Cutover Lead

Cutover Lead - SAP S/4HANA
Manchester (3 Days Onsite)
6-Month Initial Contract
Outside IR35

We are seeking an experienced Test Execution & Cutover Lead to join a major SAP S/4HANA transformation programme. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in ensuring successful testing, business readiness, cutover execution, and go-live support within a complex enterprise environment. Working closely with programme stakeholders, business users, and technical teams, you will lead all testing and cutover activities to deliver a smooth and controlled SAP S/4HANA deployment.

Key Responsibilities:

Cutover Planning & Readiness

• Lead business-side cutover planning and execution activities. Coordinate cutover tasks, dependencies, data readiness, and resource requirements.
• Validate cutover plans including: Data loads, Stock runs, Freeze periods and Downtime windows
• Support mock cutovers and dress rehearsals, capturing lessons learned and driving continuous improvement.
• Manage business readiness assessments and secure sign-off against go-live criteria.
• Coordinate communications, operational impacts, staffing requirements, and site readiness activities.

Test Execution Leadership

Lead the planning and execution of all testing phases, including:

• System Integration Testing (SIT)
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• Regression Testing
• Performance Testing
• Dress Rehearsals
• Review and validate test plans, scripts, and quality gates to ensure alignment with business requirements.
• Coordinate SMEs and end users across multiple business functions to ensure comprehensive test coverage.
• Manage defect triage activities and track issue resolution through to closure. Monitor testing progress, risks, escalations, and achievement of exit criteria.
• Ensure testing outcomes support business readiness and go-live success.

Go-Live & Hypercare Support:

• Support go-live execution and command centre operations.
• Prioritise and coordinate issue resolution during hypercare.
• Ensure knowledge transfer and support processes are established for post-go-live operations.
• Oversee remediation of issues relating to data, process execution, and system adoption.
• Support transition into BAU support with clear ownership of outstanding actions.

Essential Experience:

• Proven experience leading test execution and cutover activities on large-scale ERP or SAP programmes.
• Strong background delivering SIT, UAT, regression testing, performance testing, and mock cutovers.
• Excellent planning, coordination, risk management, and issue resolution skills.
• Strong stakeholder management experience across business, programme, and technical teams.
• Familiarity with testing methodologies, defect management processes, and testing tools.

Desirable Experience
SAP S/4HANA implementation experience.

Experience with SAP testing tools such as:
Solution Manager
Tricentis Tosca
SAP ALM
Jira XRay

Knowledge of data migration, environment planning, and system landscapes.
Understanding of release management and DevOps concepts.