Project Manager ServiceNow SPM

As part of Körber's group-wide digitalisation agenda, this role drives the implementation and long-term governance of ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) – a mission-critical platform that will serve as the single source of truth for all innovation and R&D portfolio activities across Körber's Business Areas (BAs) and Business Units (BUs).

The position combines the focused delivery discipline of a large-scale enterprise software project manager with the strategic accountability of a permanent Group Process Owner. It is therefore both a transformation driver and a long-term platform steward.

Your role in our team

Key Objectives

• Platform Implementation: Deliver the group-wide rollout of ServiceNow SPM on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards – covering design, configuration, integration, testing, training and go-live.
• Process Harmonization: Define and embed globally harmonized innovation and R&D portfolio management processes and metrics across all BAs, supported by the platform.
• Data & Integration Architecture: Establish a comprehensive, reliable data foundation – including automated interfaces to SAP and other enterprise systems – to eliminate manual effort and create a single source of truth.
• Stakeholder Adoption: Secure sustained adoption by managing change actively: ensuring BA/BU buy-in, delivering effective training, and anchoring the solution in daily operations.
• Continuous Platform Ownership: After go-live, act as Group Process Owner and Application Supervisor – driving continuous improvement, managing enhancements, and ensuring ongoing compliance with process standards.

Responsabilities

  Project Delivery & Governance

• Own and manage the overall project plan: scope, schedule, budget, resource allocation and risk register; ensure delivery against agreed milestones and KPIs.
• Establish and operate a lean but effective project governance structure (Steering Committee, Change Advisory Board, BA workstream leads) aligned with Körber Group standards and in cooperation with Group IT.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional, international project teams – comprising internal subject-matter experts, IT architects, BA/BU representatives and external implementation partners.
• Define and enforce project management standards, documentation practices and decision-making processes throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate test management (unit, integration, UAT); obtain formal business sign-off before each go-live milestone.
• Plan and manage a structured internal hypercare and post-go-live support phase; ensure a clean handover to BA operations with clear ownership.
• Monitor project health continuously and take corrective action proactively; escalate critical risks and blockers to the Steering Committee in a timely manner.

Platform Design & Implementation

• Drive requirements elicitation and prioritization across all BAs and BUs; translate business needs into platform configuration requirements.
• Establish a comprehensive data model covering the full innovation lifecycle – from idea conception through to product end-of-life – to enable active portfolio management.
• Incorporate globally harmonized innovation processes and metrics; ensure the software configuration reflects agreed process standards.
• Design and implement automated data flows and system interfaces – especially to SAP (financial and resource data) – to avoid manual effort and duplicate data storage.
• Support in streamlining the system landscape and position ServiceNow SPM as the central source of truth for all innovation-related activities.
• Mature the platform progressively towards a fully operational end-to-end solution, expanding beyond reporting and governance into active portfolio management and operational use.

Stakeholder Management & Change Adoption

• Identify and actively manage all relevant stakeholders; tailor communication approach to audience (operational users, BU management, Körber Group leadership).
• Prepare and deliver high-quality project status updates, risk reports and executive presentations for Steering Committee and C-level audiences.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive change management and communication plan; conduct change impact assessments per BA/BU.
• Design and coordinate training programmes to ensure effective user onboarding and sustainable platform adoption across all affected teams.
• Manage resistance constructively; act as trusted advisor to BU leadership on process change implications.

 Vendor & Partner Management

• Select, onboard and manage external implementation partners and consultants; ensure contractual compliance and quality of deliverables.
• Challenge vendor proposals critically; balance build-vs-configure decisions in line with Körber's long-term platform strategy.
• Manage the relationship with ServiceNow and relevant third-party vendors throughout the project and into steady state.

Continuous Improvement & Process Ownership (Post Go-Live)

• Act as the central content owner for all processes and metrics mapped in ServiceNow SPM; ensure ongoing alignment with Körber Group innovation standards.
• Serve as the primary non-technical contact point for application-related issues, requests and enhancements.
• Receive, assess and prioritize new requirements from BAs; coordinate evaluation and implementation of system adaptations with BA Application Coordinators.
• Drive a structured continuous improvement cycle: regularly review platform utilization, user feedback and KPI data; initiate enhancements accordingly.
• Document lessons learned from the implementation; contribute to the development of Körber's enterprise project management methodology.

Your profile

Education

• University degree (Bachelor's or Master's) in Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Management or a comparable field.
• Project management certification required: PMP (PMI), PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent; SAFe or Agile certification is an additional asset.
• Change management qualification (e.g. Prosci/ADKAR) is advantageous.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 6–8 years of professional experience in IT project management within complex, international corporate environments.
• At least 3 years of proven experience leading large-scale enterprise software implementations (ERP, SPM, CRM or comparable platforms) from initiation through to go-live and hypercare – experience with SAP or ServiceNow (SPM) implementations is a strong plus.
• Track record of delivering multi-country rollout projects on time and within budget; able to provide concrete references.
• Experience managing a full project lifecycle including requirements management, solution design, system integration, data migration, testing, training and post-go-live support.
• Hands-on experience in data migration projects and enterprise integration design (APIs, middleware).
• Experience working in a decentralized, multi-divisional or multi-BU corporate structure; understanding of Business Area / Business Unit governance models.
• Experience with portfolio and/or innovation management processes is a strong plus; familiarity with ServiceNow (any module) is an advantage.
• Prior experience in a Group / Headquarters function with cross-BU responsibility is beneficial.

Technical & Methodological Skills

• Solid command of project management methodologies (waterfall, agile, hybrid) and their practical application in enterprise IT projects.
• Proficiency in project planning and tracking tools (e.g. MS Project, Jira, Azure DevOps or comparable).
• Good understanding of enterprise software architecture, system integration concepts and data modelling; ability to engage credibly with IT architects and developers.
• Financial literacy: ability to build, manage and report on project budgets; understanding of ROI and business case frameworks.
• Proficiency in MS Office / Microsoft 365 (PowerPoint, Excel, Teams); SharePoint and collaboration tool experience preferred.

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) – mandatory; all project communication at group level is conducted in English.
• German language skills are a significant advantage given Körber's German-speaking headquarters environment.

What we offer

Körber offers a unique opportunity to shape a mission-critical transformation programme at group level – with direct visibility to senior leadership and tangible impact across multiple Business Areas worldwide.

• A high-visibility, strategically important role with genuine ownership and decision-making authority.
• A long-term career path combining project delivery excellence with deep platform and process expertise.
• Close collaboration with senior leadership and exposure to Körber Group's global innovation agenda.
• A modern, collaborative work environment with flexible working arrangements.
• Access to leading-edge enterprise technology and a culture that values continuous learning.
• Competitive remuneration commensurate with the scope and seniority of the role.