Job Description

Overview

People love Dunelm. That statement is true for the millions of Customers, the 'savvy home lovers' who love the broad range of quality, value for money homewares products, the unique in-store and online experience, and Dunelm's distinctive local feel. It is also true for the 11,500 Colleagues who benefit from an ambitious, entrepreneurial, family-oriented culture and challenger-brand mentality which combine to create an environment that is conducive to making things happen fast. And it's also true for Investors who have seen strong and consistent returns to date and are excited by the leadership team's calibre and vision, and the strength of Dunelm's multi-channel offering.



Dunelm SAP Landscape



Dunelm's SAP solutions underpin many of Dunelm's operations including Finance, Manufacturing, Inventory management, Order management, Warehouse management, HR and Payroll. These SAP solutions will be coming out of mainstream support in December 2027 and at the end of their operational life in December 2030. Over the next few years, we are planning to replace these legacy SAP solutions with more modern enterprise platforms from SAP or others depending on the respective costs / benefits assessed as we develop the plan.



This investment in our core operational systems is a key part of our plan to 'Harness our Operational Capabilities' and develop our systems to transform our proposition, processes and productivity. The Programme Director will therefore be an important member of the Dunelm leadership team, collaborating with other leaders including the Board and Exec, through to front line colleagues in all areas of our business.

What you'll be doing

We have set out to hire a visionary and experienced SAP S/4HANA Programme and Transformation Director to lead our multi-year enterprise-wide SAP transformation programme. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for the successful delivery of the programme, encompassing technical implementation, business transformation, change management, governance, partner management, financial oversight, and benefits realisation.



The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in SAP S/4HANA (or similar) programme and transformation leadership, commercial and vendor management, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to operate at senior level across the business, IT, partners, and Board.



This is an incredible opportunity to shape the future of our organisation--not just through systems and architecture, but by enabling smarter ways of working, enhancing customer experience, and unlocking sustainable growth.



Programme Leadership



Lead the end-to-end delivery of the SAP S/4HANA transformation programme, ensuring alignment with strategic business goals. Define and manage programme scope, timelines, budgets, and quality standards. Establish and maintain integrated programme plans across all functional domains (Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, HR, Procurement, etc.). Drive agile and hybrid delivery methodologies where appropriate, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness to business needs. Ensure robust programme governance, reporting, and decision-making structures.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Management

Engage and influence stakeholders across all levels--from Board members to operational teams--to ensure programme alignment and buy-in. Champion a culture of change, embedding transformation principles and practices across the organisation. Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive change management strategy, including training, communications, and adoption metrics. Ensure alignment with other strategic initiatives and enterprise architecture.

Team & Vendor Management

Build and lead high-performing cross-functional teams, including internal resources and external partners (SI, BI, SAP). Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Manage strategic relationships with SAP, system integrators, and other technology partners. Ensure clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations across all delivery teams.

Financial & Risk Management

Own the programme budget, ensuring financial discipline and value delivery. Collaborate with Finance, PMO, and business leaders to track and report on benefits realisation. Identify and manage programme risks, dependencies, and issues, ensuring timely mitigation and escalation. Maintain full transparency of programme performance through KPIs and dashboards.

What we'll look for in you

A strategic mindset with strong tactical execution capability. Ability to lead, inspire, and manage cross functional teams. Passion for operational excellence and user-centric transformation. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and navigating complex stakeholder environments.. Possess the personal stature, capability and operational grip to gain respect throughout the organisation. A visible and energetic leader with strong strategic capability who can both motivate and organise their team to deliver and constantly level up. Strong desire to engage and collaborate across the business, and a good networker who can influence and pull people, teams and ideas together. Excellent commercial instincts, strong understanding of P&L drivers. Able to develop and execute plans across short, medium and long-term horizons; balances big picture thinking with getting the job done. A low-ego personality with evidence of strong self-awareness, sensing / perceiving skills, who values the power of team working. High level of humility and able to process the needs of the business, its customers and your team above your own. A high-integrity individual who is naturally drawn to, and has empathy with, Dunelm's values and ethics. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Be Curious!
Essential Skills
Proven track record of leading large-scale SAP S/4HANA or equivalent ERP transformation programmes in complex, multi-business-unit or regulated environments. Deep expertise in business transformation, technical delivery, and benefit realisation. Strong commercial acumen and experience managing multi-million-pound budgets. Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills. Ability to operate effectively at C-suite and Board level. Strong understanding of change management principles and tools.
Desirable Skills
Experience with SAP SuccessFactors, SAP EWM, SAP BTP, and RISE with SAP or similar. Familiarity with cloud / on-premise hybrid models and enterprise architecture principles. Industry experience in Retail, FMCG, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain. * Experience with data migration, legacy system decommissioning, and post-go-live support models.