Project Test Lead Manager

Job Description: Project Technical Lead - Cutover & Integrated Testing
Duration: 6 Months
Location: London
Work Model: Hybrid- 2-3 days in a week

Role Summary
The Technical Project Manager (TPM) - Cutover & Integrated Testing is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing all activities related to system cutover, environment readiness, and end‑to‑end integrated testing for large‑scale technology or ERP transformation programmes. This role is technology-driven and engineering-facing.
Deep involvement in the technical design, testing and cutover phases are core to this role.

Key Responsibilities
Cutover Management

• Develop and maintain the overall cutover strategy, detailed cutover plan, and command‑centre procedures.
• Lead cross‑functional readiness reviews, ensuring all teams (technical, business, data, infra, partners) meet required entry/exit criteria.
• Coordinate blackout windows, deployment sequencing, data migration activities, and environment transitions.
• Manage cutover rehearsals, dry‑runs, and go‑live simulations to validate timing, dependencies, and resourcing.
• Act as the central point of control during cutover execution, driving decision-making, issue resolution, and stakeholder communication.
• Track and manage go‑live risks, contingency plans, and rollback procedures.
• Responsible for weekly updates, logging risks , issues and dependencies related to cutover
• Support E2E project manager in governance and Project Management Office activities

Integrated Testing (SIT, E2E, Non-Functional)

• Develop the integrated testing strategy, scope, and schedule aligned with programme milestones.
• Drive test planning across multiple workstreams, ensuring clear ownership for test cases, data, environments, and defect resolution.
• Oversee execution of System Integration Testing (SIT), End‑to‑End (E2E) testing, and application integrations across internal and external systems.
• Coordinate defect triage, prioritisation, and root‑cause analysis with technical and functional teams.
• Provide daily update on progress, builds dashboard to self-service reporting, and manages risk/issue.
• Ensure test results provide evidence for deployment readiness and compliance with quality gates.
• Support performance, security, and non‑functional testing activities.
• Ensure Exit Report meets standards and is available in line with project plans.

Cutover & Testing Workstream Management

• Maintain integrated plans and RAID Log across cutover, testing, data, and environment workstreams.
• Provide regular status reporting, manage dependencies, maintain risks/issues logs escalating when required.
• Facilitate cross‑team decision-making, ensuring alignment between IT, business, and vendors
• Support programme/project manager in governance , stage gates and Project Management Office activities
• Maintains up to date artefacts such as Status Reports, RAID Logs, Stage Gate Compliance Checklists/Tracker, Cutover / Testing Plans, Release notes (as required by Change Control Board), Testing evidence , exit reports and supporting documentation

Skills & Qualifications
Technical & Delivery Skills

• Strong experience managing cutover, deployment, or release activities in complex multi-system landscapes.
• Expertise in integrated testing management, test planning, and defect lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with ERP (SAP), SaaS platforms, or enterprise transformation programmes (preferred).
• Project planning and testing management tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence).

Soft Skills

• Strong communication and stakeholder management across business and technical teams.
• Excellent facilitation skills, especially in high-pressure go‑live or testing cycles.
• Analytical mindset with a structured, detail-oriented approach to planning and execution.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity and drive issues to closure quickly and collaboratively.

Experience

• Leading complex, multi-vendors integrated testing activities
• Experience in SAP upgrades/implementation projects
• Experience as Delivery Lead role is desired
• Experience leading business critical enterprise cutovers and go-live support

Guidant, Carbon60, Lorien & SRG - The Impellam Group Portfolio are acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.