External Project Manager – APS Pre-Study (Gate 1)

About the Assignment:

We are supporting a global industrial manufacturing organization embarking on a strategic pre-study to define the future of its Advanced Planning System (APS).

The current planning landscape is fragmented, with low system adoption, partial implementation of existing tools, and misalignment with group-wide standards. With an upcoming contract deadline, the organization must now make a critical decision on its future APS strategy.

The purpose of this pre-study is to evaluate three strategic scenarios:

• Enhancement of the current APS solution
• Migration to a group-standard platform
• Migration to an alternative APS solution

The outcome will be a fact-based recommendation and a high-level roadmap to support a Gate 2 investment decision.

Role Overview

We are looking for a senior, hands-on External Project Manager to lead the pre-study end-to-end.

You will be responsible for structuring the work, driving progress, facilitating cross-functional alignment, and translating complex input into clear, executive-ready decision material.

This is a high-impact role at the intersection of business, IT, and supply chain transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the overall pre-study, including planning, governance, and stakeholder management
• Structure and drive the approach across:
• Current state analysis
• Business & functional requirements
• Solution evaluation (fit/gap, risks, cost, timeline)
• Recommendation and roadmap
• Facilitate workshops and interviews with stakeholders across:
• Demand Planning
• Supply Planning / Operations
• Inventory Management
• S&OP
• IT / Integration
• Ensure requirements are:
• Structured and comparable
• Clearly linked to business value and pain points
• Identify and manage risks, dependencies, and trade-offs
• Synthesize findings into executive-level deliverables:
• Requirements & gap analysis
• Scenario comparison and decision framework
• Risks, assumptions, and dependencies
• High-level implementation roadmap
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including a Solution Architect leading IT architecture topics
• Prepare and present materials to Steering Committee and decision forums
• Required Experience
• Proven experience leading APS implementations or pre-studies
• or
• Large-scale supply chain planning / IT transformation programs
• Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain planning:
• Demand, Supply, Inventory, S&OP
• Demonstrated ability to:
• Facilitate workshops with senior SMEs
• Structure business requirements
• Translate complex input into decision-ready material

Preferred Experience

• Experience with APS platforms such as SAP IBP, Logility, SO99+ or similar
• Background in industrial / manufacturing environments
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder organizations
• Personal Profile
• Highly structured and pragmatic
• Strong facilitator with the ability to drive alignment
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and incomplete data
• Strong executive communication skills
• Delivery-oriented with a focus on outcomes
• Team & Governance
• Reporting to a senior Steering Committee (business, IT, finance)
• Supported by a cross-functional team of SMEs
• Working alongside an internal Solution Architect (IT focus)
• Full accountability for overall delivery and coherence
• Expected Deliverables
• Current state assessment and business requirements
• Structured comparison of APS scenarios (fit, gaps, risks, cost, timeline)
• Clear recommendation with rationale
• High-level implementation roadmap
• Executive-ready decision material for Gate 2

Additional Information:

Start: As soon as possible following onboarding !

Location: Hybrid (on site workshops in Fagersta, Sweden)

Duration: 6–12 weeks

Application:

• Proposed delivery approach
• Suggested timeline (within 6–12 weeks)
• CV of the proposed Project Manager
• Any additional expertise required to ensure success

Please note! We offer continuously. That means that we sometimes remove the assignments before deadline. If you are interested we recommend that you apply immediately.

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