Merck KGaA Posted August 15, 2026

SAP ERP Security Specialist APAC

Bangalore, Karnataka, India FULL_TIME
Information Technology

Merck KGaA is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Work Your Magic with us!

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

The SAP ERP Security Specialist is responsible for safeguarding the security architecture across SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC landscapes, ensuring alignment with enterprise security frameworks. This role involves managing user access governance, compliance management, and integrating security controls into critical business processes. Additionally, the specialist will monitor SAP systems for vulnerabilities, conduct risk assessments, and drive continuous improvement in security processes. Collaboration with cross-functional teams and strategic leadership in security governance are key aspects of this position, ensuring effective communication of security risks to stakeholders and counterparts.

Key Accountabilities

Process and System Responsibility

Enterprise SAP Security Strategy & Architecture Ownership- Ensure architecture and security level meet the  IT/OT Cyberscurity SOP. Support the end-to-end security architecture across SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC landscapes. Define and govern role design standards, authorization concepts, Fiori security architecture, and cross-system integration controls. Ensure alignment with enterprise security frameworks and business process requirements.

Implement and enforce Zero Trust – enable security principles within SAP ERP landscapes, ensuring strict identity verification, least-privilege access, and continuous authentication across SAP applications, users, and integrated systems. Learn the new trend, threat, and new challenges in cybersecurity area. Like Zero Trust, Double Zero

Access Governance & Compliance Management- Manage user access provisioning, modifications, and de-provisioning in line with internal policies and regulatory standards (e.g., SOX, GDPR where applicable). Perform regular access reviews, SoD analysis, and audit support to ensure ongoing compliance.

System Monitoring & Risk Management- Monitor SAP systems for security risks, vulnerabilities, and unauthorized activities. Conduct risk assessments, support remediation plans, and ensure timely resolution of security incidents related to SAP ERP platforms.

Process Ownership & Security Integration- Act as the security process owner for SAP ERP environments, embedding security controls into business processes such as Finance, Procurement, Supply Chain, and HR. Collaborate with functional teams to ensure secure configuration and change management practices.

Continuous Improvement & Stakeholder Collaboration- Drive continuous improvement of SAP security processes, including automation, Cybesecurity tool optimization, and documentation updates. Provide guidance and training to business users, IT teams, and management on SAP security best practices and governance standards.

Collaboration

Security & Governance Stewardship- Provide the SAP security governance across S/4HANA and ECC platforms. Support security review boards, define policy standards, and ensure consistent enforcement of global SAP access and control frameworks. Support to resoluve the daily incidnets and tasks related to security topics.

Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration- Partner closely with Business Process Owners, IT leadership, Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance, and external auditors to align SAP security with enterprise risk strategy. Translate technical security risks into business-impact language for executive stakeholders and steering committees.

Transformation & Change- Lead security workstreams during SAP implementations, upgrades, rollouts, and S/4HANA and ECC transformation programs. Drive organizational change by promoting secure-by-design principles, influencing stakeholders, and ensuring security requirements are embedded early in project lifecycles

Impact and Performance Management

Supportive for the liaison & enablement team’s results, impacting performance of related Cybersecurity Operation teams through effective demand, capacity and change management.

Meet key KPIs (e.g., demand throughput, lead times, change success rate, capacity utilization, compliance) and drives performance improvements.

Develops and applies policies and guidelines to enhance cybersecurity operational efficiency and process consistency in  Cybersecurity Operation liaison and enablement.

Efficent and Effevively support the cybersecurity tasks to meet the SOP and KPI.

Complex Problem-Solving

Analyzing skills-Analyzes complex information (e.g., audit findings, security advisories, demand/capacity data, vendor input) to support sound decision-making.

Sustanable and Reslience solution- Addresses operational challenges across demand, security, testing, release and lifecycle processes with sustainable solutions.

Technology Skills

Minimum 2 years of experience in SAP solution consulting, with a strong track record in solution design, and full-cycle product implementations.

Good knowledge on SAP system components, architecture, technical integration concept, ABAP and API.

Experience on SAP BASIS, Unix system administrator.

Deep understanding of SAP security and authorization concepts, including access control, authentication and data protection.

Hands-on experience with SAP security administration and risk management (roles/profiles, provisioning, policy maintenance, risk assessment) and relevant security/compliance standards (e.g., NIS, KRITIS, GDPR, SOX).

Proficiency with test and release management tools, ticketing systems, SAP security tools/transaction codes and ABAP for security-related custom solutions and troubleshooting

Need the cybersecrutiy knowledge or skills related to SAP framework-OS security, DB security, Firewall concept, SAP Netowrk zone design, Network infra knowledge, Vulnerability, SAP application design security, encryption, Cloud cybersecurity architecture. Data privace and Integrity, Data protection.

Advanced certifications in SAP Security, SAP Architecture, or Service Management technologies (e.g., SAP Certified Technology Associate)

Knowledge on SAP DevSecOps- Deep SAP Security & Architecture Expertise, strong knowledge of SAP platforms and security architecture, including: SAP S/4HANA, SAP NetWeaver, SAP BTP, and SAP Fiori, SAP transport management and secure configuration, SAP-specific vulnerabilities and patch management.

Integration of Security into DevSecOps Pipelines - Automating SAP code security scans (ABAP, UI5, integrations), Implementing security gates in pipelines,

Supporting secure transport and release management, Implement continuous monitoring and compliance controls, SAP security monitoring and logging (SIEM integration)

Compliance with standards such as ISO 27001, NIST, KRITS and GDPR, Managing identity governance and access risk analysis.

 

Education, Skills & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Business Informatics, IT technology, or a comparable field.

Graduate degree in a relevant discipline (IT Technolocy or Computer Science)

Several years of experience in SAP-based Authorization, BASIS, Cyberscurity, Techical integration and Cyberscurity areas.

Understanding about SAP system profiles, Authentication, Patching, Secure Network Communication, Encryption, Database security, Infra security.

Good knowledge on information security policy, cybersecurity issue response, disaster recovery, industrial policy and compliance, physical security, OS security, MFA, Netowrk architecture, vulnerability management, log and monitoring, OWASP Top 10, Secure configuration.

Experience on DevOps to DevSecOps-understood secure development lifecycle(SLDC), Cybersecurity framework-27001, NIST. Testing and Automation.

Understood different cybersecurity related concepts: cyber defence model, ISC, Cloud security concept.

Proven experience in managing teams and driving operational performance in a technology-driven environment.

Any certifications-CISSP, CCSP, SSCP and Secruity+ is plus.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of navigating complex issues.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

Proven ability to develop and implement effective strategies and policies, supported by an in-depth understanding of industry trends, market dynamics, and the competitive landscape.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Information Technology
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Information Technology role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 1211 comparable Information Technology roles across 60 biopharma companies.

1211Comparable roles tracked
1154Currently active
60Companies hiring similar roles
32Countries represented

Salary context

152 of 1211 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Senior Data Security Engineer (Insider Risk Management – Engineering) · AbbVie $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Highest disclosed · Senior Director, Targets and Mechanisms Solutions · Pfizer $230,900/yr – $384,800/yr
Peer group range $0 – $307,850 (median $165,900)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1211 comparable roles

India562
United States255
Spain116
Poland74
Portugal34
China22

+ 26 more countries

Seniority mix

665 of 1211 peers have a known seniority level

Senior308
Manager153
Principal56
Associate52
Associate Director44
Director35
Senior Director12
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc4
Executive/VP1

Therapeutic area mix

2 of 1211 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology1
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

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The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.