Group Applications Manager
Ardo supplies its continuously growing markets around the world with high quality fresh frozen vegetables, herbs, and fruit with 3,200 employees and 16 production, packing & distribution sites in 7 different countries. The family business sells in more than 100 countries and has a turnover of more than 1.4 billion euros. The proximity of our factories to our crops is one of our key strengths and ensures that only minutes are lost between harvest and locking in the product’s natural goodness in our freezers. Ardo's purpose is to preserve nature’s gifts for future generations by providing fresh frozen, plant-based food while minimising our impact on the planet. Ardo achieves this goal thanks to an integrated network of growing areas, production units, freezing units, packaging equipment,logistics and stringent quality control. The group's know-how and flexible structure ensure that it can respond quickly to the newest trends and that innovative products can be brought onto the market quickly.
Here’s what you’ll do:
The Group Applications Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing the Group Applications Team within Ardo, currently consisting of 14 professionals. The team includes both Business Analysts and Application Support specialists, ensuring effective delivery, maintenance, and continuous improvement of application services across the organisation. The Group Applications Manager reports directly to the Group IT Director and works in close partnership with senior leadership and TMO. The position carries a strong mandate and requires extensive coordination across the leadership team to ensure alignment, effective decision-making, and successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
In addition, the Group Applications Manager is responsible for safeguarding the continuity, stability, and reliability of the application landscape, ensuring that both modern and legacy applications remain operational and properly supported. This includes maintaining business continuity, minimizing operational disruptions, and ensuring critical systems continue to run efficiently while balancing ongoing improvements and transformation initiatives.
As Group Applications Manager, you are responsible for the entire Application landscape with SAP S/4HANA as the main application, next to various other software tools, like a MES, WMS, advanced planning tool, CRM, …. The Group Applications Manager will focus on elaborating and implementing vision in the field of applications, aligned with the IT, business and the overall company vision. He/she will also be responsible for managing the team, the daily operations, the projects and the budget of the applications team and landscape.
The application landscape consists of:
1. ERP: SAP S/4 Hana
2. MES systems
3. WMS/WCS Systems
4. Plant maintenance applications
5. Finance & Controlling applications
6. Agro applications
7. Forrecasting application
For a detailed job description, please contact Group HR.
This is where you recognize yourself:
8. Senior level of experience in applications and SAP (S/Hana) and with senior management experience.
9. Approximately 5 years of experience in a similar position, preferably in an international context in a company with multiple entities.
10. A good knowledge of applications and specifically a good helicopter view of SAP. Knowledge of S/4HANA is a plus.
11. Experience in managing the delivery of the application projects and always strive for pragmatic and business-oriented solutions.
12. Experience with managing project- and team budgets.
13. Experience as a people manager and know how to motivate, guide and manage your team.
14. Experience in setting out a vision, build a roadmap and make strategic decisions on application level.
15. Experience with change management and know how to guide a team/organisation through transformations.
16. As a leader you can act both strategically and on an operational level.
17. Having a good conceptual knowledge of important IT market trends, technologies, solutions and can critically evaluate or pro-actively propose new opportunities.
18. A higher degree in Computer Science/Information Technology or equivalent through experience.
19. Language skills: Minimum native language + English (L4 – full professional proficiency), preferably French as second foreign language (L2-4).
20. Role requires frequent international travel across Blx and Europe – approx. 30%.
What’s in it for you?
We offer you the opportunity to be part of an authentic and sustainable international company, with real growth opportunities and the freedom to actively participate in shaping the business and the opportunity to develop professionally.
You will receive a full remuneration package in line with the level of this position. We care for our people and create family-friendly surroundings by offering flexibility work arrangements.