Head of Business Applications

At the forefront of health technology for over 35 years, Munich-based Brainlab digitizes medical workflows, from diagnosis to therapy, to offer clinicians and patients better treatment possibilities. Our innovative digital ecosystem forms the basis for modern healthcare technology in 4000 hospitals in 120 countries.  

Our key to success is our creative, talented and hard-working team, which consists of around 2000 dedicated and inspiring individuals in 25 locations worldwide. To succeed in reaching our targets, we are seeking committed colleagues who can stand behind our core values curious, authentic and useful. 

As Head of Business Applications, you will lead a high-impact department at the intersection of enterprise technology, business process excellence, and artificial intelligence. You will own the strategy, implementation, and continuous evolution of Brainlab's global application landscape — ensuring our core systems are scalable, compliant, and future-ready. As an experienced manager you steer, coordinate and support a group of senior team leads. Reporting directly to the leader of the Global IT Division, you will act as a trusted partner to business stakeholders and drive digital transformation across all functions. 

Areas of Responsibility 

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 

• Set the strategic direction for the global SAP landscape (FI/CO, Controlling, and related modules), and guide the responsible team lead in translating that vision into operations 
• Support the ERP team lead in coordinating annual and interim financial close activities, ensuring IT systems consistently meet audit and compliance standards 
• Provide strategic oversight on SAP upgrade and migration decisions (incl. S/4HANA roadmap); act as the senior IT escalation point toward Finance, Controlling, and Legal stakeholders 

Human Capital Management 

• Define the HRM platform strategy and roadmap for SAP SuccessFactors 
• Act as executive sponsor in the partnership with HR leadership, enabling the team to digitize and optimize talent, performance, and payroll processes 
• Hold accountability for GDPR compliance and system integration standards; delegate operational enforcement to the responsible team lead 

Customer Relationship Management 

• Set the strategic vision for the Salesforce platform (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, custom apps) and hold the platform team lead accountable for execution 
• Guide the team in driving adoption and automation initiatives across the commercial organization, ensuring measurable ROI 
• Govern cross-platform integration standards between Salesforce and ERP/PLM ecosystems at a strategic and architectural level 

PLM / ALM / R&D Tools 

• Define the strategic direction for PLM and ALM platforms, supporting the team lead in aligning the roadmap with R&D and Engineering priorities 
• Ensure the team maintains compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks (ISO 13485, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, MDR) by setting standards and reviewing team-level controls 
• Hold portfolio-level accountability for R&D-supporting tools and business-specific applications; steer prioritization and lifecycle decisions in collaboration with the team lead 

AI Platform & App Development 

• Serve as executive sponsor and strategic champion for Brainlab's internal AI platform; guide and support the team lead in driving development and rollout 
• Create the conditions for business units to successfully leverage AI/ML capabilities, removing obstacles and aligning resources across teams 
• Maintain strategic oversight of low-code/no-code and custom app development initiatives, ensuring architectural coherence and business alignment 

Education & Experience 

• University degree in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Engineering, or any related field 
• 10+ years of professional IT experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role 
• Proven track record managing enterprise application portfolios in complex, international organizations 

Business & Technical Expertise 

• SAP Finance background is a strong plus 
• Deep understanding of business processes, digitalization and business-led, tech-enabled transformations 
• Strong understanding of enterprise integration patterns, APIs, and data architecture 
• Experience with AI/ML platforms, data analytics, and modern enterprise architecture paradigms 

Leadership & Business Acumen 

• Excellent people leadership skills with experience managing diverse teams 
• Strong ability to translate business requirements into technology strategies 
• Experience working closely with Finance and senior management — able to speak the language of business 
• Skilled in stakeholder management, prioritization, and executive communication 

Soft Skills & Mindset 

• Entrepreneurial, solution-oriented “drivers” mindset with a passion for digital innovation 
• Ability to coach and support direct reports / managers 
• High degree of integrity, accountability, and ownership 
• Business fluent in English and German 

The position is based in Munich.

• A mutually-supportive, international team
• Meaningful work with a lasting impact on medical technology
• 30 vacation days, plus December 24th and December 31st
• Flexible working hours as well as hybrid work model within Germany
• Bike leasing via cooperation partner "BikeLeasing"
• Parking garage and safe underground bike storage
• Award-winning subsidized company restaurant and in-house cafes
• Variety-rich fitness program in our ultra-modern 360m2 company gym
• Regular after work, team, and company events
• Comprehensive training and continuing education opportunities

Ready to apply? We look forward to receiving your online application including your first available start date and desired salary. 

Contact person: Leonie von Leoprechting