Lead SAP BASIS Consultant - SAP RISE & Hyperscaler (Hands-On Technical Lead)
Location: 100% Onsite (Orange, CT or Boston, MA)
Duration: 12-Month Contract with Potential Extension
SMX is seeking a highly technical, hands-on Lead SAP BASIS Consultant with deep expertise delivering both Brownfield and Greenfield SAP S/4HANA implementations within SAP RISE Hyperscaler environments. This is not a strategy-only architecture role. The selected consultant will serve as the technical leader responsible for executing complex SAP migrations, conversions, cloud connectivity, HANA administration, downtime optimization, and ongoing RISE operations.
The ideal candidate will possess proven experience leading end-to-end SAP S/4HANA transformations, including direct involvement in SUM/DMO migrations, SAP Readiness activities, HANA database optimization, cutover execution, and SAP RISE operations in hyperscaler environments such as Azure, AWS, or GCP.
Key Responsibilities
SAP RISE Technical Leadership & Migration Execution
- Lead the end-to-end technical execution of SAP S/4HANA Brownfield conversions and Greenfield deployments within SAP RISE environments.
- Serve as the primary SAP BASIS lead across all phases of migration, from technical assessment through production cutover and post-go-live stabilization.
- Execute and oversee SAP migration activities utilizing SUM/DMO, including system moves, upgrades, conversions, and migration rehearsals.
- Coordinate closely with SAP Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS), infrastructure teams, security teams, application owners, and business stakeholders.
Cloud Connectivity & Infrastructure Integration
- Design, establish, and validate secure connectivity between source environments and target SAP RISE Hyperscaler platforms.
- Configure and support technologies such as:
- SAP Cloud Connector
- VPN Connectivity
- Azure ExpressRoute
- AWS Direct Connect
- RFC Communication Channels
- Middleware and Integration Tunnels
- Ensure technical readiness of network, security, and infrastructure components required for migration activities.
SAP Readiness & Technical Preparation
- Execute SAP Readiness Check assessments and Simplification Item analyses.
- Implement and validate mandatory SAP Notes and pre-conversion requirements.
- Perform Maintenance Planner activities and technical system assessments.
- Identify and resolve technical blockers discovered during readiness and pre-check phases.
SAP HANA & Database Management
- Lead HANA database preparation activities, including:
- Data volume analysis
- Table splitting strategies
- Archiving and housekeeping
- Database optimization
- Structural consistency validation
- Troubleshoot migration issues related to database performance, data integrity, and technical conversion requirements.
Downtime Optimization & Cutover Management
- Lead mock conversions and dress rehearsal cycles to achieve aggressive business downtime objectives.
- Apply advanced migration optimization techniques, including:
- Downtime-Optimized DMO (doDMO)
- R3load Parallelization
- Infrastructure scaling strategies within hyperscaler environments
- Develop and maintain detailed technical cutover runbooks.
- Lead production cutover activities and coordinate all technical workstreams during go-live events.
SAP RISE Operations & Governance
- Manage post-migration BASIS operations within the SAP RISE delivery model.
- Coordinate ongoing activities with SAP ECS and understand ownership boundaries within the RISE RACI framework.
- Support:
- Transport Management Systems (TMS)
- Cloud ALM monitoring
- Performance tuning
- Kernel and support package maintenance
- Backup and recovery validation
- High Availability and Disaster Recovery coordination
- Provide technical governance and operational leadership throughout the engagement lifecycle.
Delivery Phases
Phase 1: Technical Discovery, Readiness & Cloud Connectivity
- Execute SAP Readiness Check and Simplification Item assessments.
- Implement required SAP Notes and pre-conversion activities.
- Analyze HANA landscape and database structures.
- Establish secure connectivity between source environments and SAP RISE infrastructure.
Phase 2: Sandbox & Non-Production Migration Execution
- Perform Brownfield migrations utilizing SUM/DMO methodologies.
- Support Greenfield provisioning and deployment activities with SAP ECS.
- Resolve migration-related technical issues and validate system integrity.
- Establish transport management and monitoring frameworks.
Phase 3: Downtime Optimization & Dress Rehearsals
- Execute multiple rehearsal migrations and mock cutovers.
- Optimize migration performance to achieve targeted cutover windows.
- Finalize production migration procedures and technical runbooks.
Phase 4: Production Cutover & Operational Transition
- Lead the Production Cutover event and coordinate directly with SAP ECS.
- Validate post-go-live technical stability and system performance.
- Transition into ongoing SAP RISE administration and operational support.
Required Experience
- 8+ years of progressive SAP BASIS experience supporting enterprise SAP landscapes.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience leading at least one full SAP S/4HANA migration to SAP RISE from planning through production deployment.
- Proven expertise executing both Brownfield system conversions and/or Greenfield SAP S/4HANA implementations.
- Deep technical knowledge of:
- SAP BASIS Administration
- SAP S/4HANA
- SAP HANA
- SUM/DMO
- SAP Readiness Check
- Maintenance Planner
- SAP Cloud Connector
- Transport Management and Cloud ALM
- Strong experience with hyperscaler platforms including Azure, AWS, or GCP.
- Expertise in performance tuning, system copies, upgrades, migrations, HA/DR, backup and recovery strategies.
- Experience working directly with SAP ECS within SAP RISE operating models.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex migration, infrastructure, networking, and database issues under tight delivery timelines.
- Strong leadership capabilities with experience directing cross-functional technical teams during critical migration events and production cutovers.
Preferred Qualifications
- SAP BASIS or SAP Technology certifications.
- SAP S/4HANA Migration, Conversion, or SAP RISE-related certifications.
- Experience supporting large-scale enterprise SAP landscapes with stringent uptime requirements.
- Prior consulting experience leading global SAP transformation initiatives.
What Success Looks Like
The successful consultant will be a hands-on technical leader capable of executing the most critical aspects of SAP RISE migrations rather than functioning solely as an oversight architect. This individual will possess deep expertise across BASIS, HANA, cloud connectivity, migration execution, downtime optimization, and SAP RISE operations, ensuring successful delivery from initial assessment through long-term production support.