SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Planning Architect
Blue Pearl PTY LTD City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng, South Africa
IT Services and IT Consulting · 11-50 employees
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About the role
The SAC Planning Architect will lead the end-to-end design and delivery of enterprise-wide planning solutions, including financial, workforce, and operational models. They will act as a strategic advisor to senior stakeholders while providing technical leadership and mentoring to delivery teams.
What they look for
Requirements
Candidates must have over 7 years of experience in Enterprise Performance Management and at least 4 years of specific SAP Analytics Cloud Planning implementation experience. Strong expertise in multi-model architecture, financial processes, and integration with SAP data platforms is required.
Full description
BluePearl Consulting partners with businesses to deliver technology-driven solutions that support innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enable informed decision-making. We connect organisations with specialised technology expertise to solve complex business challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes.
We are looking for an experienced SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Planning Architect to lead the architecture, design, and delivery of enterprise-wide planning and performance management solutions.
The successful candidate will translate complex financial and business planning requirements into scalable SAC Planning solutions across FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, workforce planning, CAPEX, sales, and operational planning.
Working closely with CFOs, Finance Directors, and senior stakeholders, you will provide strategic guidance and technical leadership throughout the full implementation lifecycle.
Requirements
Key Responsibilities
1. SAC Planning Architecture
- Define and own end-to-end SAP Analytics Cloud Planning solution architecture.
- Design enterprise planning models covering:• Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Workforce planning
- Capital expenditure (CAPEX) planning
- Sales and revenue planning
- Cost centre and operational planning
- Establish planning design standards, governance frameworks, and modelling best practices.
- Design multi-model planning architectures and ensure scalability, performance, and maintainability.
- Develop SAC Planning roadmaps aligned with business objectives and client strategies.
2. Client Advisory and Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a trusted advisor to CFOs, Finance Directors, and executive stakeholders.
- Facilitate planning strategy workshops and requirements-gathering sessions.
- Translate complex business requirements into effective technical solutions.
- Assess existing planning processes and recommend improvements.
- Present architecture decisions, solution designs, and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Support pre-sales activities, solution proposals, and business development initiatives.
3. SAC Planning Delivery Leadership
- Lead end-to-end SAC Planning implementations from solution design through deployment.
- Provide technical direction to functional consultants, developers, and delivery teams.
- Review planning models, calculations, data actions, and advanced formulas.
- Ensure adherence to SAP best practices and agreed architecture standards.
- Identify architecture risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Support user acceptance testing (UAT), deployment, and post-go-live hypercare.
4. Financial Planning Solution Design
Design and oversee solutions for:
- Strategic planning and annual budgeting
- Rolling and driver-based forecasting
- Workforce and headcount planning
- CAPEX and cost centre planning
- Revenue and profitability planning
- Scenario planning and what-if modelling
- Predictive forecasting
5. Integration Architecture
Design integration strategies between SAP Analytics Cloud and:
- SAP S/4HANA
- SAP Datasphere
- SAP BW/4HANA and SAP BW
- SAP ECC
- SAP HANA
- Non-SAP ERP platforms
- HR and payroll systems
Responsibilities include data acquisition design, import processes, live connectivity, data actions integration, and process automation.
6. Technical Leadership and Mentoring
- Define modelling standards and conduct architecture reviews.
- Establish performance optimisation guidelines.
- Lead technical troubleshooting and solution optimisation.
- Review model structures, calculations, data actions, and advanced formulas.
- Mentor consultants and team members, supporting technical development and delivery quality.
Required Skills and Experience
- 7+ years of Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) experience.
- 4+ years of SAP Analytics Cloud Planning implementation experience.
- Experience leading multiple end-to-end SAC Planning implementations as a lead architect.
- Deep understanding of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management processes.
- Strong experience designing enterprise planning models and multi-model architectures.
- Experience integrating SAC Planning with SAP data platforms and non-SAP systems.
- Demonstrated ability to engage with senior finance stakeholders and translate business requirements into technical solutions.
- Strong architecture, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Proven ability to lead technical teams and maintain solution quality throughout the implementation lifecycle.
Ideal Candidate Profile
You are a strategic thinker and hands-on architecture leader who understands both the technical capabilities of SAC Planning and the financial processes it supports. You can confidently engage with executive stakeholders, lead complex implementations, guide delivery teams, and design solutions that support long-term business performance.
