SVP, SAP SuccessFactors Engineering

Job Description

THE OPPORTUNITY

Organizations are navigating one of the most consequential workforce moments in a generation. AI is no longer a roadmap item; it is reshaping how companies manage their people, run their HR processes, and connect workforce decisions to business outcomes. SAP SuccessFactors is at the center of that shift.

We are looking for an engineering leader who can make Autonomous HCM, already real and in customers' hands, faster, stronger, and ready to scale globally. This is the role that builds the platform where AI connects every person, insight, and action, across the full HCM portfolio, for the world's largest organizations, in 160 countries.

You will report directly to the GM and Chief Product Officer of SAP SuccessFactors and partner closely with product, design, and go-to-market leadership to define and execute the engineering strategy. This is not a role for someone who wants to maintain the status quo. It is a role for someone who wants to lead a once-in-a-decade technology transition.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Manage engineering budgets and resource allocation with rigor, balancing sustaining investment, AI innovation, and product development

• Own the engineering strategy and execution for SAP SuccessFactors, including HR, talent, learning, workforce planning, employee experience, and the AI and agentic capabilities that run across all of them

• Lead and grow a world-class global engineering organization of 1,000+ engineers, building a culture of ownership, technical excellence, and relentless customer focus

• Drive the delivery of Autonomous HCM, with AI agents that don't just answer HR questions but take action, orchestrate across business processes, connect people data to business outcomes, and provide best-in-class AI to solve business problems

• Partner with the CPO and product leadership to translate the Autonomous HCM vision into a concrete engineering roadmap with clear priorities, milestones, and accountability

• Ensure SAP's enterprise data foundation, the deepest in the industry, spanning workforce, financial, and operational data, powers a new generation of AI capabilities that no standalone point solution can replicate

• Drive high-velocity, high-quality delivery through modern engineering practices: AI-assisted development, continuous delivery, DevOps, and rigorous operational excellence

• Continuously transform engineering practices, operating models, and team capabilities so the organization remains at the leading edge of technology adoption

• Build and maintain SAP's platform extensibility and partner ecosystem, ensuring customers and system integrators can extend and configure solutions to their specific needs

• Represent engineering leadership externally with customers, analysts, and partners, communicating the vision and progress of Autonomous HCM with clarity and conviction

Qualifications

WHAT YOU BRING

The right candidate brings together technical depth, business judgment, and people leadership at scale.

• 15+ years of engineering leadership experience, including 5+ years leading large global teams (500+ engineers) delivering AI-powered / AI-native enterprise SaaS products

• Proven track record of leading major technology transitions, ideally including a shift to AI-native or agentic product architectures, not just incremental improvement

• Deep knowledge of modern AI/ML technologies, LLM-based agent frameworks, cloud infrastructure, and enterprise data platforms; strong enough to earn credibility with architects and senior engineers

• Experience building and shipping AI-powered / AI-native enterprise products at scale, from early prototype through GA, EAC programs, and broad customer adoption

• Strong product sensibility and the ability to partner with CPO-level leadership to shape roadmap, not just execute against it

• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and retain exceptional engineering talent in a highly competitive market

• Experience navigating large, matrixed organizations, managing cross-functional dependencies, influencing without authority, and building coalitions across SAP's global engineering community

• Exceptional communicator and influencer, able to speak with clarity to engineers, customers, executives, and the press; comfortable representing the company externally

• BS in Computer Science or a related technical field; advanced degree a plus

Ideal Location is Palo Alto, CA

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

Our company does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor

Additional Information

About SAP

With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improves people’s lives.

As a leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience.

We win with inclusion

SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Compensation Range Transparency

SAP believes pay transparency is essential to fostering an honest, supportive, and inclusive culture and is an important part of our commitment to pay equity. The salary range for this position is included in the job posting. The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate will fall within that range and will depend on factors such as education, skills, experience, location, and scope of the role, as determined through the selection process. Where applicable, SAP may also provide variable incentive opportunities and additional benefits, subject to the terms of the relevant plans and policies. Any variable incentive amount is target-based, with actual payouts dependent on company and individual performance. Please reference this link for a summary of SAP benefits and eligibility requirements: SAP North America Benefits .

We are ethical and compliant

…