Managing Director SAP Labs Israel (f/m/d)

Job Description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

Where you belong

The Managing Director (MD) of SAP Labs Israel (f/m/d) is a senior, on-site leadership role responsible for the overall success of that lab as part of the SAP Labs Network. The MD acts as the local face of SAP Product Engineering while representing Labs Israel within the global SAP Labs Network leadership. The role sits at the intersection of people, execution, strategy, and ecosystem, not day‑to‑day product delivery, but the conditions that enable it.

Specifically, this role is responsible for formulating the strategic vision, establishing a cohesive value proposition, and driving the operational excellence of SAP Labs Israel as a global development and engineering hubs. The MD serves as SAP’s spokesperson and legal representative for the Lab, ensuring that appropriate internal and external relationships are developed and maintained to position SAP Labs Israel as a trusted peer, thought leader, and integral node within SAP’s global innovation landscape.

Internally, the MD will ensure, through collaborative efforts, that the Lab acts as a viable business partner to multiple Lines of Business (LoBs) within SAP and contributes to development globalization across the SAP Labs Network (SLN). Engaging and partnering with LoB senior leadership is essential to ensuring aligned, synergistic Lab activity within and outside the region, regardless of formal reporting structure.

Externally, the MD must build and maintain vital relationships within the Israeli technology ecosystem, including government bodies, academia, start-up networks, and industry forums, strengthening SAP’s presence, increasing brand awareness, and establishing a competitive presence in one of the world’s most dynamic innovation markets.

The Managing Director will report directly to the Global Head of SAP Labs Network (SLN). In addition, the MD will serve as a member of the SAP Labs Network Council as a regional representative, providing global Labs direction and ensuring alignment and synergies within the SLN.

What you'll build

Strategic R&D Leadership

• Formulate the strategic vision and value proposition for SAP Labs Israel, aligned with SAP’s global product development strategy.
• Guide the Lab to cultivate targeted expertise and establish itself as a thought leader in areas of strategic importance to SAP, leveraging Israel’s unique strengths in innovation, cybersecurity, AI, and enterprise technology.
• Optimize SAP Labs Israel’s location strategy and strategically manage geo-political risks to safeguard SAP’s significant regional investments.
• Proactively drive harmonization of SAP Labs Israel with the rest of the SLN while preserving the unique culture and innovation legacy of the tech ecosystem.

Operational Excellence & Digitalization

• Oversee the general and administrative functions as well as day-to-day operations of SAP Labs Israel.
• Ensure the Lab’s operational efficiency and transparency through implementation of a digital service catalog embedded with Joule capabilities.
• Formulate and execute the Labs Israel financial plan; drive cost-saving measures across all operations.
• Maintain compliance in key areas including legal, regulatory, and code of business conduct.
• Coordinate business continuity planning and quick responses to crisis situations resulting from geopolitical tensions.

Ecosystem Engagement & Partnership Development

• Actively forge and maintain strategic partnerships with local institutions, universities, and startups to amplify the Lab’s innovation advantage.
• Act as a "sensor network" for SAP, feeding local market insights into global product development and enabling local market units to grow ACV through local experts and developer integration.
• Support SAP’s Academic Research and Applied Research activities with selected top universities aligned with corporate strategy.

People, Talent & Culture

• Lead workforce transformation through AI enablement, general upskilling, and talent development initiatives to accelerate strategy execution and enhance developer productivity.
• Attract, develop, and retain top talent to build competitive advantage and promote SAP as the employer of choice in Israel’s highly competitive technology labor market.
• Foster a highly engaged and motivated workforce by effectively cascading corporate strategies, priorities, and key initiatives to the local team through town halls, all-hands meetings, and engagement events with Board Members or L1 Leaders.
• Build and maintain high leadership engagement; support, mentor, and coach local Lines of Business leadership to ensure aligned and synergistic activity across the Lab.

Labor Relations & Negotiation

• Negotiate with Labor representatives (where applicable) on company policies, programs, and P&C practices, including organizational restructuring and workplace policies.

What you bring

• 15+ years of experience in the IT industry, preferably within the software development domain, with a minimum of 5–8 years of senior operational leadership experience.
• 5+ years of managing managers and people management responsibility in a global, matrixed business setting.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional, virtual teams in a matrix environment.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic thinking, evangelization, keynote speaking, and public engagements.
• Experience driving cross-LoB branding plans, communications initiatives, and events.
• Strong understanding of SAP products and the enterprise software landscape; familiarity with cloud, AI, and in-memory technologies is highly desirable.
• Experience navigating complex geopolitical environments and managing government/regulatory relationships.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong executive presence and extraordinary public communication skills.
• Strong analytical and project management skills.
• Self-starter with high energy level and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Superior organizational and people management skills.
• Ability to perform within corporate guidelines, support corporate processes, and make enhancements where applicable.
• Ability to work effectively in an ambiguous environment.
• People orientation with a collaborative, inclusive leadership style.
• Hebrew language skills is a plus.

Personal Characteristics

• Inspirational leader who motivates and leads by example.
• Creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Proven team player with strong stakeholder management capabilities.
• Diversity and inclusiveness awareness; appreciation for working in a geographically diversified organization.
• Smart, candid, direct, and non-political, with a highly developed sense of ethics, energy, passion, confidence, and ambition.
• Quick learner who can come in and understand the business, local ecosystem, and organizational dynamics rapidly.

Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

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.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

We are ethical and compliant
Our leadership credo: Do what’s right. Make SAP better for generations to come. We believe that great leadership extends far beyond the mere pursuit of business goals. We value and foster leadership that is driven with purpose and integrity. Our leaders are role models who uphold SAP’s values and shape SAP’s culture of integrity, by demonstrating and championing ethical and compliant behavior towards all stakeholders.

AI Usage in the Recruitment Process

For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Requisition ID: 454910 | Work Area: Corporate Operations | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Management | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid