Ariba Implementation Manager

Mesh-AI Limited; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading AI infrastructure company in the UK is seeking an Ariba expert to lead an in-flight implementation and manage external contractors. This role is critical for optimizing processes within Procurement and Sourcing, requiring 5+ years of SAP Ariba experience. The ideal candidate will push back on unnecessary complexities and ensure successful delivery on time and budget. The position offers a competitive package and a dynamic progression plan within an innovative company culture.

Benefits

Highly competitive package (base + equity)

Flexible workplace

Dynamic progression plan

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on SAP Ariba experience, including at least two full lifecycle implementations.
• Deep functional knowledge of Ariba Procurement and/or Sourcing.
• Experience with configuration, approval workflows, and supplier enablement.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end Ariba implementation across Procurement and Sourcing.
• Lead and assess the current Ariba delivery: scope, gaps, and cost drivers.
• Decide what stays with consultants and what comes in-house.

Skills

SAP Ariba experience

Procurement knowledge

Strong decision-making

Comfortable with complex delivery

Tools

Ariba

Palantir Foundry

Job description

Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you’ll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you’ll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future.

About the Role

We are hiring an Ariba expert to take control of our in-flight implementation of the software, manage any external contractors dedicated to Ariba, and ultimately own the platform in-house. You’ll be the internal authority on Ariba - someone who can get the most out of the system for the organisation, push back on external recommendations that don’t create real value, cut through implementation bloat, and drive the implementation to completion and following updates and improvements on time and on budget.

This is a high-impact role for someone who’s seen Big 4 SAP implementations from both sides and knows how to get results and impact for the organisation without letting scope and costs spiral.

What you\'ll be doing

Take Control of the Current Implementation

• Rapidly assess the current Ariba delivery: scope, gaps, timelines, and cost drivers
• Challenge the existing plan and remove unnecessary workstreams, complexity, and “nice-to-haves”
• Lead and attend Ariba working sessions, making real-time decisions to keep momentum
• Push back hard on scope creep, gold-plating, and consultant-led overengineering
• Own deliverables, timelines, and invoices — nothing ships without your sign-off
• Decide what stays with consultants and what comes in-house, and when

Deliver a Focused Ariba Rollout

• Own the end-to-end Ariba implementation across Procurement, Sourcing, and Supplier Management
• Partner directly with Finance, Procurement, and Operations to finalize requirements and secure decisions
• Make fast, pragmatic configuration choices based on business need — not theoretical best practice
• Keep the system simple, functional, and maintainable with minimal customization

Build for Long-Term Ownership

• Define and drive the integration approach between Ariba and Palantir Foundry (our core data platform)
• Establish a clear post-go-live ownership and support model
• Document key decisions and processes so knowledge lives inside Nscale
• Start building internal Ariba capability and define what, if anything, we hire next

About You

• 5+ years of hands-on SAP Ariba experience, including at least two full lifecycle implementations
• Deep functional knowledge of Ariba Procurement and/or Sourcing, with experience in configuration, approval workflows, supplier enablement, and forms
• Strong understanding of procure-to-pay processes and how Ariba fits into a broader finance and data stack
• Direct experience working with Big 4 or major consultancies, with a proven ability to challenge recommendations, control scope, and manage cost
• A track record of taking over in-flight or struggling implementations and driving them to completion
• Bias to action and sound judgment — you make pragmatic decisions and move fast, even with imperfect information
• Comfortable owning complex delivery without layers of PMO or excessive process
• Solid understanding of Ariba integration patterns (APIs, CIG, flat files) and experience integrating with ERPs or data platforms
• Able to work credibly with engineering, data, finance, and operations teams
• Bonus: Familiarity with Palantir Foundry or similar data platform

What we can offer you

At Nscale, you\'ll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We\'re building something extraordinary, and we want you at the core.

• Highly competitive package (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months. 🚀
• Join the fastest-growing tech startup, your chance to push boundaries, collaborate with brilliant minds, and make your mark on cutting-edge AI. ✨
• Expect a dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions. Grow by trying new things, leading, challenging the status quo, and owning your impact, always with our full support.
• Human-First Flexibility: We treat you as humans first. Our flexible workplace trusts Nscalers to deliver, giving you the autonomy to shape your day around life\'s moments.

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role.

For information on how Nscale handles candidate personal data, please see our Employee & Candidate Privacy Notice:Here.

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