Head of SAP Platform Services

Rieter is the world’s leading supplier of systems for manufacturing yarn from staple fibers in spinning mills. Based in Winterthur (Switzerland), the company develops and manufactures machinery, systems and components used to convert natural and man-made fibers and their blends into yarns in the most cost-efficient manner. Cutting-edge spinning technology from Rieter contributes to sustainability in the textile value chain by minimizing the use of resources. Rieter has been in business for 230 years, has 18 production locations in ten countries and employs a global workforce of around 4 790, about 16% of whom are based in Switzerland.

You have power, are versatile, service- and goal-oriented? You like to work in a team, are curious and always find innovative ways to reach your goals? Then you fit perfectly within our team and can strengthen our business as

As Head of SAP Platform Services, you will be the strategic and operational leader for the technical foundation of Rieter’s global SAP landscape. This role is deeply rooted in SAP Basis, SAP Development, and SAP Security, ensuring seamless, secure, and efficient operations across both on-premise and cloud environments (RISE with SAP).

You will take over during a critical phase of Rieter’s global S/4HANA transformation, succeeding the current role holder due to retirement. With a strong focus on performance, system integrity, and modernization, this is a high-impact role reporting directly to the Group CIO.

• Lead the SAP Platform Services department, consisting of: SAP Basis consultants, SAP Security experts, SAP Development team and external service providers
• Managing SAP RISE environment and managing licenses
• Own and evolve the global SAP infrastructure architecture and roadmap.
• Drive daily operations of SAP systems, ensuring uptime, security, compliance, and performance.
• Provide technical and project leadership during the ongoing SAP S/4HANA transformation and future SAP consolidation initiatives.
• Oversee system installations, upgrades, patches, and proactive maintenance.
• Lead advanced SAP Basis troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and incident resolution.
• Ensure security hardening, role design, and access management aligned with compliance standards.
• Guide and optimize custom development strategy, tools, and governance across the SAP ecosystem.
• Collaborate with SAP Application teams to ensure system reliability, technical feasibility, and performance.

• Higher degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Proven hands-on experience as an SAP Basis Consultant / Administrator, ideally within a large-scale, integrated SAP landscape.
• Solid experience in SAP Development environments (ABAP stack, transport management, custom code governance).
• Strong technical know-how in SAP Security—user roles, authorizations, GRC principles.
• Familiarity with cloud-based SAP platforms such as SAP BTP, CALM, SAP for Me, and Commerce Cloud.
• Practical experience with S/4HANA architecture, migrations, and hybrid landscapes (on-prem/cloud).
• Experience in team leadership or project management, ideally in an international context.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills, fluent in English (German a plus).
• Minimum of 5 years in a comparable SAP leadership or senior technical role.

• A leadership role at the core of Rieter’s global digital foundation.
• The opportunity to shape a future-proof SAP environment in a transformation phase.
• A high-impact role with direct exposure to the CIO and executive leadership.
• A collaborative, international work environment.

Nevenka Apollonio
Global HR Business Partner

Rieter AG
www.rieter.com

Are you interested? If you recognize yourself in this profile and you would like to be part of a successful team, we look forward to meeting you soon. Please send us your complete application documents online.

Agencies: Please note, that we consider only direct application for this vacancy.