and PUMA, and we do not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination. At STICHD and PUMA, every application is reviewed by real people who are committed to fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity - no matter your background, identity, or experience. To ensure our process stays true to these values, no automated systems or AI tools are used to make hiring decisions. Every decision is made by real people -with real judgment and accountability. We may use functions supported by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to carry out isolated organizational steps, such as scheduling interviews. These functions have no influence on decisions in the application process. We believe in creating spaces where everyone is welcome, celebrated, and empowered to contribute authentically.