SAP Infrastructure Architect

We are seeking an experienced SAP Infrastructure Architect to support and evolve a complex SAP on-premise estate, primarily centred around SAP ECC. This role will focus on maintaining and optimising the current infrastructure environment while contributing to the strategic programme to migrate core financial functions to SAP S/4HANA.

The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring the stability, security, and performance of the SAP landscape. They will also help shape improvements in infrastructure processes, particularly around security patching and operational resilience, while operating within a delivery environment largely managed by an external systems integrator.

This is a hands-on architecture role suited to someone comfortable operating in a maintenance-heavy environment, while still identifying opportunities to improve, modernise, and influence the future direction of the platform.

This is an initial 6 month contract with 3 days a week in Paddington, London.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide infrastructure architecture oversight for a large SAP ECC on-premise landscape supporting critical business functions.
• Maintain and optimise the SAP infrastructure estate, ensuring stability, reliability, and performance of the environment.
• Review and improve security patching processes, increasing both effectiveness and patching cadence across the SAP infrastructure stack.
• Work closely with operational teams and third-party suppliers to ensure best practice infrastructure management and governance.
• Operate within a supplier-led delivery model, collaborating with and challenging existing delivery partners where appropriate.
• Identify adjacent improvement opportunities across the SAP platform, including infrastructure optimisation, automation, and resilience enhancements.
• Provide infrastructure input into the programme migrating core finance capabilities from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA.
• Ensure SAP infrastructure designs align with enterprise architecture standards, security requirements, and long-term transformation goals.
• Act as a key technical advisor to stakeholders across infrastructure, SAP applications, and programme teams.

Requirements:
Required Experience & Skills

• Strong SAP infrastructure architecture experience, ideally supporting SAP ECC environments.
• Deep understanding of SAP on-premise estates, including architecture, hosting, networking, storage, and integration dependencies.
• Demonstrated experience improving infrastructure security patching processes and governance.
• Comfortable operating in complex, operationally heavy environments where stability and maintenance are critical.
• Experience working alongside large systems integrators or managed service providers within enterprise delivery models.
• Ability to influence technical direction while navigating supplier-dominated delivery environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills across technical teams, suppliers, and business leadership.
• Understanding of SAP S/4HANA migration programmes, particularly infrastructure implications.

Desirable Experience

• Experience supporting large-scale SAP landscapes in enterprise organisations.
• Exposure to SAP infrastructure transformation or modernisation initiatives.
• Familiarity with hybrid infrastructure models (on-premise with cloud integration).
• Experience improving automation, operational maturity, or infrastructure governance within SAP estates.

Benefits:
• Competitive day rates
• Opportunity to work with a leading British multinational retailer
• Be part of an exciting transformation project