Senior Systems Specialist (ERP) - Middlesbrough
3 days ago
Darlington
Altrad are currently recruiting for a Senior Systems Specialist (ERP) to join the team based in Middlesbrough. The successful candidate will own the technical architecture and lifecycle of a complex, multi-country ERP estate spanning Microsoft Dynamics AX, Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC), Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations (F&O) and legacy NAV, supporting multiple legal entities, countries and operating models. • Serve as technical authority for a heterogeneous Microsoft ERP estate covering Dynamics AX, Business Central, Dynamics 365 F&O and legacy NAV across multiple legal entities, countries and operating models., • Design target, transitional and coexistence architectures, including platform boundaries, data flows, environment strategies and migration paths between legacy and strategic ERP platforms., • Maintain clear application and dependency maps across Microsoft base application versions, country/localisation packs, ISV layers, bespoke extensions, integrations, batch services, reporting and downstream data products., • Define technical standards for configuration versus customisation, extension patterns, environment topology, supportability, resilience, performance, observability, security and data privacy., • Govern enterprise versus local design decisions, ensuring justified country-specific requirements are accommodated without creating uncontrolled divergence or unnecessary technical debt., • Own the technical integrity of layered ERP solutions where Microsoft platform components, localisations, multiple ISV products and bespoke changes have interdependent release and upgrade requirements., • Maintain compatibility matrices covering ERP version, runtime/platform version, localisation, ISV release, custom extension, API/interface version and key infrastructure dependencies., • Review and challenge solution designs and code produced internally or by vendors across AL/C-AL, X++ and related ERP technologies, ensuring changes are supportable, extensible and aligned to clean upgrade paths., • Coordinate technical changes across multiple suppliers and ISVs, identifying collision points, sequencing dependencies and preventing one vendor change from adversely affecting another layer of the ERP stack., • Troubleshoot issues that span ERP base code, ISV functionality, custom extensions, SQL/database services, identity, integrations, reporting and end-user clients., • Design and govern integrations using appropriate Dynamics patterns including REST/OData APIs, data entities, web services, business events, file/EDI interfaces and other legacy interfaces where required., • Use Azure integration services such as API Management, Logic Apps, Functions and messaging patterns to decouple systems, control interfaces and improve resilience and observability., • Co-design integration contracts with Data Engineering, covering schemas, ownership, lineage, versioning, error handling, service levels and data quality at system boundaries., • Partner with Data & Analytics teams to enable ERP data consumption through governed pipelines to platforms such as Azure Data Lake, Fabric and Databricks, using incremental/CDC patterns where appropriate., • Protect master data integrity and support consistent cross-country data definitions while recognising legitimate local statutory and operational variations., • Own environment and release strategies across Dev, Test, UAT, Pre-Production and Production, adapting controls to the different deployment models used by AX, BC and F&O., • Lead major/minor ERP upgrades, cumulative/platform updates, hotfixes, ISV upgrades, extension releases, API deprecations and security patching across multiple country instances., • Plan upgrades as an end-to-end dependency exercise, validating Microsoft base application, localisation, ISV, custom code, interface and reporting compatibility before production deployment., • Establish and operate CI/CD and release controls using Azure DevOps and relevant Microsoft lifecycle/admin tooling, including automated build/test, artefact promotion, approvals, audit trail and rollback., • Define regression and cutover strategies that test critical country processes, statutory functions, integrations and ISV-dependent business scenarios before release., • Support ERP rationalisation and modernisation roadmaps, including controlled transition from legacy AX/NAV estates to BC and/or F&O where this is the approved target architecture., • Own ERP operational health and service targets, using application telemetry, SQL/database diagnostics, batch monitoring, integration logs and platform monitoring to identify emerging issues., • Lead resolution of complex, cross-platform incidents and problem-management root cause analyses, coordinating Microsoft, ISVs, infrastructure teams and internal specialists where ownership is shared., • Drive performance tuning and capacity planning across ERP application tiers, databases, integrations and supporting Azure services., • Maintain robust backup/restore, disaster recovery, support runbooks and technical operating procedures aligned to agreed RTO/RPO and service requirements., • Apply secure-by-design controls across ERP identity, roles, permissions, segregation of duties, privileged access, service accounts and integration identities., • Ensure ERP designs and changes meet applicable UK/EU data residency, GDPR, Cyber Essentials Plus and ISO/IEC 27001 requirements, together with relevant contractual and sector controls., • Maintain auditable change, access and deployment records and ensure vulnerabilities, unsupported components and technical exceptions are identified and remediated through controlled plans., • Translate complex business requirements into technical ERP designs, clearly separating global/common requirements from country, entity and ISV-specific needs., • Manage and technically assure third-party ERP partners, developers and ISVs, holding suppliers to agreed architecture, coding, documentation, security, testing and support standards., • Coordinate roadmaps across Microsoft, ISV and internal delivery teams so release sequencing, end-of-support dates and platform dependencies are visible and actively managed., • Provide clear technical decision records, architecture diagrams, runbooks and handovers to BAU/support teams., • Act as the senior escalation point for analysts and technical specialists working across ERP, integrations and connected business systems., • Mentor colleagues in structured troubleshooting, dependency analysis, release management and safe support of complex multi-layer ERP environments., • Review and sign off technical fixes and changes, ensuring appropriate standards, peer review and change governance are followed., • Proven experience supporting, designing or technically owning complex, multi-country and multi-entity ERP environments rather than a single standardised implementation., • Strong Microsoft Dynamics ERP background across Dynamics AX, Dynamics 365 Business Central and Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations, with deep expertise in at least one platform and strong working knowledge of the others;, • Demonstrable experience managing layered ERP architectures comprising Microsoft base applications, country/localisation components, multiple third-party ISVs, bespoke extensions and integrations., • Strong understanding of AL/C-AL and X++ concepts sufficient to diagnose issues, review technical designs/code and work effectively with specialist developers; hands-on development capability in one or more Dynamics technologies is advantageous., • Proven delivery of ERP upgrades, migrations, platform changes and controlled releases where compatibility across Microsoft, ISV and custom layers must be actively managed., • Experience with Dynamics integration patterns including REST/OData, APIs, data entities, webhooks/business events, OAuth and Azure integration services such as API Management, Logic Apps, Functions and messaging., • Strong environment and release-management knowledge, including Azure DevOps, CI/CD, automated testing, artefact promotion, lifecycle/admin tooling and robust rollback/cutover planning., • Good SQL Server and database diagnostic skills, with the ability to investigate performance, data integrity, batch and cross-system issues in ERP contexts., • Understanding of multi-country ERP considerations including legal entities, localisation, tax/statutory requirements, currencies, languages, data residency and controlled variation from global standards., • Strong vendor and ISV management skills, with the ability to challenge technical proposals, coordinate multiple suppliers and maintain clear accountability across shared solution boundaries., • Secure-by-design mindset covering identity, permissions, segregation of duties, auditability, data protection and controlled privileged access., • Excellent problem solving and technical communication skills, including the ability to explain complex ERP dependencies and risks to both technical and non-technical stakeholders., • Experience in Engineering, Construction, Energy, Industrial Services or similarly complex project-led environments., • Experience of vertical/industry ISVs layered on Microsoft Dynamics ERP platforms, particularly where multiple ISV products and localisations must coexist., • Power Platform and Dataverse experience, including Power Apps, Power Automate and governance of ERP-adjacent low-code solutions., • Familiarity with Azure data tooling and modern analytics platforms including Data Factory, Fabric, Databricks and lakehouse concepts., • ITIL/Agile delivery experience, service transition and formal change/CAB participation., • Relevant Microsoft Dynamics 365, Azure or Power Platform certifications. #J-18808-Ljbffr